Things You Didn’t Think About Before Coming to Michigan 

This time last year, I had no clue what university I wanted to attend. I obsessed over any information I could find regarding the three universities I was choosing between. Instead of finishing my homework so I could sit around and do nothing second semester, I spent hours each week doing research on my colleges. Senoritis, who?

I watched every “University of Michigan” day in the life YouTube video, gameday vlog and semester highlight reel known to man. I read every Niche review, student-experience blog post, and Her Campus article I could find (look who I write for now, lol). And, worst of all, I scrolled through the Instagrams of girls with “umich ‘22” in their bio to get a feel for what life at Michigan would be like. If you know a private investigator or a professor looking for a research assistant, they should hire me. 

But, please, please, please, please, please: DON’T BE ME. Finding and reading this article and a few others on Michigan’s Her Campus site (#plug) is enough research on your part. I promise. Pinky swear. Follow your gut and you’ll be fine. It all works out. I hated to hear it last year, but it’s sooooooo true!

Because I was in your shoes, I’ve assembled a list of things you haven’t thought to consider before committing to Michigan, posting your celebratory pic with the butterfly wings or the original “going blue” caption, putting Michigan ‘24 in your bio, joining the Facebook group, and writing a description about your interests because you need a gym buddy and roomie for next year.

The Cons (spoiler alert: they aren’t actually as bad as you think)

1. You have to fill out an application and potentially go to a professional interview to join most organizations. 

2. During finals, there is actually not a single table or seat open in the UgLi, Hatcher, Law Library, Ross, Panera, League, study room or 9th-floor study space (hey, south quaders!). This is a bit of an exaggeration, if you stand around and wait, after a couple of minutes, something will usually open up. 

3. Registering for classes is a nightmare. Watching all the classes in my backpack fill up thirty minutes before my time slot was traumatic. RIP to the night of December 5th. 

4. Your favorite athletic games aren’t free to attend. You have to shell out some cash for season tickets for Football, basketball, and hockey. Pro trip: Buy the pre-season football season tickets and don’t buy the others. Whenever you want to go to a basketball or hockey game (which will be a rare occurrence), you can easily buy a ticket off of someone for less than $12 in the Class of 2023 Facebook Page. 

5. North Campus. Send an email every day until contracts come out to housing, join the RC, look into themed communities, or apply to Honors. Do whatever you got to do. I’ll just add the bus system onto this, too.

6. Fish in the South Quad Dining Hall for dinner. Enough said. 

The Pros (there are a million!!!! you should come here!!!!)

1. There are tons of fun and super interesting classes to take. A few classes that I want to take: SOC 102 (Sports and Society), Musicology, English 231, Dance 100, Gender and Pop Culture, Environ 139, Local Food Producers, Amcult 321, From Sip to Smell, Polysci 286, Anthro 101, Moves 241, and From Kennedy’s to Kardashians. 

2. Anything you could ever want or need is within walking distance. 

3. The amount of organizations that exist on this campus is crazy! Star Wars Club. Michigan Geocaching Club. Films Labeled As Uniquely Bad Club. You name it, we probably have it. 

4. So many buildings have gotten redone in the past year and are so nice now. Hello, LSA building and the Union!

5. With a student body of 30,000 a year, the alumni network is huuuuuge. Your future fellow alumni include Tom Brady and Madonna!

6. The food in Ann Arbor is UNREAL. Frita Batidos, Ama’s, J Garden, Mani Osteria, Joe’s, No Thai, Piada, Slurping Turtle, Wilma’s, Fleetwood Diner, Isalita, Sava’s, Chophouse, Zingerman’s,  Palio, CPK, Bigalora. The list goes on and on. 

7. You will meet people of all ages from all over the world!

8. CVS and Walgreens are soooo close. When you’re sick, which is actually every other week at college, the close walk makes all the difference, especially in the winter.

9. We take the Detroit airport being only twenty-five minutes away for granted. So, thank you, DTW.

10. The Law Library is the coolest study spot ever.

11. Our summer is four months long. Let me repeat that for those of you in the back. Four. Months. Long!!! Meaning us wolverines, have so much time to travel, work, intern, or take classes during the summer. 

12. The ice cream in the dining hall hits different on Monday nights. And Tuesday nights. And Wednesday nights. And Thursday nights. And Friday nights. You get the point.

13. Game day babyyy. Nothing compares to Ann Arbor on a Saturday. Maize, Blue, and better than you (OSU and MSU, I’m talking to you). Can’t close this out without a GO BLUE!