A guide to thriving at the University of Michigan
Want to hear the top 4 tips for thriving at the University of Michigan? Look no further! My name is Allie and I am graduating in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering In Computer Science from Michigan. Throughout my time here, I learned about a lot more than just how to optimize a computer program (thanks EECS 281!). In this article, I will share my top 4 tips for thriving as a student at UofM.
- What makes a leader the best?
At Michigan, we call ourselves the “leaders and best,” but what makes a leader the best at UofM? After working with countless leaders of student organizations, classes, research labs, on-campus jobs, residential programs, and internships, I have figured out the recipe to the secret leadership sauce. The leaders who are most successful at UofM lead with integrity, respect, and kindness.
They make decisions that are built with integrity by considering ethics, impact, and how to best represent the people they lead. When they are unsure, they are honest and open with the people they represent and tend to listen more than they talk. They respect others, especially those who may have a different identity or background than themselves because they know that working with someone who is different from them is an asset and a gift. They do not judge, berate, talk down, or insult. They lead with kindness always.
Becoming a leader with integrity, respect, and kindness will take you far at UofM. The leaders like this are respected, admired, and always get noticed when opportunities arise. Students are excited to work with these leaders and feel motivated to do great work for them. Be this leader.
2. Look forward, not sideways.
Your time at UofM is precious. Your journey here is about growth and learning about yourself. Do not waste your time or energy comparing yourself to others around you. Look forward, and focus on meeting your goals and growth, do not look sideways to those around you. Not everyone is going to like you, no matter how much you might try to make them. Someone in your community or classes is going to try to compare themselves to you. You might feel compelled to compare your grades, internships, activities, friends, social media, or accomplishments to someone else’s, especially at a competitive university like Michigan. Do not let your eyes wander and waste time that could’ve been spent on your own journey. Keep looking forward.
3. Forge your own path.
“Can’t forge your own path using somebody else’s map. Love and honor your people by becoming fully yourself.” — Glennon Doyle
There is no singular or “best” way to find yourself, your career, or what makes you happy. While at UofM, you have to forge your own path and refuse to follow the crowd. Do not join student organizations, apply for internships at big companies, or spend your free time doing certain things just because everyone else is. In CS, there is a misconception that to be “successful” you need to have an internship at a big tech company, pull all-nighters on class projects, join a research lab, and get a job as a teaching assistant. I did most of these things, and it did not make me happy, because it was what I thought I had to do, not what I really, truly wanted. The best decision I ever made at UofM was to get involved in MUSKET, a musical theatre student organization. Joining that community taught me more about myself and what makes me happy than anything I ever did in computer science. There is no singular path to success. Forge your own.
Also, read Glennon Doyle’s book Untamed. It feeds the soul.
4. Be open to new experiences.
On any given day, there are probably a hundred different things you could do at UofM. There are thousands of classes to take, student organizations to join, and people to meet. The classes, organizations, and people who will inspire you most at UofM may be unexpected. Be open to new opportunities and be careful not to plan too much, which for a type-A overachiever, is a difficult ask. The thing that ends up changing your entire college experience might not be a part of your “plan,” so be open.
I found the class that changed my life (ES 310 with Prof. Jeff Sinclair) by accident, 1 day before classes started, and used it to fill some random general elective credits in my degree. I joined the student organization that changed my life (MUSKET) after seeing a poster for their production of Legally Blonde and being blown away in the audience of the Power Center. When you walk around campus, be open to new opportunities. Pay attention to flyers that catch your eye, classes or academic departments that interest you, and people that inspire you. It might take some time to find the exact things that fulfill you the most. I certainly had to try a few things that didn’t work out to find the things that did. Stay open.
Your time at UofM will be equal parts exciting and challenging. I urge you to invest time in yourself and to chase things that bring you joy. If you’re ever searching for joy, these are my personal recommendations:
- Get brunch at Angelos
- See a MUSKET show
- Go to a UofM basketball game
- Walk in the Arb
- People watch in the diag
- Get sushi from Totoro
- Buy fresh flower or succulents from the Kerrytown Farmers Market
Thank you for reading this article! I hope these tips and lessons learned gave you inspiration and ideas for how to thrive at the University of Michigan. I wish you all the best with your journey! Go Blue!
