<p>umn has always been one of my top choices so thanks a lot for this:)</p>
<p>kjcphmom is absolutely right abt UMN. One of the best things you’ll appreciate abt the U is its diversity, and they actually try their best to promote diversity in every possible ways (from a current soph at the U) ;D</p>
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<p>As a senior at U of M, I’ve never experienced anyone “talking behind my back,” however I’m not about to label the student body here as overly friendly or welcoming. Many people here are ridiculously pre-occupied with their own personal lives and refuse to branch out at all. There’s also an overwhelming abundance of “bros” and trendy females who tend to be condescending and unpleasant. Go to the rec center any day of the week and you’ll see what I mean. And then of course there are the commuters - many of whom have had the same group of friends since kindergarten and make no effort to socialize while on campus. </p>
<p>If you can navigate around these groups, you’ll be fine and will meet some of the cool people around campus. They do exist, but it’s tough. Especially since many of the personable people commute.</p>
<p>In my freshman year, I lived in a dorm where there were some judgmental kids. There were plenty of kids that were cool and nice, but those kids judged others (myself included) for really stupid things such as listening to rap music, partying, drinking, and smoking weed. </p>
<p>I’mOnABoat says it best about the student body. I hung out with those judgmental kids and some other outgoing ones and we wanted to stay in the same apartment complex for our sophomore year. The judgmental kids just like to stay inside and watch movies every single night but the others and I find it extremely boring and we try to explore campus. I didn’t think they were that judgmental when I first met them. You shouldn’t be afraid at all, but just be aware that the overall student body is like this. </p>
<p>I might sound bitter about UMN but it is actually a great place to get a degree. Like what kjcphmom said, this list was just my experience.</p>
<p>I 100% agree with the average U of M student being “preoccupied.” Other than when you’re a freshman in the dorms, the kids here are pretty uninterested and dismissive. I’m from the East Coast, and even I was taken aback by how socially incompetent and chilly people here are. On several occasions I’ve introduced myself to someone on the first day of class only for them to say back something dismissive like, “That’s nice” or “Good for you” and then not introducing themselves back. Even at parties and in student groups you’ll find the passive-minnesota-cliquieness and it can be uncomfortable.</p>
<p>I didn’t really make good friends here until junior year for that very reason. A lot of people move farther from campus as upperclassmen (to northeast, uptown, etc.) and establish themselves in the actual city of minneapolis. Many of my good friends here aren’t actual U of M students.</p>
<p>I graduated from the U of M and I agree that the students are often preoccupied. In my experience, however, that preoccupation was related to the number of hours that so many UMN students work in addition to attending school. I worked 30+ hours per week and went to school full time. Most people I knew worked at least 20 hours per week. People in that situation don’t have a lot of time to make new friends or socialize or party, even though that would have been a lot more fun than “get up…go to class…go to work…study at home or do research in Wilson Library…sleep a few hours…repeat endlessly.” With that kind of schedule, making lots of buddies would probably lead to failing classes, so you tend to stick with the small social circle you have and can manage. I didn’t behave like you describe above, but I fully admit that I didn’t gravitate toward students who were clearly eager to make friends and socialize or party. It makes me sad to admit that because I know that I missed out on meeting great people. So yep. The campus is full of people who are preoccupied with their classes and working their butts off to pay for them. But I am sorry that that aspect of campus life leaves people feeling dismissed.</p>
<p>When did you graduate? I only know one person who had to work two 20-hour per week jobs so she never socialized because she was never in the dorm. I’m currently in the college of biological sciences and I still manage to find some time to go out (albeit very little time) and still do well. </p>
<p>It got annoying when I tried talking to people and all I got was an “OK” and how judgmental and condescending people here are. And no, not everyone here is preoccupied with working their butts off. I don’t know when you graduated but obviously things have changed. So many kids here choose to just play video games or just watch movies every night, which I can’t stand.</p>
<p>I am not a student at the U (yet) but I have many friends who attend since I go to a high school only minutes away from campus. A lot of students are from MN or nearby states, so many have a lot of friends also attending the U. I think in many cases that keeps them from branching out a lot. Since the school is so big, people feel comfortable in the groups they already had prior to college. I’ve lived in MN my whole life so I don’t think I find people that preoccupied or anything, but I definitely agree it’s not unusual for people to not be that interested in talking to people they haven’t met before. When I went south to do some college visits I was VERY surprised at how open and friendly everyone was. Even the guests in our hotels stopped us and asked us how we were doing, where we were going, and told us to have a fun time! So I don’t think MN people are rude, I think that maybe we tend to be more reserved. We are all very nice people inside though, it just may take more for some of us to open up and meet new people! (Obviously this is not true for everyone though!)</p>
<p>Quirky…You are talking about students who live in dorms; I was not. I don’t think I ever met anyone who lived in the dorm after their freshman or sophomore year. Everyone I knew was like me: they lived off campus and had part-time jobs. You, on the other hand, are meeting people like you who live in dorms and don’t work.</p>
<p>I think it’s important to remember that there are tens of thousands of students on the Minneapolis campus, but only a tiny percentage live in dorms. So when you introduce yourself to someone in class, I think the chances are good that they’re not living in a dorm and they don’t spend their free time playing video games. :-)</p>
<p>hville7: I guess that makes sense. I’ve just never heard it at any other school. Most guys I know in my home state branch out. I don’t know how big most high schools are in Minnesota, but I went to a high school with 3200 kids and I know someone who went to Wayzata and she told me that her high school had over 4000 kids and she socializes a lot here. She’s the person who can take me to a party. I guess the U has a relatively high amount of kids from smaller towns and/or a small high school, and aren’t used to branching out, whereas I was forced to branch out at my high school to meet people. I agree with you about Minnesotans and their niceness but reserved personality. </p>
<p>TuesMedia: I live off-campus in an apartment with 3 others. I don’t work but I volunteer. I know plenty of upperclassmen in the dorms, and I’m moving back to the dorms next year because my schedule next year is going to be really demanding and I won’t have time to cook and buy stuff (I should’ve done that this year). The only person whom I’ve met that I can relate is the girl I mentioned above, so I don’t know where you’re getting the sense that I’ve met people only like me. 2 of my roommates have a job, one of which doesn’t go to school. I don’t know many kids my age who have jobs right now. A lot of my friends just like to stay inside and watch movies, and I’ve noticed that a lot of the campus is similar. I don’t know how else to put it.</p>
<p>Quirky, we had different experiences, knew different kinds of people, and had different expectations for college life. Plus I’m a girl. We didn’t party much, and we hung out in smallish groups because we didn’t have the energy, time, or money to do anything else. We were exhausted. You would have judged us as antisocial and boring. </p>
<p>I do agree that Minnesotans tend to be more reserved than other places in the U.S., and that the U of M campus isn’t social in the way that many other campuses are. Some people like that about it, others are disappointed.</p>
<p>The working thing: I graduated a few years ago when the economy was different and jobs were no doubt more plentiful for students. Everyone I knew had some kind of job. That aspect of life at the U may well have changed a bit.</p>
<p>From the U of M website regarding student employment: “Over 75 percent of University of Minnesota students work while going to school.” That sounds about right to me.</p>
<p>75% seems a lot higher than I would’ve expected. I know some people who work, but not a lot. I don’t have a problem with anyone. If they want to spend their free time staying inside and watch movies, that’s fine with me. I just don’t like doing it, and to me it just seems like a lot of kids on campus do that. I do have a problem with my friends who judge me for when I want to go to a party or go drinking. </p>
<p>I don’t know anyone who can’t have any sort of fun because of a job and their schoolwork. I can’t say this for the rest of campus, but if my schoolwork got too hectic, I wouldn’t get a job. I have money saved up, and I would spend my free time going out.</p>
<p>I agree about the abundance of employed students here, (I’m employed myself) but I wouldn’t be so quick to fully attribute that to how preoccupied people are on this campus. Most of my friends work 10-12 hours per week. In fact, most on-campus employers won’t let you work any more than that. That leaves plenty of time for socialization. </p>
<p>But I don’t think it’s solely limited to making friends/going out. Even just in a classroom setting, so many people are plain and simply rude and impossible to work with. People get overly competitive with their own group members on group projects which leads to fighting and bickering, (I honestly don’t remember the last group project I did that wasn’t chalk-full of drama and bickering) people “one up” other students in classes every time someone says something intelligent, and a lot of people live in a glass box and are self-serving in their friend choices. </p>
<p>This is my 5th year on campus and I’ve noticed these trends every year. I’m from the East Coast near Boston, the world headquarters of rudeness and shortness, and I still think the U of M community is chilly and preoccupied, even on Boston standards.</p>
<p>Oh btw, I’ll probably post another list of things I learned in my sophomore year.
Parachute22, I visited the east coast for the winter and everyone there was very nice, and I’m a Midwesterner, where everyone is known for being nice. I agree with your comment a lot, but somehow, after I wrote this, I noticed some people got more social… </p>