This may come as a shock to University of Miami students, but Goyard bags, graduation raves and frat yacht parties are not a part of the typical college experience.
A quick TikTok search will reveal that UM’s students have certain trends and customs that are extremely uncommon at almost every other university in the country.
Videos of college students naming things at their college or university that would send other students “into a coma” have circulated on TikTok for a few years now.
So, let’s get into a few UM-specific experiences that might do just that — starting with something that is familiar to most students: partying.
Party culture
The main point that users participating in the trend seem to mention about UM is its prominent party culture.
This might have something to do with the fact that the University is just an Uber ride away from Brickell, Wynwood and Downtown Miami, all hubs for rave culture and late-night to early-morning to, well, afternoon, clubbing.
Seeing students shuffle back in from their college-town equivalents of Club Space, LIV and E11EVEN between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. would be uncommon at other universities.
Miami also hosts events like Hocus Pocus and iii Points in Wynwood, Ultra in Bayfront Park and student’s favorite DJs at Factory Town. This strong festival presence has led to a thriving rave culture among students, who cycle through their favorite mesh Shein tops and Amazon pashminas to post on Instagram.
At schools like the University of Florida and Florida State University, the nightlife scene is limited to backyard frat parties and a small row of local bars for entertainment.
“There’s really only one main bar and you always see the same people, it’s gotten kind of played out by now so it’s not as appealing,” said University of Florida student Andres Delgado.
It’s no wonder that the University of Miami’s party scene is somewhat of a culture shock for students, and has led to UM being named one of the top party schools in the country.
Influencer central
“Influencer U” is one of UM’s many nicknames thanks to the massive number of both small and large influencers who attend UM or just walk around the campus.
Sienna Sacco, Ximena Ponce and Collete Couillard — to name a few — are all influencers with well more than 500,000 followers on their platforms. It’s not unusual to see them and other aspiring influencers walking around campus documenting their day or filming brand-affiliated content.
Thanks to Alix Earle, it seems like every student is trying to get their start as an influencer at UM by receiving PR and filming TikToks of their lavish lifestyles.
Living in sunny South Florida also has its benefits and has shaped student culture in its own ways.
Seeing people go to class in bikinis or swim trunks isn’t a rare sight, and girls wearing just their bikinis and dirt-covered Air Forces to the frat houses is something even Earle has pointed out as shocking for visitors.
Wet campus
I’m not talking about the bipolar weather of the Sunshine state, I’m talking about our day drinkers over at The Rat.
The Rathskeller is the University of Miami’s student-run restaurant that serves alcohol on campus to those over 21.
According to a Reddit post, most colleges with pubs or bars are only open to graduate students. At UM, though, students of age can stop by at 2 p.m. for a beer or a seltzer as long as they show I.D.
Though, not every student is gathering to drink. The Rat has also become a place for sports enthusiasts to gather and watch major games, such as the CFP Finals or March Madness. They also host trivia, karaoke and DJ nights.
So, although there is a bit of a culture shock that comes with being a student at UM, most students seem to enjoy the weather, the diverse nightlife and social media opportunities that come with enrolling.