Written by Samantha Steven
The University of Montana does not provide an escape from "the real world" the same way that private liberal arts colleges and Ivy Leagues do. UM provides a diverse mix of diligent and lazy, smart and dumb, rich and poor—not a selective group of wealthy nerds with a love of learning and high SAT scores. Since the University of Montana admits 70 percent of its applicants, UM students work with all types of people with different levels of drive, intelligence, and economic class.
Life is what you make of it at UM. If UM students form relationships with professors, get involved, utilize resources and opportunities, and don't assume that a mere college degree guarantees a job, then they will get back what they put into the University. UM does not coddle or compliment its students, unless those students have the initiative to make themselves known within the community. It's not an isolated bubble, and students have to eke out their own jobs, opportunities, and attention in order to succeed. The campus itself looks Edenic, untouched, and beautiful. Students always stop to say "hi" to one another, so in its physical and behavioral aspects, UM does not resemble "the real world." Mountains, fresh air, and wide open spaces characterize life at UM, and perhaps some people prefer the hustle, bustle, and noise of the city, but to UM students, that's not "real" life.