As May 1, National Decision Day, approaches, many prospective students are visiting universities and trying to figure out which one is the best fit for them. Last year, I was in their same position. Once I finally made the decision, I was excited to come to UW. I had some expectations coming in. Some have been true and some haven’t. I’ve also experienced things I never expected to. Here are some common expectations versus reality for the University of Washington.
Weed Out Classes
The thing I was most scared of coming into my freshman year were the weed out classes I had heard about. Many of the intro STEM series classes are considered “weed out classes” because of the harsh curves and low GPAs. They are intended to “weed out” freshmen interested in competitive majors. I had very low expectations for my ability to succeed in the intro chemistry series. Still, I tried my best and was able to earn grades I was proud of. People in my classes were much more collaborative than I expected as well. Everyone is willing to work together, form study groups, and help each other learn and succeed. I found this environment to be a pleasant surprise, considering my low expectations.
Not Knowing Your Path
With many people being directly admitted to their majors, I expected everyone at UW to have a clear plan and their whole life figured out. That is honestly not the case. Most people are still exploring what they want to do. I appreciated this because while I have a direction I’m interested in, I want to use my time here to explore different classes and potential careers. Being surrounded by people who genuinely want to learn and explore is inspiring and motivating. While we don’t have everything figured out, everyone works so hard to accomplish what they want.
Lack of Resources
Since UW is such a big school, I expected there to be a lack of access to resources. In my experience, there has been no shortage of resources for anything from academic planning to mental health to study centers. Sometimes, you will need to do your own research to find resources since there are so many on campus, but many of them are well advertised and easy to use.
Sense of Community
I worried that with so many people on campus that it would be difficult to meet people and find friends. There are so many ways to find community at UW, whether it’s through RSOs, Greek life, or people on your floor. Everyone is looking to make friends, so reach out, talk to people, and see where things go.
Overall, I’ve had a very positive experience in my first two quarters at UW. If you go into UW with an open mind and a good attitude, I think that you will have a similar experience.