StudentsReview :: The University of Maryland - College Park - Extra Detail about the Comment
-or-
Search for Schools by Region
 

or within distance of city

Similar Schools
George Washington University -- District of Columbia, DC
Boston College -- Chestnut Hill, MA
University of Delaware -- Newark, DE


  Who's got the Best?

Perceptual Rankings:
You Make 'Em.
We Post 'Em.
You Vote 'Em Up.
You Vote 'Em Down.
Aww yeah.


The University of Maryland - College Park

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityA- Faculty AccessibilityB+
Useful SchoolworkC- Excess CompetitionB
Academic SuccessC- Creativity/ InnovationC+
Individual ValueF University Resource UseC
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyB+ FriendlinessB
Campus MaintenanceB+ Social LifeF
Surrounding CityC- Extra CurricularsB
SafetyC
Describes the student body as:
Broken Spirit, Snooty, Closeminded

Describes the faculty as:
Helpful, Arrogant

Female
Bright
Lowest Rating
Individual Value
F
Highest Rating
Educational Quality
A-
She cares more about Social Life than the average student.
Date: Jan 19 2005
Major: PreMed and Medical (This Major's Salary over time)
As a minority out-of-state student, the University of Maryland seemed like a dream college. It's a good school, with a good reputation, comparable to some private instituitions. The education is one of quality. I had heard that it was uniquely diverse, and that you could party every day of the week if that was your desire. However, I quickly realized that this was merely an illusion. Perhaps it was the neatly manicured lawns and picturesque brick buidings that led me to believe that UMD would be the perfect place for me. I was wrong.

One of the biggest disappoinments for me was discovering that although my freshman peers had graduated from high school, they were still living in high school. College turned out to be just as clique-ish, if not moreso, than high schools can be. The school is diverse, but the different ethnic groups band together, so what you see around campus is groups of Asians, groups of African Americas, groups of Hispanics… I was dismayed at how clique-ish the majority of the student population appeared to be. In addition, nearly everyone you meet is from a nearby county in Maryland or lives just a few minutes away, which means two things. One, they already know about a 1,000 people they went to high school with, and two, they are likely to go home on weekends. A surprising amount of students who live on campus travel home on weekends. Many of the people are unfriendly and uninterested in anything except drinking excessively until passing out on the lawn of a frat house. Not that I don't enjoy a good party, but it can get annoyingly excessive.

If you disregard my advice and apply here anyway, and if you get accepted here as a freshman and you are living on campus, pray that you don't get stuck living on the part of UMD called south campus. the dorms are tiny, hot, and dirty. The other dorms on campus are half decent.

The food is ok for the first week, but then the menu just keeps repeating itself, which gets real old real fast.

The classes that I took were neither easy nor challenging, but something in the middle of the spectrum. I didn't study particularly hard and managed to earn a good GPA. Do not expect to receive a whole lot of personal attention, because in a school of over 30,000, it would be impossible.

The campus is relatively safe. I feel that some of the comments posted regarding campus safety are a bit overblown. Although, when crimes do occur, the university alerts all students of the occurence, rather than denying tha crime is a problem so as not to scare away prospective students. Common sense really comes into play, like don't walk alone at night, watch your drinks, but this is true for just about every college.

The surrounding area is kind of a craphole, though the immediate area is not a "ghetto" as some people like to refer to it. Yes there are some slum areas, but why would you be rollin' through the ghettos of College park anyway?

To the university's credit, the school really facilitates a student's learning process. There are really great libraries on campus, one in particular. Some of the departements (journalism, business, engineering) are nationally recognized as some of the best in the nation. There are a lot of resources to help students in any way possible.

If you are slutty, loud, care more about your next binge drinking experience than the final you have tomorrow, you will love it here.

Maybe I should have looked further into my college selection, maybe my expectations were too high. My advice to anyone considering the University of Maryland: try to talk to someone who went there and loved it, and try to talk to someone who went there and hated it. Find out why they felt the way they did. Then maybe you won't have as miserable a time as I am.

Responses
responseThe University of Maryland's allure and reputation may vary from person to person. While it offers osteoporosis causes quality education, the perception of diversity and the social scene can be different for each individual. It's essential to research thoroughly and visit the campus to ensure it aligns with your expectations and needs.
Ask a Question or add a response!
The University of Maryland - College Park
Compare UMD/UMaryland-College ParkSave UMD/UMaryland-College Park