University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Rankings Based on Salary

I basically had to teach myself the material- 2-3 hours of classroom instruction a week for each class was insufficient to teach me. So, most of my time was spent alone staring at a computer screen, which led to feelings of alienation and loneliness. There was a big sense of competitiveness rather than collaboration, often driven by the fact that grades were based on a 'curve,' so instead of helping each other with the material, students benefited off their peers performing worse than them. Even in classes... Read More specific to my major, class sizes were large (50-100 students) and I'm sure my professors didn't know who I was. I also got the feeling that a lot of the professors cared more about their research than engaging in quality teaching to their students, and a lot of classes consisted of rapidly going through numerous wordy slides with the assumption that students would go back and learn the material later on their computers on their own. U of M is also a party school, so if you're into that, maybe it's good for you, but that was never my scene. I also had the expectation that with a bachelor's degree I would be able to get a job doing something I liked in my field of Kinesiology, but it turns out that grad school is the only option moving forward, and most people in my major had intentions of going on to Physical Therapy school. However, my experience at U of M turned me off to school so much that I definitely can't imagine stomaching 3 more years of graduate school. As a comparison, I liked my high school a lot and felt like most of my teachers actually cared about me, and I had close relationships with friends, but in college I felt as though my professors saw me as more of a nuisance getting in the way of their 'real' work and most people I met were just very competitive or uptight or self-righteous. I should have dropped out, because it really got me nowhere except into a headspace of depression, but I was fed the lie over & over again by everyone around me (not just those at school- family, anything I read online, etc) that if I just stuck it out and graduated, the world would be my oyster.

Going to this University has shaped the way I currently view the world. Every student here is highly capable and while at times it was stressful to look around and compare myself to my successful peers, it was in turn what motivated me to do the same. While the school is largely liberal, the University prides itself in creating open-discussion dialogue. The safe space was not always felt by all students, and this is where I really saw the passion in students-- people were encouraged to fight for equalities... Read More and injustices. No matter your opinion, there is a group of activists who are already driving this change. It is truly a special place where I was constantly pushed to extend myself further, go out of my comfort zone, and educate myself on the world. Asking questions was always encouraged by professors, and I felt these 4 years of challenges have now allowed me to continue seeking the best in myself as I extend myself into graduate school and beyond.