Student Profile
Channing
- Class: Junior
- Major: English
- Gender: F
- High School: Gahanna Lincoln
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
The first time I came to Miami, I fell in love with the campus immediately. It's absolutely beautiful--Robert Frost called it the most beautiful campus in the nation. I tend to agree. I have a lot of my classes on our Western campus, and even though it is pretty much the opposite end of the world from the rest of my life, I love going back there, especially in the fall and spring. It's beautiful--the paths and trees, the flowers and the pond with the swans. People may say that there is too much sameness with all of the brick buildings here, built to match and compliment one another, but I think it adds something really charming to our campus. Probably one of the worst and best things about Miami is that it is really set apart from everything else. I mean, granted, Ohio is not exactly the picture of bustling, big cities, but we can hold our own. But in Oxford, we are about 45 minutes outside of Cincinnati, surrounded on all sides by farmland. It's the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, you feel like you are trapped in what is affectionately called "The Bubble." But it's also really great to be immersed in this college atmosphere, with our Uptown full of restaurants and bars to fit our lifestyle. I do wish Miami had more school spirit. Our sports aren't great overall, and coming from Columbus, where Ohio State is King, there is a noticable lack of school pride. That being said, I was surprised to find the hockey craze that took over this winter. People camped outside our ice center--literally camped, in tents, overnight, sorority girls, no less. Their mission: to get good seats for the game. So maybe we are just selectively spirited. My best, ultimately amazing, coolest experience here was my time on our Luxembourg campus in Europe. Luxembourg is a tiny country in between France and Germany, and although beautiful, is certainly uniquely its own place, to say the least. But in my four and a half months in Europe, I had the absolute best time of my life. I learned so much about myself, about people, about traveling, and I miss it every day. It was incredible. I definitely encourage anyone and everyone to go abroad--you learn so much more than you ever could in a classroom, you make incredible friends, you get to see the world! All the cliches of course, but in this sense, they're absolutely true, and they are memories that will last forever. People are either impressed or put off by the fact that I go to Miami. They have heard the stereotypes, of both academics and students, and so depending on which ones they heard, I get an either/or reaction. But, Miami is my home now, a place where I've really learned so many things--more than just academically, and in spite of its faults, something every university, every place on earth has, it is a really great place to spend 4+ years and I would not have done it anywhere else. Well, maybe somewhere where it was a bit warmer. But other than that...
Academic Life
Academics at Miami are definitely at a different level than other universities. This really is not to put them down, but more of a warning. This is a place where many of the top people from different schools all over the country come, and we are one of the Top Seven Public Ivys in the nation--so naturally, that comes with a bit more than the usual pressure. Luckily, I was kind of ready when I came here to work hard, but some of my friends had a tough transition from high school work to college. Miami is fast-paced, and its professors often expect a lot of you, but they push and get results. I have learned so much--and I really do feel that my "liberal arts education" is well-rounded. I started out a Mass Communications major and switched midway to English Literature--something I'm really passionate about, and many ask me what it will amount to after graduation. Honestly, I'm still not sure, but I love my classes--and I find that my friends who are in majors they love really learn so much and have so much passion for whatever they will do with it. That being said, we also have a really top-notch business school, and the pre-med program is pretty tough, but very good. I have had mostly great professors, some really amazing, and most of my classes have been small enough that I am able to get to know them. In fact, I have taken some professors a few times, because I liked them so much and learned so much from them. Most of the professors I have come into contact with are really willing to help students, and many actually want to get to know you. I haven't spent a ton of time with them outside of class, but the ones I have are really great people. It's cool because you feel more comfortable in classes where you like the professors, and tend to get more out of them. Even President Hodge seems pretty nice; I have actually been to his house, where he let Campus Crusade for Christ have a holiday party. He is also really interested in what students have to say, and when he came to visit us in Luxembourg, he told us to call him, email him and tell him what we want, what our concerns were, and he seemed really willing to listen and help. All of this being said, I have to say that everyone here, myself included, complain, seriously despise the "Miami Plan." This is the creation of the administration, in an attempt to give us all a well-rounded education. It's basic education requirements, only there are a lot of them, and it takes a long time to finish, so long in fact, that it can begin to interfere with the classes you want/need for your major(s) and/or minor(s). For instance, I am a junior, and I still have Miami Plan requirements that I will be fulfilling next year, as a senior. It, very simply, sucks. However, to be fair, every college has some form of basic education requirements, and many of your major/minor classes can fulfill some of these, and visa versa. However, it is still the bane of every Miami student's existence.
Student Body
As I said before, we have many stereotypes assigned to our student body, largely having to do with diversity (or lack thereof) and wealth. Many of the students here do come from some money, and they hail from the four "C's": Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland. They wear Northfaces, Uggs and Seven jeans, and they pop their collars. Seriously, I had a definite issue with this when I first started going here. I mean, I still do at times. To be honest, people do look the same, and some people feel pressure to spend outside their means to fit in. Technically, 1/3 of the student body is in the Greek community--meaning sororities and fraternities, but it seems like the entire student body is in one or the other. I am not, and it was really difficult Freshman year, when all my friends joined, and I felt like the odd man out. But, if you're lucky, you find people who become your best friends, and in the end, it really does not matter what you do extracurricularly. I mean, sometimes, it probably does. Which sucks. But I lucked out, and yes, there are times when I am really just over the sorority stuff. Working at a Market where rude sorority girls come in all the time, it gets tiring. But I have definitely come down off of my high horse in the past two years and realized that just because someone is in a sorority, does NOT mean they are wealthy, stuck up broads. It's a give and take--there really are all different types of people here, if not racially diverse, we certainly do have our political and social diversity. Enough of it, anyway. It's certainly no OSU, but it's Miami, uniquely its own, and I have learned to love the good and the bad.
The Best Things
Luxembourg program
The Worst Things
Miami Plan
