University of Maryland--College Park | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

paperadeline

Class: Alum
Major: Journalism
Gender: F

High School:
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

The best thing about Maryland is its size and diversity. There really is something for everyone. Even though the university is big, the individual schools (majors) make students feel like they're part of a community. When I was on campus, I spent most of my time in the Journalism building and the library doing work or killing time between classes. During the spring and fall, it was great to do work on the mall. One of the main complaints about College Park is the actual town could use some revitalization. When I graduated, there were only three bars (now four), no movie theater and minimal shopping options within walking distance of campus. Despite that, there is an enormous amount of school pride, especially when it comes to athletics. Maryland alum stay fans of the school for life and that is a pretty neat thing.

Academic Life

This all goes back to the whole major vs. university thing. Within the journalism school, I had a very close relationship with many of my professors. A lot of them ended up writing me recommendation letters and even giving me tips on jobs. My favorite classes in college (though it pains me to say) were my hardest. The journalism classes that tempted me to drop out of the major altogether, by far, taught me the most. For example, Journalism 320 and Feature Writing were a challenge throughout my entire semester. But, looking back, those were the most rewarding and were also taught by my favorite professors. Class participation is completely necessary and usually very common, especially in smaller classes. The most unique class I took was a winter course about women in hip-hop. Whenever I told friends and family about it, they couldn't believe that such a class existed. That is a true testament the the diversity and unique spirit alive on the Maryland campus. The academic requirements at Maryland do tend to fall heavy. I had to take winter and summer courses to graduate on time. While I understand that math, economics, science, computer science and a second language are all important, it was a little ***bersome to fit those, plus everything else, in four years. The education at Maryland is definitely geared towards getting a job. They offer a lot of courses related to job skills and host numerous career fairs throughout the year.

Student Body

The Maryland campus is diverse. On any given walk to class, you'll see people of different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc. I don't think any kind of student would feel left out because there seems to be social sects for everyone. That being said, the group themselves don't really interact too much outside of class. They probably do more than a typical ivy league school or something, but the interactions between groups could increase. Most students wear sweats to class and are from the state of Maryland. Although there are a lot of students from the New York/New Jersey area as well. For in-state kids, the financial backgrounds all vary, though I would say most are middle class. The out-of-state kids tend to be more affluent, though it all depends on scholarships, aid and whatever else. Most students are predominantly left leaning in their politics and there is always some kind of rally going on on the Mall.