火爆社区

Texas A&M University鈥擟ollege Station is more than just the massive 60,000+ undergraduate centerpiece of the Texas A&M system with 鈥渢op-notch professors鈥� and 鈥渨orldchanging research鈥�: it鈥檚 a place where 鈥測ou learn to be a well-rounded, moral, and ethical person.鈥� As you鈥檇 expect of a premiere institution鈥攐ne of just 24 to be a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university鈥攖he academics can be challenging, but that鈥檚 in service of setting students 鈥渁part from the rest, so we can excel.鈥� Moreover, the size of the school results in students feeling 鈥減art of something bigger than themselves鈥� with professors that 鈥渆ffectively prepare students for world-class challenges.鈥� And don鈥檛 let the size of the school fool you: according to students, at Texas A&M鈥檚 heart lie 鈥渄eep-rooted values鈥� and traditions that make it an 鈥渙pen, friendly place to learn and grow鈥� that 鈥渞uns as a tight-knit family.鈥� Students are guided by professors who 鈥渁ll have life experiences working with the topics that they teach, making them the perfect resource for information.鈥� These teachers 鈥渓ove the atmosphere and the students,鈥� and vice versa: 鈥淚 have never skipped a class because I thoroughly enjoy going.鈥� That goodwill creates students who are 鈥渓oyal to their school forever,鈥� which means that there鈥檚 a vast 鈥淎ggie network鈥� of alumni that is 鈥済ood for getting jobs after graduation,鈥� especially if you鈥檙e into the sciences.

The school brings a distinctly Texan flair to the college experience, and the typical Aggie is 鈥渋nvolved in at least one club, spends a fair amount of time studying, and learns to two-step for Thursday nights.鈥� You can also expect some peers to 鈥渨ear cowboy boots, a flannel shirt, a cowboy hat/baseball cap, and jeans.鈥� Thousands of students attend a weekly nondenominational Bible study in the arena, and much of the population leans conservative, but students emphasize鈥攎ost importantly鈥攖hat regardless of their beliefs, they鈥檙e 鈥渓oyal to one another and are always willing to support their fellow Aggies.鈥� It鈥檚 a large campus, but students note 鈥渁 lot of classes are pretty small, so it鈥檚 easy to make friends in class.鈥� Students add that there are 鈥渘o pretenses鈥� among their fellows and 鈥渆veryone shows who they are.鈥� As one student elaborates, 鈥淢ost of the people I have met here are truly genuine individuals.鈥�

Texas A&M is a big school with even bigger spirit: When the football team is 鈥渂elting the war hymn and linking arms, I feel like I am part of a huge family.鈥� Students point to many such instances of community and traditions. The Corps of Cadets, a leadership program of over 2,000 uniformed students, plays a key part of many activities, like the famed Fightin鈥� Texas Aggie Band that puts on football half-time spectacles. There are also over 60 fraternities and sororities and a student government with over 1,400 active participants. As one student puts it, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a club for just about everything.鈥� Service also unites many students, so much so that the Big Event is the largest one-day, student-led service project in the country, with tens of thousands of students thanking the residents of the surrounding community by doing yard work, window washing, and house painting. During the week, students tend to work hard 鈥渟o we can party hard on the weekends.鈥� This usually takes place off-campus at Northgate, known as the 鈥渂ar street.鈥� Other off-campus activities include seeing movies, going to dance halls and restaurants, and shopping at the mall. There is also 鈥渁n ice-skating rink, bowling alley, and miniature golf place.鈥� Whether on campus or off-campus, students say it鈥檚 not hard to 鈥済et involved in something you鈥檙e passionate about.鈥�

The Career Center at Texas A&M does a tremendous job of assisting undergraduates in their career search, hosting 700 workshops and programs each year, and holding numerous career fairs (both industry-specific and general). Students can connect with over 4,200 potential employers that are actively recruiting at the school or reach out via the thousands of open positions and internships posted on the center鈥檚 HireAggies online platform. Clearly, these undergrads are in demand: many students happily share that 鈥渢he Aggie Network is [another] good [avenue] for getting jobs after graduation.鈥� Of course, before seeking out interviews, undergrads can arrange one-on-one meetings to review resumes and cover letters, conduct a mock interview, or take advantage of the center's self-assessments and career exploration tools. Lastly, prospective (and current) students will be delighted to discover that the median starting salary for recent A&M grads is $70,600, and 53 percent of alums report that they derive a high level of meaning from their careers, according to PayScale.com.