The University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Date: Sep 05 2012
Major: Finance (This Major's Salary over time)
Friendly "Minnesota nice" students help make UMTC feel smaller and general experiences in the crowds pleasant, but this school is still very huge. You will definitely be lost in the crowd if you don't pick a group to invest yourself in. The religious groups are the best ones to get involved in - even if you are unsure about religion at first- they offer free cookouts, the strongest friendships, and the most meaningful volunteer work make them a good choice. It is easy to go to church on Sunday here and people feel better and more connected after they go to mass. U of M is also a very huge campus spread out over two sides of the river and even a campus in St. Paul. Most students bring bikes and ride them even in the dead of winter to get to class. This student body, on average, is extremely athletic. It will help you to be physically in shape should you decide to enroll here. You will also have to tolerate weeks of very bitter cold, even though there is abundant sunshine, which helps us enjoy snowsports. If you don't like being cold, and you don't like crowds or traveling long distances daily, do not go here. It's that simple. Minnesotan students aren't as worried about being lost in the crowd since most of the school is from in-state with their own high school cliques naturally transported to this college after graduation. Out of staters should be warned to be polite and reserved, respectful of everyone, and the people here will warm up to you. Minneostans can be quite cliquey towards people outside their state, although they are genial. Minneapolis is a sleekly modern city that manages to be vibrant and laid-back at the same time. It is a great city to be involved in the green movement or any liberal ideology you choose to believe in, even if you are conservative. This campus is definitely more friendly towards conservatives than Madison or schools on the coasts. Minnesotans tend to be socially conservative although they are politically liberal as a whole. A great, rather undiscovered spot not far from campus is the beaches of Lake Calhoun, a short bike ride from campus on the Midtown Greenway. There are several "NiceRide" stations where you can rent bikes on campus and all over the city. Use them! It's the quintissential Minnesota experience. Use them rather than the bus, especially when it's warm. Minneapolis is a place where you can enjoy the outdoors eventhough you are in the middle of a highly populated urban area.

The school is becoming more diverse each year, as are most colleges around the country. Whatever your background, you will find someone like you here, but it is essential to visit each of the residence halls and student groups so you know what's out there. What ever your background, you will find a place where you can fit in, but not in every place will you find people similar to your background. It takes some research and exploration, and this school, being among the largest, doesn't hold your hand. You have to explore and be active on your own. Each residence hall and college within the university has a very different personality.

I'd say go here if you prefer to be in an urban environment that still feels like a college town, AND you don't mind the 24/7 stimulation that comes with such an environment. Go here if you can schrewdly navigate very large crowds to find those who you fit with. Go here if you are quite athletic and can take all sorts of weather conditions and travel long distances on foot or on bicycle. Go here, espeically, if you are a reserved but polite personality. Go here if you like being in a major ut also enjoy the peaceful outdoors if you want a break.