10 Lesser-known U-M Campus Resources You Should Know

Whether you’re a new student or a returning Wolverine.

By Office of New Student Programs Staff August 23, 2022
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10 Lesser-known U-M Campus Resources You Should Know

Whether you’re moving to campus for the first time or returning to Ann Arbor for your senior year, U-M has a wide range of helpful on-campus resources that may not be as familiar to you. Our Office of New Student Programs staff members have collected 10 lesser-known campus resources that you should definitely know:

Transportation

  1. Magic Bus
    The Magic Bus is our University of Michigan bus system that takes students, faculty, and staff where they need to go across our Central, North, and Athletic Campuses at no cost to you. The Magic Bus site gives you real-time bus updates, allows you to plan your trips, and even sign up for text message updates on when you can expect the next bus to arrive at your stop.
     
  2. TheRide
    Need to get to a nearby grocery store? Take TheRide (Ann Arbor’s bus system), which you can use at no cost to you with your Mcard! For example, you can hop on the 25 bus from Blake Transit Center (two blocks from campus) to get to stores such as Meijer and Target.
     
  3. Zipcar
    Looking to run errands, grab groceries, or ditch campus for a long weekend? Consider Zipcar, which also has discounted rates for students. 

On-campus Spaces and Services

  1. First Gen Gateway
    Are you the first in your family to go to college? The First Generation Student Gateway serves as a starting point to get connected to resources for first-generation students. Housed in the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI), the Gateway is open during regular business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.).
     
  2. Maize & Blue Cupboard
    Its mission is to ensure members of the University of Michigan community — whether on a tight budget or physically distanced from getting to a grocery store — receive equitable access to healthy, nutritious, and nourishing food and the ability to prepare it for themselves or others.
     
  3. Career Center Clothes Closet
    Need professional clothes? The Clothes Closet is a program that allows U-M students to obtain business casual and business professional attire from a wide selection of clothing donated by U-M faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as other professionals from the community. Students also receive tips on how to dress to impress and build their professional brand!
     
  4. Gender-inclusive Restrooms
    Gender-inclusive restrooms are located across campus for ALL of our community members.
     
  5. Youniversity Beauty Vending Machine
    This vending machine is fully stocked with student- and Black-owned beauty products.
     
  6. Reflection Rooms
    Need a quiet place for meditation, reflection, or prayer? Reflection rooms are available for students to use in buildings on the Central, North, and Medical Campuses.
     
  7. Emergency Loans
    Students may experience an emergency situation or one-time, unusual, unforeseen expense while in school. The university offers several types of assistance for students in such special circumstances.
Office of New Student Programs Staff

Staff from the Office of New Student Programs support the continuous process of integrating and supporting students into the academic, cultural, and social aspects of the University of Michigan.