I am a incoming LSA student and would like some advice from the upperclassmen. Everything from Dorms(Best and worst/ How to rig to get put on Central campus) , professors, where to get discounts on books, parties ( how to find them and be safe at them) , dating culture, diversity of campus(racially, politically, etc.), classes freshman should take and why, etc.
Just anything that will be helpful for us. Things that can prepare us a little better for that transition to college and just make the whole experience more fulfilling and fun! Thanks in advance for your insight and GO BLUE!
There are a million answers to your questions, BTB…and it’s easy to see you’re enthusiastically looking forward to starting school at UMich. Congrats!
I read your post to my daughter, who just got home from her Junior year at Michigan. She laughed and shook her head. “Ah, man, I remember…”
Patience, my freshman friend, patience…all will reveal itself in time.
First off, UMich is a big place with people from all over the world. You’ll be peers will be people of every race, financial background, nationality, religious background, sexual orientation, etc… UMich is a huge melting pot of cultures and preferences. There’s something for everyone. There are a million clubs and activities. If you have an interest in…well…anything…you’ll be able to find like minded people.
There’s not a huge focus on politics at UMich. Most people have more pressing things to worry about…like passing their classes and getting their degrees. If I had to say there was a slant, it would be liberal…but there are plenty of people of every ideology and background. Religion is the same way. That said…if politics and religion are your thing…you will be able to find clubs and community that support your views…regardless of where you stand.
Classes you should take depend very much on your major.
Where you want to live depends very much on you and your preferences. My kid was assigned Mary Markley her Freshman year and utterly hated it…while lots of kids badly wanted to live there. It’s a lively, noisy dorm with a lot of party culture on central…with tiny rooms and vomit in the stairwell on “Thirsty Thursday.” Wasn’t my kid’s thing at all…but a lot of kids enjoy it’s lively vibe. (My kid packed up and purposely moved to the apartments on North…which is supposedly “social death”…lol…and LOVED it there. It’s quieter with more studious, nerdier kids. Was a much better fit.)
No one’s experience is the same at UMich. You’ll find your people, and you’ll get out of it what you put into it.
DO be prepared to work harder than you ever had to work in high school. DO be prepared not to be the smartest person in the room anymore. Do be prepared to struggle a little…which is something you might have never experienced before in your academic life.
Pretty regularly…you will have to pick two of the following: Good grades, a social life, and sleep. Sometimes trying to have all three won’t work and you have to prioritize for a while.
There are a bunch of lists and articles online about cultural stuff at UMich. Read the school satire magazines. Go on Youtube and watch videos made by UMich students. Go over the summer and spend some time walking around Ann Arbor. Visit the Museums, the Arb, the Botanical garden…walk around in the city adjacent to central. Would be a really fun summer trip for yourself and a best friend or two…to get a cheap hotel room and just go for a couple days and explore.
Oh…and call your mom and dad regularly just to let them know you’re ok. Most parents appreciate this more than you know.
Have a wonderful freshman year…have fun and learn lots! 
My number one thing that everyone thinks they know but never REALLY know until they’re here (@me): you generally won’t breeze through academically. I’m sure you worked hard in high school and I’m sure you’re mature enough to understand that college is a whole other beast, but you just don’t get it until you study for HOURS a day for a science/math class or spend weeks writing an essay for a humanities class and still end up with a B.
Michigan is tough, and you’ll find that you excel in some classes with relative ease, and you’ll pray for a C in some classes. This depends mostly on your interest in the class and if the professor likes you.
There’s no guarantee the professor will like you or even know you. But try! Profs are humans!
Sorry to say, but try not to party too much. People are gonna say “it’s college! Your freshman year! Live a little!” and that’s fine if it’s every other week or maybe every Saturday night even, but don’t spend the weekend partying and recovering. You’ll come to regret it.
You won’t be the smartest person in the class anymore no matter how you cut it. It’ll take time to adjust, especially if it’s a class you loved in HS.
People love to see you post about success and majors! Honestly! At least I like it. But please, for the love of God, don’t overdo it. I don’t care that your professor high fived you. I don’t care that your UROP mentor called you smart. I do care that you declared your major, because that’s cool. I do care that you got a good grade you’ve been struggling with.
Everyone here is rich. Not really, as I’m a prime example, but boy does it feel that way. My roommate bought all of his textbooks, even the recommended ones. I had to buy crappy online versions, rent, or forego the books. I met a girl who eats out everyday 3 times a day. I know a guy who went to a different country/Disney World/vacation place every break. It kinda sucks sometimes when you’re ability to study is hindered because you can’t write on your rented book, highlight the online version of a textbook, or buy the recommended sources. This can either mean nothing to you or it can be a source of stress.
PLEASE GET HELP!!! Your GSIs and professors are there to help and they do an awesome job. Go to CAPS if you need to talk to a therapist.
Enjoy your freshman year here and be proud to be a Wolverine, but please know this school will push you in so many ways. Be prepared. Go Blue!
Sincerely,
a freshm-- sophomore
All of the things mentioned here. Expecially the academics. Be prepared to actually study…something I didn’t realised until I did really bad on my first exam.
Also, start planning what you want to do and things will go so much easier. That way, you’ll stay on track and get a chance to do many of the billions of things you’ll want to do when you get here.
Best dorms: it depends on your taste. You don’t really get a choice freshman year. But for sophomore year, a lot of people have chosen Nquad and loved it. The dining hall isn’t great but it’s a really nice place to live. Mojo is another popular place for freshman(really any of the hill dorms are great with the exception of Markley). But Central has the nice dorms.
And one more thing that sounds super cliche: Enjoy your classes. Even the classes you hate. Talk to the professors because they are super open to questions about anything(most are, at least!).
Good Luck! Feel free to ask more Q’s!
I would agree that the median student is not much politically involved. However, the students who are politically involved are quite vocal. This was especially prevalent in our student government elections this year, where social justice issues came to the forefront and one of the major candidates was accused of racism and unchecked privilege. Also, the flyering incidents and other incidents of hate speech have definitely lit some fiery passions. Also, I think we need to also consider the major demonstrations this year on the Diag post-Trump and post-hate speech incidents, some of which were covered by national/international media.
What dorms are " good" and what are " bad" depends on who you are. For the super social party every Football Saturday, definitely going Greek kid, Markley is considered one of the best dorms which comes as a shock to those less social, kids who prioritize a nice big room and an attractive place to hang with friends and study over a hyped up crazy party life and who can’t fathom why living in a tiny room in a squalid building is coveted. For the later category South Quad and Mojo are great dorms. The super social kids like Mojo too, but south is less appealing though ok. North is considered the kiss of death by the party hardy kids because having to deal with busses on football saturdays sucks and you’re soooo far from your fraternity or sorority. Kids like MaryGJ’s kid find a lot to like on North though. But note that many many of those party hardy kids are also ( sometimes to the shock of their nerdier peers) academic rock stars who know that Sunday is for studying and group projects and love the quick walk to the UGLI or Rackham ( libraries) from the Hill or Central and don’t like Norths remote location for that reason too.
Dorms(Best and worst/ How to rig to get put on Central campus): Best dorms roughly speaking are South Quad, East Quad, and maybe MoJo. Do a special program to get central campus like Honors College or Michigan Research Community.
Professors/ Classes: really depends on your major + interests.
Where to get discounts on books: online, used
Parties ( how to find them and be safe at them): Can be hard at first to find parties since none of your friends will live off campus. Everyone will go to frat parties for the first 2 weeks but these are often annoying and mostly used so the frats can recruit new brothers. Join social clubs or a fraternity/ sorority to find parties.
dating culture: uhh variable but I found it was more of a hook up culture
diversity of campus(racially, politically, etc.): racially very white and asian, politically very liberal
Watch your budget…my kid spent tons on food outside the dining halls!