Insane to consider U of Memphis? (Germantown: 2009, apartment, crime)

[fearfulmom]

Daughter begging to go to University of Memphis (says she "loves" big cites, we live in an outlying city near Nashville). Are we absolutely stupid to even think about sending her there? Sure, she'd get big $$ scholarship, lots of activities, etc. but what about quality of education, general quality of life, and even preservation of life itself? I am nearly paralyzed with all of the drama over this. Honest, fast feedback so appreciated.

[Pearlbob]

What are you scared of? The school itself? Or what you've heard about the city?

Let me tell you for now, Memphis is NOT nearly as bad as the media and everyone else in the midsouth makes it out to be. People worry themselves sick over misconceptions of this city.

[fearfulmom]

We have an 18-year-old girl who thinks she is savvy but really has no clue...She is anxious for new experiences and has caused absolutely no trouble to us at all. Top-notch academics so far and extracurricular stuff. We want to keep her safe 1st, well educated 2nd, and happy 3rd. Naturally concerned about campus safety plus may need to travel up to 5x weekly (at night) to Germantown area for athletics-related practices. So, issues are crime on campus, around campus, and traveling back and forth. We certainly do know that all big cities have crime (Nashville natives) but seems like just mentioning the "M" word to other parents of college-bound kids gets such looks of disbelief!

[Pearlbob]

Again, people elsewhere in TN have a very misconstrued opinion of Memphis. The only thing you see on the news is the bad stuff. It's almost comical how "scared" people are of Memphis So don't fear!

Like any urban city, you just have you use common sense. There are plenty of other 18 year old freshmen at UM who make it out alive to go on to their sophomore year The area right south of UM is pretty bad, but again....unless she's planning on buying drugs or hanging with some gang members, she has no reason to be in that area. Campus is as safe as any other urban campus in the U.S. It's more of a commuter campus, so people don't really live on campus much, or nearby. Most people seem to live elsewhere in the city and drive in to class.

I can't imagine anything bad happening to her in her car driving to Germantown That's an extremely safe area.

Now, in terms of "top notch academics" I wouldn't put UM on that list. But it's a fine state school and really, college is what you make of it.

[fearfulmom]

Thanks - fear aside for a moment...About the academics, are you familiar with the Honors program? Would taking classes on that level be wise in order to stretch the education value? Also considering their Emerging Leaders program...When talking with recruiters, obviously get sugar and spice rapport.

[Pearlbob]

I'm not too familiar with specific undergrad programs there. But, I would say if your daughter can take Honors programs, that would always be best (no matter what school you're talking about). I've really found that unless you're talking Harvard or Yale, almost all state schools are the same - in the end, all employers care about is whether or not you have a degree. Doing the extra work during school is what sets you apart from the rest (like you said, honors programs, work study, internships, jobs, etc).

Does she know other friends who are going to UM? That would definitely help. Being alone in a new city, in a new apartment, that can defniitely be hard.

[LifeNate]

I was in the Honors program back in 02-06. The classes are usually smaller so YOU have a chance to get more one-on-one teaching versus being one of 150 in a class. I'd recommend it. It wasn't too hard to where someone would get overwhelmed but it's abit more than regular classes.

I wouldn't worry about sending her down here. Besides just her being away, you shouldn't fear her being here. They got floors at one dorm for honors students too still I believe so she won't be on the floors that are crazy.

[DubbleT]

My daughter attended last year and her BFF has been attending for the last two years as a commuter student. My daughter lived in Richardson Tower for a semester and didn't care for it, but then again my daughter is not very outgoing.
I'm not going to sugarcoat and say you have absolutely no reason to worry. (you're going to do that on your own anyway, no matter what) There are incidents on campus, just like at any other big college. But as long as she's aware of her surroundings and doesn't take unnecessary risks it should be okay. I'd encourage her to make use of the Tiger Patrol if she's going somewhere alone at night.
I'd also suggest getting her a parking pass for the garage or the controlled access parking lots if you still can. Street parking is a big hassle, yet the lots are usually half empty. Remind her that no matter where she parks, she should have her keys in her hands before she gets to her car. Of the incidents that I know about, most have taken place in the public parking lots. And no, I haven't heard of that many.

[UofMGrad92]

If the choice is between Memphis and Vanderbilt or Rhodes, then Vanderbilt or Rhodes is definitely the way to go for academics. If it is between Memphis and any other state school (including UTK), then the education she receives will be in line with the effort she puts into it. There are probably marginal differences in the state schools in some programs, but you can get out of any of them without being too challenged if you pick that kind of path. If you pick a more rigorous course of study, you can get a good education at any of them.

As for safety, the campus doesn't have many crime problems, but then again, it doesn't have too many full time residents (it is mainly a commuter school like Middle Tennessee State). Like others have said, the parking areas at night would be a concern. Mainly because they are pretty empty (at night) and pretty remote in some areas. However, they aren't the domain of wild animals or roving hoodlums, and the campus police do patrol the areas frequently. If she was alone, I would advise calling the Tiger Patrol to walk her to the car. Otherwise, just be aware of your surroundings and stay off the cell phones until you are in the car.

Driving to Germantown would be a straight shot down Poplar through some of the most high dollar parts of town. Not a ghetto or even a transitional neighborhood on Poplar between the campus and Germantown. There are lots of neighborhoods with half million to million dollar homes though.

[Pearlbob]

Has she been to Memphis? She might not realize what school here would be like. It is definitely not a "college town" in the sense of students living on/near campus, walking everywhere, lots of shopping and restaurants next to campus, etc. But at the same time, it's not a "big city" where you can walk to things either, like you might think of NYC being like.

My personal opinion, is that it would be rather lonely and hard to make friends coming here to school, since so many kids don't live on campus and there isn't a "hub" on campus like a lot of colleges have. At night - campus is empty.

I assume you are talking fall of 2009, so you have some time to think it over