The University of Maryland - College Park

Date: Apr 29 2012
Major: Sociology (This Major's Salary over time)
I really appreciated my time at Maryland. I thought it would be hard to make friends since I transferred from out-of-state and I was living off campus. But it was surprisingly easy. I live in an apartment complex that is a 3 minute drive or a 15 minute walk to campus. There are about 5 off-campus apartment complexes filled with students and that makes it easy to make friend. I also joined organizations. As a black male, I think it's important to join things like NAACP, Black Student Union, and other orgs like that because black people only make up 13% of the student body. And it can really freak you out if you have no one to talk to about your specific thoughts and problems. The large diversity here has allowed me to better appreciate different cultures. But it has been hard to make friends with the white community. I've met some great white people but there are a lot of subtle hints of racism. The black and white communities, rarely if ever, collaborate on events. The white sororities and fraternities are very hesitant to let a group of black people into their parties. My friends and I have been turned away to a couple parties and we ended up giving up on them all together. It's nice having DC 15 minutes away. It's important to note that grading here is very difficult. The most minor things will get your grade reduced. I now tell people that "if you want an A at Maryland, you have to be able to teach the course like the professor would." Campus is beautiful and there are a lot of fun things to do.