Would a football hater fit in?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Texas A&M University
1

<p>Over the summer, in volunteer work, one of the adults there told me her daughter rejected A&M because of the football environment. She said she hated that everytime she went, they just talked about football, and rarely ever addressed the academics.</p>

<p>Originally, I hated A&M for the same reason. I went to the NSI overnight and it seemed to revolve around that. In fact, I left early as a result. </p>

<p>But now that I am admitted, and everyone at my school thinks this is the end all be all, I think I want to go there. Everyone is so excited and in to A&M at my high school. My grandparents and aunt and uncle say I would make a huge mistake if I did not go. I went back and visited again, just walked around campus, and got very excited. </p>

<p>My parents did not. My dad loved the campus and seemed to be in to it. My mom seemed happy at first, but then soon got very quiet. Then she started making some negative comments. Oddly, the food services were mostly shut down on the weekend, so my mom said it seemed like more of a commuter campus. We barely stepped off campus to eat and accidentally walked in to a bar. My dad and I laughed, but my mom started in that while this is fine and normal for a huge university, she does not think 18-19 yr olds belong at a huge university. Throughout the rest of the time there, she kept saying large universities are better for grad students or older students than 18/19 yr olds. </p>

<p>In our "discussions" since then, my parents have told me that I belong at a smaller school, where there is more focus on undergrads. They have both told me that I do not like the football culture at all and I will hate life if I am there during football season. Plus, they claim all my classes, for the first year at least, will be huge. And they say I will not graduate within four years and I will always be dealing with bureaucracy.</p>

<p>I really think they are wrong. I think they really do not know what they are talking about. Neither of them ever went to A&M. People from my high school who are there and come back to visit rave on how much they love it. I think I will find plenty of people interested in things other than football. What do you think? Any defenses here that I can say to my parents on this? I suspect they are building to not let me even go to A&M.</p>

2

<p>Howdy undecided2014! </p>

<p>I apologize for this long post.</p>

<p>I am a current sophomore majoring in molecular cell bio at Texas A&M. Let me tell you my story on how I chose to come here. When I was senior in high school, I applied to a bunch of ivies and was already accepted to UT and A&M, but my eyes was on Columbia as my early decision school. I went against my dad in applying to Cornell early decision, since he was a Cornell alumnus. My mind was all on Columbia, but in December I received that rejection from Columbia. I remember I was so devastated about the rejection, and immediately committed to UT and was about ready to pack my bags to Austin. But as I went down the list of schools,Texas A&M was my last school on the list to make that phone call to turn away the offer. But, before I picked up the phone, I stared at the name “Texas A&M” and I had a strange feeling that something special was there for me. So, a week later, my parents and I made a trip to College Station to take a visit, and as it turned out, I felt at home and had a nice feel that I fit perfectly into the school. When I got back to Houston, I contemplated for one whole week about UT and A&M. My friends having seen me wear burnt orange t-shirts since elementary school predicted that I would keep UT. On Friday of that week, I walked into my classroom, not with an ugly orange t-shirt, but with a maroon t-shirt and confirmation of my NSC registration. My friends were absolutely shocked (since all of them committed to UT), but were definitely supportive. haha. The main point, football had ABSOLUTELY no influence on my decision making. I didn’t care about football and heck didn’t even know the rules of football at that time. </p>

<p>So, getting to your dilemma. Yes, we, Aggies, love football. BUT, we don’t talk about it all the time. In all my classes last semester, we rarely talked about football. same in my freshmen year when A&M had its debut in the SEC. What I am saying is that there are plenty of people here that love football and talk about it all time, or love football but don’t mention it at all except Saturdays, or people that absolutely don’t care about football. I love football and it’s awesome to watch Manziel on the field, but I am in the library every Saturday studying instead being at Kyle Field. Even during the A&M vs Alabama game, I was in the library. Occasionally, I do go watch a game at Kyle Field once in a while, but that’s about it. There are plenty of people here that don’t care about football. Yeah, few people will call them 2%ers, but keep in mind that these people are going to be your people who will make A’s in your class. Do you have to be a 2%er? no, you don’t have to and I don’t want you to. Just be a good Aggie with spirit! But hating football doesn’t make you a 2%er. Don’t let football deter you from choosing A&M. Believe me people mainly talk about it on Saturdays during the season, but during the week I assure you that many students are focused on doing well in that MATH 151 or PHYS 218 or BIOL 111 or what ever class that might be.
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3

<p>Second, your mom says it is a commuter school. Texas A&M has students from not just all over Texas and US, but all over the world. There are 55,692 students here. In addition, there are 5,142 INTERNATIONAL students here. You will encounter many students from China, South Korea, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and so many other countries. Texas A&M is a world-class university, and they do mean it. Otherwise, why would 5,142 international students enroll here. Let’s keep in mind that 1,300 international students applied to A&M for the freshman class alone. This is a well known university throughout the world too. You will encountere such awesome diversity in this campus. But we are all Aggies! Do you call that a commuter school? Nope. Oh yeah, the food service is always available here on the weekends too. Sbisa, Commons, MSC, coffee shops, Einsteins Bagels, etc. I certainly don’t know where and when y’all went. I am guessing the bar y’all walked into might be The Chicken or some other bar in Northgate. Northgate is not part of the university campus. It’s a popular district in College Station with one side having all the churches and the other side having all bars and restaurants. Ok, 18-19 years old do belong to the university. Those are freshmen and sophomores. I am 19. </p>

<p>As far as focus on undergraduates, A&M focuses on everyone. The education that you will receive here is amazing. The classes here are really challenging, but they make you think on a creative level. (That’s at least in the science and engineering classes) Even outside the sciences, when I take electives like Music Human Experiences or Sociology or Theater History, professors in these classes don’t just come from an academic background, but they bring in knowledge they have from their performance experiences, research, or traveling experiences. This is with any professor. My dad, who graduated from Cornell in biology and went to medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, is impressed with the biology curriculum here. I show him my work that I do in my classes, the exams, and the labs. After my dad witnessing me going through the same old intro bio, gen chem, organic chem and other premed classes, my dad told me that “it is no wonder why when I was in medical school in the 90s, the best medical school students are not from Ivies, but from A&M and UT.” With that, the academic experience you will get here is like no other. They encourage students to go beyond the classroom into service and research. We have the Big Event every spring that at least 15,000 students participate in to display that we Aggies care for others who are in need. In my biology classes, there are professors who come in encouraging students to enroll in the Capstone Research Program. They invite any students regardless of research background or GPA to come engage into a research program. A&M also has many academic resources such as Academic Success Center and SI sessions to help you when you struggle or need help. Professors invite students to office hours and many host review sessions themselves (not the TAs)! These professors beg students to come. Many of my professors asks all 100 - 300 students in my classes to fill out a notecard describing yourself and they want a picture of you, so that they can know you by name. This is awesome! At the end of the semesters, you as a student will have your say in how to improve a class by filling out confidential surveys. It is here that you can make suggestions to the professor on how to improve his or her class in future semesters. Even in a 500 student class, it will feel like a classroom of 15.
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4

<p>I will have to say that my experience at A&M has been an awesome experience. I do have fun by enjoying some football, heading to the natatorium fitting in my swimming workouts every other day, and being involved in my orchestra and my church. I also have fun studying for my classes and really learn and expand on what I learn despite on what grade I get in the class. I encourage you to share this response with your parents and see what they say. I glad to hear that you are excited, that’s was how I felt when I walked around the campus in my senior year in high school. If A&M is truly where you want to be, choose A&M. Choose where you will be most happy! I wish you the best and hope that you will become an Aggie! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Gig 'em!</p>

5

<p>The college experience will be what you make of it. I am not originally from Texas and did not fully understand why football is such a big deal here, but it is a huge deal because it’s a chance for all the students to come together and support their team and their fellow students. I love A&M for the academics, the honest and positive students, and the amazing faculty. Not to mention, it will begin to feel like home. Football, baseball, basketball, and all the other sports are just added bonuses. But I think people are fooled when they think that this university is built solely on football because it has so much more to offer than just a good game to watch. Although, I regularly attend games and have no problem standing up and cheering for my school. </p>

<p>Second off, whether you are attending a small university, community college, or a large university, it is up to the student with how much help they receive from advisors and professors. I transferred from a small state university (about 5,000 students) and since coming to A&M I have received more help than anywhere else. If a student were to not put themselves out there and be willing to go and meet with advisors and professors, then it doesn’t matter how large the university is they are attending. </p>

<p>Thirdly, at any unviersity there will be bars and “temptations” anywhere you go. It is the students choice whether or not they can control themselves and not partake in certain activities. </p>

<p>Texas A&M is a one of a kind school. If you can come back and visit by yourself or with a group that will not pressure you or bombard you with opinions then I highly recommend you do that. This is your choice and the beginning of your career and will be one of the biggest decisions you’ll make. If you end up choosing A&M I want to personally welcome you into the Aggie family. And if you do not, that is totally okay as well and I wish you the absolute best! </p>

<p>Do what makes YOU happy!</p>

6

<p>There is an orchestra? I heard there was something, but when we went by the music department last summer, they didn’t know anything about anything strings related.</p>

<p>We parked in the parking garage near the admissions office. When we came out of the garage, we ran in to someone carrying his fencing gear. I love fencing and used to do it. So, he directed us to the activity center. We headed over there and watched for a short bit. I loved that activity center. Plus, I saw some people from my old fencing team. They were not competing for A&M, but they were there. I was sold at this point. </p>

<p>From there, we walked back through campus and on to the union. They were out of campus maps. After that, we asked for directions to Mosher. People were friendly and I had no trouble getting help finding where to go. However, once there, there was little to no food service. They had Chik-Fil-A and pizza and a salad area, but that was it. This is when we started to lose my mom’s enthusiasm, but my dad was still excited. We headed across campus at this point toward Lechner. We stopped in at the food service there. We had been driving hours to get there and had thought it would be fun to eat on campus and see what that was like. But, when we went in that food service, it was limited and the menu was very small. My mom mentioned Hullabaloo was supposed to have Starbucks and whatever else, so we could just grab something there. The campus did not have a lot of people on it, according to my mom. I thought it seemed like there were plenty. We got to Hullabaloo and the Starbucks was empty. According to the posted hours, it should have been open still. At that point, someone told us to try a Dixie Chickie or something like that, across the street. We headed that way, and it turned out to be a bar. My dad and I were laughing and my mom wanted to know why someone would send people who had two toddlers with them to a bar. We went down and ate at Firebirds. </p>

<p>After that, my dad and I wanted to see the engineering building. My mom kepting pointing out the lack of people. She also said because the bonfire was supposed to be that night, and classes only came back a week earlier, she would have expected a busy campus. I told her maybe they are already at the bonfire. I commented how that is where I would be. This was the first objection I have heard. Both said no! Apparently, my uncle was in school at A&M when a big accident happened that led to the bonfire being banned for a while. After that, we headed back to the car so we could leave campus before dark. </p>

<p>On the way home, my mom pointed out Baylor, a school I have already been accepted to but my dad cannot stand, and suggested we re-visit there. </p>

<p>After home, my mom and dad must have talked, because after another day, even Dad started suggesting other schools.</p>

<p>Thank you for your great post. I am going to copy and paste and email to my parents and see if that changes their mind. They did say if I can work out the finances, I can chose where I want to go. I am spending the weekend, again, on scholarship applications.</p>

7

<p>Yes, we do have an official orchestra. It is a one hour class that meets on Mondays & Wednesdays 4:10 - 5:25 PM. The orchestra is led by Dr. Sikes and consists of a good 60-70 string players alone. We do one string orchestra concert in the beginning of the semester and one full orchestra concert (we combine with brass, winds, and percussion from the bands) in later part of the semester. Almost all the students in the orchestra are not majoring in music, but are highly motivated, well experienced, and had a strong competitive orchestral background. You do need to audition with the director to get into the orchestra. It’s not too time consuming in terms of rehearsal time, but we do move fast on our music and are expected to practice on our own. The director is awesome and makes the rehearsals effective and fun. If you do play an instrument and interested in learning more about it, here’s a link [Orchestras[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Yes, A&M has a lot of sports clubs that you can join. There’s a fencing sports club that you can join. Many of these sports club welcome everyone at any level. I was part of the Judo and Taekwondo sports clubs last year since I have been in martial arts/wrestling for many years, but I don’t have time for it nowadays. I keep up with my martial arts training during summers and breaks. You can do sport clubs for recreation or competitively. Here’s the link to the TAMU fencing club: [url=&lt;a href=“- Texas A&M University”&gt;http://fencing.tamu.edu/]Texas</a> A&M Fencing Club | Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno](<a href=“http://tamubands.tamu.edu/index.php/programs/orchestras]Orchestras[/url”>University Bands & Orchestras) This is a good way for you to keep up with your hobbies and meet people. </p>

<p>Y’all must have walked into the Commons (that’s the place you describe with the Chick fil A, pizza, salad). Usually, they are open on the weekends definitely during the day. I know they open around close to noon, so maybe y’all got there too early. It’s not the only place to eat. There are some places at the MSC to eat such as Rev’s American Grill, Panda Express, Starbucks (inside the Barnes and Noble), and some burrito place. This year Sbisa Dining Hall is open on Saturdays. I belive The Starbucks in Hullabuloo hall just opened this semester, because I remember it was not open when I stopped by one time last semester. I was right, y’all walked into The Chicken (that’s another name for Dixie Chicken as you just mentioned). Not cool of that person to refer y’all there especially knowing you have very young siblings. I am sure you and your dad would have enjoyed it anyway. By the way, it’s not only a bar, they serve awesome hamburgers and amazing milkshakes too! </p>

<p>The thing about weekends on the A&M campus is that it’s calm. But another reason is because out of 55,000 students, about 80% of students live off-campus in surrounding apartments throughout BCS. If you live off campus, most likely you won’t be on campus on the weekends unless if you going to the library or the REC center. Even with those 10,000 living on campus, it’s still calm. most students would be going off campus to northgate and be hanging out in the MSC or in the Commons or staying in their dorms. There’s also a lot of people who travel out of town on weekends too. During the week, the campus is very busy. </p>

<p>The bonfire is not university sponsored nor is on campus anymore. I know there’s student-led bonfire off campus in some field away from the university. That’s why y’all couldn’t find it.</p>

8

<p>You’d have to be at least football-tolerant if you join the Corps of Cadets. They attend every home football game. Otherwise, a large university caters to all interests. A small school has its own set of pros and cons.</p>