The #virtualcollegetour series was created as a way to help students, virtually, visit the schools they will be matriculating to in the fall. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing protocols graduating seniors around the country will not be able to take campus tours before starting classes. In the future, this series will also be beneficial for students that do not have the means to travel for college visits given all the other costs of the college application process. If you plan on attending Umich- Go Blue! I absolutely love my school and I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.
City and Location:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
The University and the City are somewhat interwoven which makes for an AMAZING college atmosphere along with a vibrant city life as well.
Stop #1: The Law Quad
The Law-Quad is a beautiful campus site that spans a whole courtyard. The left photo is a photo of the Law Library. Undergraduates are permitted to study in the law library in a designated section of the space. It is absolutely stunning and has stained glass and high ceilings. It makes you feel like you go to Hogwarts. It is very quiet in the library- almost silent so make sure to stop in if you want to get serious work done. Many people that live in South Quad, East Quad or West Quad cut through the Law Quad to get to classes every day. It is beautiful in all seasons.
Stop #2: Martha Cook and the Undergraduate Library (UgLi)
Martha Cook is an all girl’s dorm with a rich history. Make sure to make friends with someone that lives there to get invited for tea on Friday’s. The Undergraduate Library or the UgLi (also known as Shapiro) is the main library on central campus where students can go to get work done, work on projects and etc. The UgLi has a set floor scheme where the higher floors are more quiet and for serious study sessions. During finals or midterms it can be very difficult to find spots to study at the UgLi. The Undergraduate Library has a great café on the main floor that is often open until 1am.
Stop #3: University of Michigan Museum of Art
The UMMA is a great stop and some classes are actually held in the basement of the UMMA. There is also a café that brews some of the best coffee on campus. They have floor to ceiling windows so it’s a great place to get work done if you can grab a seat. Word of warning there are not many outlets for charging your devices.
Stop #4: Ross School of Business and Blau
A common early misconception is that Ross and Blau are the same building but they are actually adjacent to each other. They are very pretty buildings and house business classes and students. On several occasions there are networking events held there and there is almost always a lot of free food left there after. If there isn’t free food, there is a Starbucks, another café in Blau and a few other stores as well like a mini market. Did I mention there is also a gym in this building ? https://michiganross.umich.edu/about/our-campus/virtual-tour/text-based
Stop #5: The Diag
The Diag is a staple on campus. It has the iconic “block M” in the middle that students cannot step on at risk of failing their first exam. It is a common meet up spot and often is cut-through on the way to classes.
Stop #6: The Big House
Although not academic, sports and especially football, are a huge part of campus life. The energy in Ann Arbor on a game day is unparalleled. The Big House is one of the biggest stadiums in the US and regularly has over 100,000 all in attendance for games. I highly recommend going to at least one game.
Stop #7 : Chemistry Building and Weiser Hall
So every campus tour includes the Chemistry Building because it is home to one of the largest lecture halls on campus. I wanted to include Weiser because I feel like it’s a very underrated building on campus. It is home to the
Stop #8 Biological Sciences Building and Natural History Museum
Again, this is not usually a tour stop, but this is one of my personal favorite buildings. It was just unveiled recently after years of construction and adjustments. It is absolutely STUNNING. It has floor to ceiling windows, a great café and some of the nicest looking labs on campus.
Stop #9 Pierpont Commons and Duderstadt Library
Most of the tours do not include North Campus, however, I think North Campus is gorgeous and very underrated. It predominantly houses engineering and computer science courses as well as Stamps and SMTD. Pierpont Commons has a lot of great food options. Furthermore, the Duderstadt Center has a really cool video game archive with games and original consoles dating back decades. It also has 3D printers!
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