University of Maine

Umaine is a great school with diverse education programs and a diverse student body. It’s also located in Orono Maine, which is small enough that you feel safe to walk to your car, but big enough that you can find something to do. It is also located near Bangor which is a small city that’s about a ten minute drive.

I enjoy the University of Maine, however, I have struggled to make connections with other students and form relationships. I do not blame that on the school as the University is for academics and future opportunities. I give an overall rating of a four-star because I have enjoyed my time at the University of Maine, so far.

I love my program and the professors are amazing but it's incredibly difficult to be an out of state student and you can really care that they only care about the extra money and not us? Additionally, there are no adequate physical or mental health services available on the campus, and throughout the COVID-19 crisis we have scarcely received information from our school, major updates had to be learned from press releases given to local news sources instead of direct communication to the students.

Overall I love the University of Maine. My experience here over my first year has been amazing from the academics to the intense hockey games. However, safety on campus could be improved. There is little lighting for such a big campus. I love UMaine, and I can't wait to go back again this fall.

My experience at UMaine has been an interesting one. Sometimes it seems like the University cares too much about its students, like a helicopter parent; and other times it seems like they don't care about you at all as long as you're paying the tuition. UMaine should definitely not be compared to other flagship schools like Penn State or Alabama, rather a smaller school like Rowan.

I love the University of Maine and I couldn't imagine going to school any other place. There are so many different and vast opportunities for anything you can think of. There are clubs for everything, always a teacher or advisor there to help you do what you need, and so many opportunities to meet new people from so many walks of life. Student life is so much fun.

The campus is nice, friendly and inviting. Some of the professors are excellent some of them not so much. I have enjoyed my time hear overall. however, the weather is quite a struggle especially in the winter and the university is not good about cancelling during acclimate weather. Also, the faculty could do better at setting up students for success when it comes to advising them.

The University of Maine is where I am going to get my first Bachelors of University Studies Degree. Returning to college at age 56 was a little overwhelming but everyone from the janitor to the dean has been eager to help ease me into my new role as a student. The university was founded in 1865, the University of Maine is a land, sea, and space grant institution, and the flagship campus of the University of Maine System. Located in Orono along the banks of the Stillwater River, this vibrant and dynamic university serves Maine, the nation, and the world through its teaching, research, and outreach mission. I drive an hour and 7 minutes each way to attend college and it is worth every second that I spend in the car. I know that I am getting a world-class education from professors that care about me and not just academically. I hold a very high opinion and am proud to be a student in the Life Long Learning program working towards a Bachelor of University Studies. Go Black Bears!

It’s a great school!

I have mixed feelings about my time at UMaine. On one hand, there are parts of this school I really do love-- our radio station, WMEB, has provided me with a home base and a group of people to discuss my interests with over the three years I've been at this school. The campus and surrounding area are beautiful and full of wildlife (seeing the deer on the bike path always makes my day). There are a lot of different ways to get involved within the community, and the stir fry in the Bear's Den is pretty good. All that being said, though, I'll be transferring out and finishing my education elsewhere. The parking situation on campus is a nightmare, and it's almost impossible to fulfill all your needs without a car up here if you live off-campus. The walk to campus from the nearby apartment complexes is pleasant during the early part of the year, but it becomes unmanageable as soon as it starts snowing. If you don't bring a car during the winter, you'll have to rely on the bus, which stops by relatively infrequently and often takes inefficient routes. Two main things pushed me to transfer, though: first, there's a real sense of social isolation out here, especially if you aren't the most outgoing person. If the party scene isn't your thing, you may have a hard time finding things to do, because there isn't much around in the way of live music or events. Most of the social scene here revolves around drinking: either at the bars or at house/frat parties. Bangor isn't much better: if your interests fall anywhere outside the mainstream, you won't find much to do. The nearest independent movie theater is out in Augusta, and the furthest north most bands will come on tour is Boston. If you're looking for a DIY music scene, there's a small one, but most local bands play gigs at bars, so you have to be 21 to participate in a lot of it. The biggest thing that led me to decide to transfer, though, was the lack of support I felt after my extended hospitalization. I had a complicated year and wound up in the hospital for my mental health at the end of Spring 2019, and while my professors were all kind and accommodating in the time after I was discharged, certain members of the administration made me feel like a burden and a liability. I was asked why I would even reenroll in the Fall after my hospitalization, even though I was only taking nine credits (which is completely realistic for a person who's still in recovery). The mental health services at UMaine are kind of a joke: there's no emergency therapy, and the waiting list to see an on-campus provider is crazy long. Even if you do manage to get in with a therapist here, you'll have to look elsewhere for medication management, which can be a particularly complicated thing for a student who's already balancing schoolwork and mental health issues (and if you don't have a car, good luck making it to appointments with your medication provider, because most of them are located in Bangor). If you're the outdoorsy, sociable type and don't have too many mental health issues, you'll do just fine here. I'd urge anyone else to carefully consider their other options before making the call.

Personally, I have always been extremely fond of the University of Maine. It is at once both large enough to "technically" get lost if you don't know your way, and small enough to retain a small town feel that I have always known and loved. The students take the time to know you and there is not a day that goes by that I don't see someone doing something for someone purely out of the kindness of their own hearts.... or it's just being polite. Eh same thing. The community atmosphere is unlike anything you can find anywhere else. And I am very proud to call myself a Black Bear.

It's a really nice school, the teachers understand you and everyone is incredibly accepting. It is far more accepting of a community than high school ever was. There are many groups on campus to be able to get involved with, from Greek Life all the way to a Hammock Club! There is something here for everyone to be involved with, even if you think your interests may be a little far fetched.

I like the school. All the professors are all so friendly and they go out of the way to help you one on one. There are also many resources that students can take advantage of. There are so many clubs that students can join and there is always a place for students to be with.

It has been okay, pretty cold and snowy in the winter. Driving on campus is very bad, lots of potholes and tiny streets. Parking is even worse I think half the school has been ticketed. The place is a ​mess in the winter when it comes to walking to class, snow days do not happen often. It is kinda a big party school

I personally really enjoy UMaine. I’m not in Greek Life, or politically active at all, but I’ve still managed to find people who I can thrive with. Most of the professors are pretty decent, although a vast majority of them haven’t updated their webpages in six years, so it’s difficult to tell when their office hours are if you somehow lost your syllabus. I’d say that the dorms are decently nice. Some buildings are definitely nicer than others (Kennebec is nicer than Somerset and Hart, but not as nice as Colvin or Balentine). The rec center on campus is really nice, and has all new equipment that’s been purchased within the last four years, so that’s excellent. Academics are a really mixed bag, and depend pretty much exclusively on your professor and their personal policy. But, overall, I’d give UMaine a solid 8 out of 10.