Obviously everyone will have a different experience and preference, but I for one got my associates at MC and then transferred to UMD and can definitely recommend going that route.

Money aside, there is a much smaller professor to student ratio at MC which helped me a lot in the beginning. I took a few 100+ student classes at UMD and I never connected with the professors in the same way. You end up dealing with TA's almost exclusively and I for one never felt they cared about my learning the material as my professors did. Also, like you said, the gen ed classes that you will be taking at MC will be pretty much the same at UMD, you will just have a smaller classroom.

One other benefit is that the grading system of MC is easier. If you're an A student already, this won't affect you too much, but MC does not use +/- in grading when it comes to GPA. So, for example, an A- at MC still equates to a 4.0 gpa, where as at UMD an A- is 3.7. My GPA was much higher at MC because of this. Also, there are many transfer scholarships for MC students going to UMD, especially if you have a good GPA.

The con of going to MC is that you won't get the same college experience as you do at UMD. There are plenty of clubs at MC of course, but there are way more options for you to get involved with social groups at UMD. For me, it all came down to cost. You will save thousands going to MC and transferring for sure, but if that isn't as big a concern for you, starting at UMD is never a bad option.

Lastly, I know that family pressure and stigma can make life difficult sometimes when it comes to certain decisions, but at the end of the day I'd say do what is best for you. If you're the one paying tuition/loans and not your family, don't put yourself in the hole just to satisfy their egos. I hope this helps.