Incoming Freshman (uh oh)

[brannon.idpa]

So, I'm starting at UND in August.

And I'm literally clueless...about pretty much everything.

First off, I'm from Boise and right now I live outside of Pittsburgh so I don't really know the area very well except for a few visits to the school. (How do people live with such flat-ness??)

Second, I have no idea what to major in. Well, kind of, but the specifics are questionable. There are a great many options with in the aerospace college and I am not sure which one would be best suited for someone who wants to fly cargo (this is also something I plan to ask at orientation).

I have been told to try and schedule an early am flight lab because you can pre-flight inside and not outside in the cold. Is this a good idea, or is sleeping in those extra few minutes more valuable?

Any suggestions for fun electives?

Also, it would just be nice to have some idea of stuff like where the best food is, where not to eat, where to study, hang out, etc.

Basically, I would really appreciate any tips or whatever! Thanks!

 

[bkey79]

Can't answer most any of your questions, but I'd say to major in something that is not aviation related! For what ever reason, IE loosing your medical, don't like flying, whatever, if you have a degree you can fall back onto outside of aviation, you'll open more doors. Just my opinion, and welcome to the forum!

 

[crticalaoa]

Senior at UND here. Here is my advice:

1- Join an extra curriculum activity;
SAMA, Flying team, Aerobatics team, Fraternity.

2-Places to study;
Top floor of odergard. The union also just got remodel and they have a nice study space in the baseman. At the airport you can study at the cafeteria in the 5 floor.

3- As for major:
UND offers their commercial degree which you must do all the rating trough cfii. You also need to understand that you dont need an aviation degree to fly for a 135 operator. UND also offers a flight minor. There is also the route for ATC and aviation management. If I was you Ill stick with commercial because you take more classes that prepare you for the live out side UND.

4-Flying in the morning:
If your a morning person do it. Also the airport is not next to campus so unless you have a vehicle is about 20 minutes from the dorms to airport.

5- Electives;
Golfing, swimming, Ballroom(the ladies like that)

6-places to eat:
The blue moose, red pepper, Mama Mia

7- How are people living here.
Is cold is fun

8-Advice
Get your degree and get out.
Make connections.
Remember college is also about networking.
You might meet your future boss here or your future wife like I did.
If your into the faith is also a good idea to get involved in the churches around campus.

If you have any other questions go ahead and ask or pm me if you like.

 

[FAYEV]

Doesn't really matter what your major is. Lot's of people go for Aviation Management because you get a business degree out of it, which tends to be a decent backup.

I absolutely recommend early morning flight labs. Yes, you get to preflight in the hangar, but another big advantage is that there's few other people out there. On a really nice day between 10 AM - 3 PM, expect to be at least number 4 or 5 for departure at the hold short line (I think my personal best is number 11 or something). Less taxi time = less money you need to spend. Also, if you want to fly cargo, you're probably not going to be working normal people hours anyway, so might as well get used to it now.

Grand Forks has almost every nationwide chain restaurant you can think of. It's not exactly the culinary capital of the US (the biggest story in town a few years ago was when we got an Olive Garden). The location of our campus is actually pretty terrible in terms of things within walking distance (there's basically nothing). If you have a vehicle, obviously not a problem as everything is within a 10-minute drive. The biggest ticket on campus (and in town) is UND hockey. I'm guessing you've seen the arena. Trust me, just go to at least one game, I bet you'll go back for more. Some people go to UND football games, but that program is "rebuilding". Maybe some day that will be a cool thing to go to again.

Where to study? Memorial Union has a brand new and very nice study area in the basement. Top floor of Odegard is almost always vacant. There's some forgotten-about study cubicles on the second floor in the sim bay at Ryan Hall. Plenty of space in the Chester Fritz Library (just don't get lost and remember that you have to go upstairs to go downstairs - you'll figure it out). The Wilkerson Hall remodel should be completed when you start and it looks like that will provide some quality study space.

Here's the deal. You're going to hear lots of people complain about how much they hate Grand Forks and can't wait to leave. I think this is mostly due to the lack of things for college students to do in town and, again, the terrible location of our campus. Also, the weather doesn't help. On the other hand, crime isn't really a thing here (mostly college student shenanigans) and I've found the culture of the people here to be very warm and welcoming. Don't be the negative Nancy...take the weather in stride (it builds character). The people who find every excuse to complain about something are the ones who don't enjoy their time here.


Let me know if you have questions.

 

[cardsfan05]

Also interested in this thread.
If any UND students/grads could chime in that would be much appreciated!

 

[flyeagle111]

UND grad here. When I started at UND my first semester, I hated it (mainly being a new city completely different from where I grew up). It was a big change for me. The longer I stayed, the more I liked it. Grand Forks is actually a nice town despite the lack of things to do. It also has the nicest people you'll meet.

Everyone seemed to complain about the Wilkerson dining hall, but I actually liked the food. Plus the whole place is being renovated, so that will be nice. The dorms are what you make of them. I preferred the suite style. If I were you, I would pick one that has air conditioning for the months of Aug/Sep (I know Noren has AC- that's where I lived one year). It's also nice being in a dorm that is close to Wilkerson (Noren, McVey, West, Brannon), since that is the only dining center open on the weekends. It all comes down to personal preference.

As far as degrees: All I can recommend is staying away from ATC. It doesn't help you at all in the new hiring process for ATC and it won't reduce the amount of hours needed for the pilot route (1,000 vs 1,500). Let me know if you have any further questions.

Oh, and as far as professors go: Take Ullrich or Foltz for every class you can. Those two are awesome. If you take Intro to ATC, try and take it with Gary Bartelson.

 

[saxman]

I didn't have a car for my first 3 years at UND. I got by. I learned the bus schedule or had plenty of dorm friends to get rides from. The campus itself is nice, but far from downtown, which would have been nicer. Other then that, I really started to like Grand Forks. I started to like the smaller town atmosphere. If you missed your chance with a girl at the bar, you almost always saw her again a week or two later. I got involved in the music school on campus, which was a savior to get away from "prop heads" sometimes. Hockey is cool, and I really enjoyed the football games too. Back when I was there the team made it to the championship twice and won once. Kinda wish I had gotten the business degree to fall back on though. I just did commercial aviation

 

[tcco94]

Go Boston University...

 

[Thunder-Robo]

All of this and no one mentioned the CAY?!?

It's college. Go out, have fun. Have a group of friends outside of aviation, and stay well hydrated!

 

[Mtts422]

Grad here.

Go with a business degree - I did Aviation Management and never looked back. I still get to work with cool shiny business jets everyday for work, albeit from the business side.

When I need my flying fix I get to go out and do it for fun on a weekend.

 

[Deaged]

UND grad, 2.5 year instructor/stage pilot... my advice is do not major in "commercial aviation" - if you insist on an aviation degree I would choose aviation management... schedule an early launch just to preflight in the hanger? North worth it, not for me anyway , I'm a PM kinda guy.

Big piece of advice I have and others might disagree but... If (and only if) you're a go-getter... I would do 102 in the fall semester and plan to stay here for your first summer. If you can finish 221 in the spring, 222 is a lot of fun and very manageable in the summer... I think I even know somebody who did 222/323 both in one summer. If you aren't a go-getter... I would recommend taking 102 in the spring semester your freshman year so you can acclimate to university life.

 

[WS]

AM is usually calm wind, less turbulence in the summer, and least busy, so can save you money.

 

[JaceTheAce]

I majored in Aviation Management. I enjoyed the major since I am always interested in economics and business. I never got the CFI or above.

Fun electives? I took a Music Theory class, but much of my elective requirements were completed at the community college I transferred from. I can't really comment on which electives to take. If you like languages I'd suggest that - I should've minored in French, Italian, or Russian. Spanish is also offered there.

Food? This is Grand Forks. You won't find anything other than a chain restaurant. None of it is acceptable. Dorm food is worse and completely inedible. Being a big foodie and one who loves to cook from a large city in California I was very disappointed. Sander's and The Toasted Frog were my hangouts - decent food and great service.

I arrived at UND when I was 23. I was much older than most students. I never lived in the dorms. I moved from my apartment in San Diego to Grand Forks with a large moving van and my car towed behind on a trailer.

The locals are generally really nice but that comes at a cost - they're very nosy and love to know about your business. I like being more or less incognito in a large city.