Your Friendly Neighborhood... Grad Student!

Meet Caytlyn T. from North Campus - a School of Information grad student, recently graduated from Purdue!

  • What has surprised you and what’s met your expectations about your 1st year living in Ann Arbor?

    • It’s just massive. I came from Purdue, which is not as large campus-wise and is not in the city. I’ve been trying to figure out how to commute around. Living so far from my classes, it’s been a necessity to take the buses, which I’ve never done before. But I like the city feel - it’s urban, but not scary urban.
       

  • Do you have a favorite place to eat?

    • My favorite place that I have been so far is that Cuban restaurant—Frita Batido’s.  It’s amazing! My favorite is the pork frita with avocado and a fried egg.
       

  • What’s something you’re hoping for in the next year?

    • I’m hoping to not be so confused by the streets. I get so lost. I know main points of campus, but I still feel like a lost bird. I’m getting used to it though!
       

  • What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned this semester, school related or otherwise?

    • Group projects here are way more challenging than they were at Purdue.  I’ve had to do real-world stuff and actually create a solution instead of just suggesting a solution.  Moving from thinking of how to solve a problem in an ideal situation to solving real world issues where you don’t have unlimited time or money and trying to make something work while collaborating in a group effort is difficult.
       

  • We met just now because you were playing piano in the Union.  Could you talk a bit about your piano playing?

    • I taught myself to play the piano, I can’t read music. I started learning when I was 17 because I was playing basketball at the time and I’d gotten hurt. We had a piano in my house so I thought of it as something to do. I like to fast track stuff—I looked up songs I wanted to play and learned by ear. When I’m stressed with school, it’s nice to be able to smash out a couple songs and relax.

 

Contributed By: Marissa Nazareno