I am an incoming freshman to the LSA and in the Residential College. I am planning on majoring in Math to pursue a career in business or policy.
I’ve seen many posts and heard comments about how Michigan is too big and undergrads get drowned out in favor of grad students.
I mainly choose Michigan because I received a great scholarship and aid package, and my next best schools were West Point and the Air Force Academy. I realized I was not to ready to join the military, however.
Can anyone comment on the validity of this? I attended orientation and have the feeling that no one will hold my hand to help me out at Michigan, but that’s just college in general I think? Additionally I am realizing that due to the sheer size of Michigan I will not gain entry to every program, but there are still tons of programs.
I think you will be fine- it is true that at some big universities the grad students snatch up a lot of the research and involvement opportunities, but if you get involved with professors and make your interest known, you can find ways to get internships, research etc.
You joined RC, which is one of the ways to make it smaller. There a lot of resources available to help make a successful first year - you will just need to be proactive in seeking them (this is how things usually are in big schools).
First, the RC cuts the size feeling back. Second, there is less handholding but help is there in the form of writing advise (Sweetland), math help (Math Labs) and Prof office hours.
The need to figure out resources that will help you and to work around a larger than LAC population mimics life somewhat. As others said, you’ll be fine, just a short period of adaption.
Flash forward 4 or 5 years. You have graduated with a stellar GPA and want to work at the top of your field. To do that, you’ll have to live in New York or a city of similar size (Chicago, LA…). All of those contexts require that you navigate size/complexity. In that respect, and in that context, the city of Ann Arbor is like a tiny little village on the outskirts of nowhere.
Initially, you may need to make Michigan smaller: 1) there are order of 1,400 clubs…join one; 2) live in one of the smaller dorms, if that can be arranged; 3) after freshman year, the average class size will drop; 4) meet a core of 5 people or so with similar aspirations (to have friends and to intentionally “get lost in the sauce”).
The thing to keep in mind is that very, very, very few schools offer the number of courses and degrees that Michigan does.That is a benefit, not a detriment. Conversely, a smaller school may let you stay in the cocoon a year or so longer, but will NEVER offer such breadth with such excellence.
Find a niche that let’s you handle whatever social anxiety which you may feel and enjoy/appreciate as many of the university’s resources as you can.
Michigan’s retention of freshman is quite high, suggesting that there is a sound bilateral matching process. Most people who attend become rabid fans of the institution. Give it a chance and the odds favor you becoming one of those rabid fans.
As a student in the RC, if you’re truly worried about umich feeling too big, you made the right choice. As you probably know, the average class size in the RC is 15 students, which is smaller than a lot of discussion sections (which also makes umich a bit smaller) on campus. Through those small class sizes you will get attention from your professors, however, no one will hold your hand, that is just how college goes. But just because no one will hold your hand doesn’t mean that you can’t find support in RC/LSA (highly recommend joining the RC’s mentorship program, MAP) and utilize the resources of the greater university.
Regardless of the size of a university, most majors will not attract enough students to be a concern. That is certainly the case with Mathematics, where classes will seldom enroll more than 25 students. Michigan’s Mathematics department is in fact known for being undergraduate-friendly, and the Mathematics curriculum is considered one of the very best in the nation. That thanks to its large and world class faculty and relatively small undergraduate student population. Michigan Mathematics majors do very well down the line, whether it is gaining admission into good graduate programs, winning fellowships or finding work. I think you will be pleased with your decision to attend Michigan.
Not a chance you’ll ever feel this way enough to make you want to be somewhere else. I came from a town that’s as big as my graduating class at Michigan, so it was a little bit of a culture-shock for me, but I quickly found a great group of friends and a great church community that made the whole place a little smaller. Soon, you won’t think twice about it. There are so many great professors who care a LOT about your success, and they hold all kinds of office hours and are generally very flexible to your individual needs, even in those huge lectures. Many of them, if you visit them in office hours enough, will take the time to learn your name. In the RC, you’ll have even smaller classes, and the RC is one of those everyone-knows-everyone communities. Trust me, by the end of the year, you won’t be able to walk to class most days without waving hello to at least two or three people you know. When the campus really starts to feel familiar (and it will, quickly) you’ll really start to feel your own sense of existence, even if you are in a HUGE school. I never ever wanted to go to a big school, but then I got interested in Michigan, and now I wouldn’t change it for the world. There are always always always friends to be made regardless of who you are or what you’re doing. It’s such a great place to be and I’m sure you’ll love it!
For me, Michigan was never larger than the 800 people in East Quad and the 20-or-so students in my classes in Angell/Mason Hall. I lived in EQ all four years although I was not an RC student. By avoiding football games and studying either in my room or Benzinger, Michigan felt tiny. I still think of it as a cozy LAC.
