The University from a Freshman's Viewpoint
Written: Jun 01 '07 (Updated Jun 03 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Academic excellence, variety of athletics, organizations/club, world renounced professors and enough to do.
Cons: Winter weather, may seem overwhelming at first
The Bottom Line: Madison is a great place to live, work, study, and have fun. It is one of the greatest cities and universities in the world and nothing can beat a badger.
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| madtown's Full Review: University of Wisconsin-Madison |
I finished my freshman year at Madison and have had the full experience of what it is to be a badger. I attended a fairly good high school and was pretty successful graduating with above a 4.0. Many of my counselors though still told me I wouldn't get into Madison based on the fact that I got a 26 on my ACT. In talking to many classmates of mine, I believe that although GPA and ACT scores are essential in getting in the University, extra curricular are just as important. I was involved in many things in high school ranging from student council to tennis and I believe this is why I got in. Look at in their prospective; the University accepts a student because they believe in some small way, the student will make their university better. A person that just gets good grades and does nothing outside the classroom will probably due the same in college, especially a large university like Madison. The people that are involved in high school however, are more likely to get involved in a club. This may lead to climbing the ladder, becoming a board member, president, and most importantly, leading an organization providing new ideas and further bettering the university. Now don't get me wrong, getting good grades is very important, but it isn't the only important thing, especially if you are a poor test taker like me.
The next thing about Madison that worried me and many others is the size. Will I be lost in the mix? Do professors care about me? Will I get lost on campus? The answer to all three questions is yes and no. With such a big campus it is easy to get lost in the mix, but that is only if you let it happen. The professor won’t know your name and can't with 300+ in a lecture unless you go to office hours. All 9 of my professors this year were great and although I have heard of many bad professors, most of the time it's because their lectures are boring, not because they don't care about you. Many people think that getting help and attention from professors and other academic assistants is impossible which I have found is almost the opposite. The professors, TA's and counselors have a very open schedule and if you can’t visit them during their designated office hours, an appointment is just an email away and since communication in college is mostly revolved around emails, a response will come back within a day. Going into office hours even just to introduce yourself is worth it because who knows, maybe you are 3 points away from that A at the end of the semester and the professor, right before putting an AB in his computer recognizes your name because you introduced yourself and puts in an A instead, which has happen to people I know.
Another stereotype is that there is no way of getting away from the partying at Madison which is false of course. Yes Madison is a big drinking school but is there a college that drinking isn't a factor. Madison has a lot of kids and many of them drink, but the campus is big enough to get away. If you do want to get away, I would suggest trying to live on the lakeshore dorms which have more of an "out in the country" feel although just as close to classes as the southeast dorms. The lakeshore dorms are quieter and away from the city. There are very few apartments near and they have a beautiful view of the lake. I lived in the new dorm Smith Hall in the South East dorms on Park St and absolutely loved it. I did choose to party but realized after a few weekends that I had to balance my school work or I wasn't going to make it. Now that doesn't mean I studied all weekend long and had no social life, but when a midterm or finals came around I studied. First semester was actually very easy for me although I had already taken calculus and chemistry in high school. The classes are challenging but manageable and although you are competing with some of the top students in the state, don't overlook the fact that if you are accepted, you are a top student as well.
Adjusting to the diversity at Madison just takes getting used to. I would highly recommend breaking away from the high school friends that you know and meet new people. The university does a great job of trying to get freshman to meet new people with activities in the dorms and various campus activities. I came from Waukesha North which is a fairly large school and was somewhat lucky that only about 10 kids went to Madison from my graduating class. I met so many people and am best friends with two guys that lived next door to me that I met up there. The first couple days are going to seem awkward not knowing everybody but it's like that for everyone.
My final advice is don't fear Madison. I did at first but came to realize that Madison is a great city. From Saturday morning football games, to hanging out in the dorms, to a morning run on the bike path by the lake, there are always people to meet and places to see. Classes are difficult only if you get behind but there is plenty of time to go out, walk down state street, visit the capital, or play football in front of the Kohl Center. Madison is a great environment to live in and a degree from Madison will set you up with nothing but opportunity for the future.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
madtown
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Reviews written: 1
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