To many outsiders, it may seem like a cult. Students roam around campus "Howdy"-ing each other, sports fans "hump it" at collegiate games because it makes them yell louder, and at the slightest thing that an Aggie deems favorable, they Whoop. What's up with all that?

I transferred into A&M a few years ago from a small college that was 1/8th of the size of A&M and suffered from a great deal of culture shock. Overwhelmed by the number of student activities, the size of many of the classes, and the amount of workload required for each class, I was a sinking ship on the way to resting the laurels of my college career next to the Titanic. I was willing to do most anything to stay at A&M and get my degree from there, and 3 years and one major change later, that's exactly what I did.

Academics
Lauded primarily for its engineering and agricultural strides, A&M offers a variety of majors to its students including studies in architecture, geosciences, liberal arts, veterinary medicine. business and engineering, to name a few. Naturally, some of the colleges are stronger than others with my college, the College of Liberal Arts, being one of the lesser-recognized colleges.

Given the size of the student body, the freshmen and sophomore level classes are anywhere from 75-200+ students in size. This environment is extremely intimidating for many, which is why these classes have earned the "weed out" title. Personal time with the professor is extremely difficult to schedule, and study groups with fellow students are almost mandatory in order to score well in these classes. The upper level classes are far more enjoyable and are much smaller to where many professors will get to know students on a name by name basis.

Student Life
Aside from academic reputation, student life is what sets Texas A&M apart from all other academic institutions. First opened in October of 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical college of Texas, it has given life to the Corps of Cadets, the campus' most widely recognized student group. Through the activities of the Corps have evolved some of the University's most beloved and respected traditions. Many traditions including Silver Taps and Muster, both of which honor fallen Aggies, are still honored today. Other traditions such as the yells and how they are performed, the world famous Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, the class "wildcats" (also known as whooping), Elephant Walk and the mascot Reveille also have their originations in the Corps.

Aside from the Corps, there are a multitude of student groups that embrace many issues, hobbies, sports, and lifestyles. From Aggies Over Texas (a skydiving group) and Aggies Under Texas (a SCUBA diving group) and everything in between, if there are enough students interested in participating, and the student life office supports it, a club can be created.

Housing and Transportation
There are quite a few dormitories that allow students to reside in the north side of campus and on the south side. The waiting list can be especially lengthy for the dorms, and the luxuries range from non air-conditioned dorms with community bathrooms, which are the cheapest to live in, to air-conditioned dorms with a suite bathroom. There are two primary cafeterias serving the non-Corps students, and members of the Corps have their own dining hall that is open to non-Corps students with the invite of an active Corps member.

Getting around campus is a feat in itself given its humongous spread and precious minutes between classes. There are some on campus bus routes that service many of the main buildings and may save time getting to and from classes, but others utilize more creative ways of getting to class such as bikes, scooters, rollerblades, and unicycles.

Because housing space is so limited on campus, many students find it more convenient to live off campus. There are dozens of apartment complexes and rent houses close to campus, many of which are served by the Aggieland buses. the buses are extremely useful, and the cost for a bus pass more than pays for itself. Given the size of the student body, parking is a constant issue and is not recommended unless students have plenty of time to sit in the parking lots like vultures waiting for those coveted spaces.

Beyond Graduation
In many colleges and universities, the spirit of having been a part of the student body is often diminished or extinguished altogether. Alumni groups are established on paper but are inactive. Such is not the case with the Former Students of Texas A&M University. Two-hundred thousand alumni strong, they are one of the most closely knit alumni groups in America. The Aggie network spans the globe, and alumni updates are received from isolated military bases and major metropolitan areas outside of Texas.

For new graduates, simply having a degree from Texas A&M University could mean the difference between getting a job offer or being passed over for a job, especially if there is an Aggie on the recruiting side. Aggies help Aggies, and the help is always genuine and heartfelt.

In my region, there are a large number of members who participate in the Capitol City A&M Club. From networking groups, to happy hours, to highway cleanups and more, the club is a very visible presence in the community, especially in a city where one of the biggest rival universities exists.

I would not trade my experience at Texas A&M for anything in the world. While I completed a majority of my lower level classes in a college outside of A&M, I never had a problem embracing my college experience and making the most of it. I couldn't help it. The spirit was infectious, and the friends I made there I will never forget.

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