University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

How much a person should and shouldnt involve themselves in a group. Time balance

That really, scholarships are very very hard to get. You are going to pay most of your tuition

Bigger is better.

Before I came to this school I wish I knew the financial aid they offered barely covered the cost of attendance . I also wish I knew the "diversity" this school prides itself on is almost non-existent. The campus population is diverse, this campus does not do a great job of fostering connections among these different groups. In order for diversity to matter, it has to be addressed inside and outside the classroom. It is not very effective when all racial and/or ethnic groups stay in their own separate groups, but that is exactly what happens on this campus.

The level of parking on this campus is ridiclious. I am a commuter and it takes me half an hour by walking from my parking lot to get to many of my classes. Although in Maryland a vast array of public transportation is available, I have physical conditioning in the mornings at 6:30 so to be on time I must utilize my own private car to get to campus. If more lots were created would be better, or either prioritizing based on people who have to get to school early or live far.

I wish I had known that living in a freshman dorm was a good experience where I would have made a lot of friends. I never lived in a freshman dorm, and although I still made a lot of friends, I had a very different experience than my friends who lived in the highrises.

I wish I'd known that this school is not student friendly at all, because it's trying to be "ivy league" even though UMD doesn't stand a chance of ever getting to that level.

Don't be afraid of big! You can always make a big school smaller, but you can't make a small school bigger. Once you find your niche in the community, you're set. And with a large school, there are so many kinds of people, you're bound to find a great set of friends that share your interests.