Bernice Oosterling, University of Michigan, Post #1, Fall Break

Posted on 2016/10/17 by Bernice Oosterling

Hi everyone!

I’m a senior in Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management at the TU Delft. Thanks to the Global E3 program I’m able to experience an American semester at one of the world’s best universities for engineering: University of Michigan!
Ann Arbor Michigan has been my beautiful hometown for almost six weeks now.
As soon as I got in Ann Arbor I moved into my dorm, which is located on North Campus (the Theatre and Engineering campus).
My first week at the University of Michigan was already a very exciting week! It was a week full of introductions and orientations and new experiences. The Michigan Welcome week is not only filled with official orientations but it’s also an introduction for sports clubs, sororities, fraternities, cultural clubs etc.

Despite my busy schedule I decided to join the marketing team of Michigan’s largest theatre group MUSKET! Joining one of the student’s clubs is one of the best things to do to get some hands on experience and new friends.

I am lucky that I’m studying at U-M in fall semester cause it’s their football season and Michigan owns the largest stadium of the US (“the big house”)!

Football games take place every Saturday in the month of September and October. Our very first game was against Hawaii and we won with are score of 63 vs. 3.
Me and my friends took the change to experience a real American football game! Michigan’s Wolverines get pretty excited to support their team. The whole city is filled with Michigan fans and supporters. It’s amazing to see how an entire city supports their own team!! Everyone is dressed up in their Maze & Blue outfits.

Here in Michigan I’m enrolled in junior and senior Industrial Engineering and Operations courses. After my first week it was very clear to me that the American universities are very different from the Dutch ones. Instead of having “just” finals or projects you’ll have a lot of homework. Now six weeks later I’ve already turned in more than 30 assignments and I just finished my first midterm. Luckily the degree of difficulty for these assignments is a bit lower than back in the Netherlands. But therefore, they also expect students to get A’s for almost every assignment.
Most of my classes here are very small and therefore most of the professors know the names of all of their students which is very nice.

Besides my courses, my friends and I try to explore Michigan and its surrounding states during our weekends. Last weekend we went on a road trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. This is the Northern area of Michigan. It’s a beautiful area to camp, drive and hike!!