When most people think of UM, their minds immediately go to designer bags, expensive brands, parties and bikinis. If you scroll through the #UMiami on TikTok, you’ll find countless videos of this staple stereotype.
While it is true that many students may find themselves fitting in with the Miami girl cliché, it is completely okay if you don’t.
The term “UMiami girl” is used by mainly non-UM students to describe the stereotypical, trendy girls you see on campus. She could be filming a “day in my life” video on TikTok while sipping a matcha latte from the Honey Veil stand by the Cox Science building, holding her green Goyard bag. Or, she could be tanning on the volleyball courts before grabbing an acai bowl from Pura Vida.
Remember how our parents told us a thousand times that not everything you see on social media is real? They were right. What social media won’t tell you is that the same “UMiami girl” is a member of student government and is on the Dean’s list. These are major accomplishments that are reduced to fit their narrow view.
Fitting in at UM isn’t about conforming to a stereotype. It’s about staying true to yourself and finding the people who embrace you for what makes you unique.
More than 19,000 students get to call UM home, and with alumni living in all 50 U.S. states and 174 countries, our campus is a melting pot of different cultures and personalities. With so many kinds of personalities, cultures, student organizations and on-campus events, you’ll quickly see that unlike popular belief, there’s not one type of student here.
It is often said that comparison is the thief of joy. It’s easy to look at someone’s Instagram page full of yacht parties and big friend groups and feel like you’re falling behind. What you likely won’t see on their page is the late nights spent cramming for a calculus exam, or the time they spend practicing their speech in the mirror for their public speaking class.
Social media is a highlight reel. Don’t spend your time comparing your worst moments to the best moments in someone else’s life.
The most genuine connections you make at UM (probably) won’t come from having the same designer sunglasses as the person sitting next to you. They will come from meeting people who share the same interests and hold the same values as you.
So, instead of trying to fit into a watered down stereotype, try making genuine connections with the people around you.
Join one of the hundreds of clubs and organizations on campus. From SCUBA diving to salsa dancing to gardening, you’re bound to find somewhere where you feel like you belong. If Greek life is more your thing, there are 33 sororities and fraternities currently recognized on campus.
College is one of the few times in your life where you get to show up and start completely fresh, and completely as your true self. You might find your group of friends in the sorority you never expected to join but were always interested in, or even just from walking to the dining hall.
One of the best things I have found from coming to college is being able to say “yes” to things I normally wouldn’t have and finding out that pretty much everyone else was also scared in the beginning.
The “UMiami girl” talk is just one small part of a bigger picture.
For every student scrolling through TikTok and Instagram wondering if you’ll ever truly fit in: you don’t have to change a single thing about yourself to belong here.
So, in case you were wondering — yes, you are a UMiami girl. Yes, you fit in as simply yourself.