It was during my first tour of campus – and I remember this vividly – that I learned about Squirrel Club. The tour guide, an attractive dark-haired college boy, explained to the group that the squirrels are nearly as much a part of the campus as the students and faculty. One time, he told us as we strolled the Diag, a squirrel jumped out of a garbage can with a whole bagel in his mouth and scared the the living daylights out of him. If we weren’t so easily frightened, we could become members of the Squirrel Club, a student-run organization that met each weekend to feed peanuts to the squirrels, in the hopes they would have at least an hour each week where they wouldn’t have to forage for discarded baked goods in trash bins.
I was hooked.
No, I didn’t come to Michigan just for the squirrels (although those furry rascals are a definite part of my college experience). Rather, it is an example of how there really is something for everyone at Michigan. Whether we’re talking about extracurricular activities, student groups, courses, or concentrations, you will be able to define your college experience in the way that you want. Nearly every interest, hobby and activity you could be interested in is represented by a student group. If it’s not, you can apply for funding yourself and start your own group. Have I mentioned the academics? Top-tier faculty. Course offerings up the wazoo. Cross-discipline programs. And the sports programs! Even if you aren’t a big fan of sports, it’s difficult to ignore the energy a bowl game win or a March tournament bid brings to campus.
I must admit, nearly halfway through my first year of undergrad, I wasn’t sure if Michigan was the place for me. I was feeling lonely, like I was one name in a sea of freshmen (which, in all actuality, was the case). Did I want to stay here for the next three and a half years? Would another school better satisfy the ideal college image I had in my head, put there by T.G.I.F. sitcoms that depicted groups of high school friends attending the same college and allowing the show four more seasons?
Walking the campus now, halfway through my eighth year as a student and/or employee of this university, I could not have imagined finishing my degree anywhere besides Michigan. While I didn’t grow up with an affinity for Michigan, didn’t always know where I fit in, and didn’t learn the fight song until orientation…it sure didn’t take long to fall in love with this place.
Published in: Student Voices