University of Maryland-Baltimore County Top Questions

http://my.umbc.edu/discussions/14692

I went to UMBC as an undergraduate and now I am a 5th year graduate student working toward my Ph.D. I have a very high opinion of my university, I wouldn't have put in 9 years of my life in to it if not. The school itself has not changed much over the past 9 years and actually that is one thing that I really like about the school. It is easy to get in to the swing of things and everyone is so helpful (from other students to faculty to staff). The campus is beautiful and they have been working on beautifying the campus even more. The campus is also just right in size. It is classified as a medium size campus. You can walk everywhere and you have enough time in between classes to get from one to the other even if they are on opposite sides of the campus. UMBC is actually a big circle, so it is easy to find your way around. They are also working on building more space for classrooms and labs. As for the classes, they are not easy but you really do learn the material. UMBC is known for being a school very focused on academics, definitely not a party school. You have to study and you have to go to class. As an undergrad, I got 2 degrees, biology and psychology. The science classes are difficult, I can't lie, they do try to weed out those who are not interested in science or simply will not to do well, but if you have a real interest in the subject you will love it. With that said, when I say that I have been going to UMBC, they say wow, isnt that an honors university, the classes must be difficult. I tell them yes they can be difficult and a lot of work, but they are enjoyable and interesting. As a graduate student, I am getting my doctorate in clinical psychology, and I have LOVED allllll of my psyc classes, from undergrad through grad. They have been wonderful. And now I am a teaching assistant for many undergraduate psyc classes and even that experience has been great. I enjoy interacting with the students and helping them learn. When on campus, most students spend the majority of their time in the commons or the RAC. The commons is where all the "fast-food" places are, there is also a bank, a little convenience store, and plenty of tables to sit and be social. The RAC is the gym. There are 2 pools, a track, basketball courts, group fitness classes, cardio decks, and it is all free to students. The library is also a very popular place to study. There are 7 levels to the library, it is huge. When not in class or on campus, a lot of people are out in the city. Although we do not have the feel of being a "college town", we are about 10 minutes away from the Inner Harbor and there is always things to do around town. The campus is also really safe. The Baltimore police is actually on campus as well as the baltimore courthouse. If it is late at night you can even call and get a police escort if that would make you more comfortable. As mentioned before the students are great, there are some frats and sororities but there are much more organizations and things to volunteer for. We also have many sports and club sports to participate in. There is a lot of school pride even though we do not have a football team. Most of our sports are division 1 and do very well, even the chess team! There is nothing really unusual about UMBC and the administration is great, always wanting student input to see how to make the campus better, but one thing that is complained about a lot, even from myself and the one thing I would change is the amount of parking on campus. There have been times, if I had to come in the middle of the day, where I would drive around and around for about an hour before I would find someone leaving. That can be frustrating, but they are trying to make the situation better. They started making special color tags for better assigning who can park where and building more lots. I will always remember my experience at UMBC and it will always be a part of my life.

I really enjoy going to UMBC, everyone on campus has a unique story and works really hard to do well in school

I love UMBC! I love that as an Honors University it excels at excellence. I am part of the Honors college, and have benefited by getting to know the faculty and have them assist me with my projects. Although I would want more of an arts community on campus, I believe there is little else I'd change. I think the medium size of the campus is perfect, because it allows there to be community instead of anonymity found in larger campuses. There has been talk of UMBC being a nerd school with not much fun, but I would say it is just the opposite. There are groups of people who certainly know how to have fun, even if it is not in the ways that kids at College Park like to enjoy themselves. UMBC is quirky, to say it simply. There are nerds. There are hipsters (as previously stated). There are people walking on tightropes. There is Starbucks. Basically, it's the perfect college campus.

My opinion of this school: 1. UMBC is a small community so you can have a good network of friends. The teacher to student ratio here is also good. Class sizes are small, except for freshman classes and beginning science classes. The professors here are awesome and I read a posting that said their effective teaching skills are tied with Yale at 4th place. 2. One this I would change is the registration system. The add/drop date is really early so most people do not get a good feel for how rigorous a class might be and end up having to drop it with a "W". I would extend the add/drop date. 3. UMBC size is just right. It a good amount of students here. It's location is away from outside neighborhoods and distractions. No major roads run through UMBC (except for arriving and leaving). It's a great distance from Arundel Mills (13min away driving) and other areas i.e Walmart (9min away driving). 4. Before there wasn't a noticeable reaction when you'd tell someone "I go to UMBC" but due to recent publicity (60min) of the school and our awesome President (meet with Obama and other higher education leaders). UMBC has received a large influx of student....which is why one of the residence halls was extended. 5. The school administration is VERY effective and thorough. If you do your work and meet the deadlines for registration, billing etc, there will be no problems. 6. UMBC does have school spirit and PRIDE but let's face we are all geeks on the down low and like to have quiet time. There are many things to do but the curriculum is tough. There are complaints that we do not have enough fun but hey, that is not what you are here for. Freshman year is the year to go all out, after that, books come first...until Senioritis

My opinion of this school: 1. UMBC is a small community so you can have a good network of friends. The teacher to student ratio here is also good. Class sizes are small, except for freshman classes and beginning science classes. The professors here are awesome and I read a posting that said their effective teaching skills are tied with Yale at 4th place. 2. One this I would change is the registration system. The add/drop date is really early so most people do not get a good feel for how rigorous a class might be and end up having to drop it with a "W". I would extend the add/drop date. 3. UMBC size is just right. It a good amount of students here. It's location is away from outside neighborhoods and distractions. No major roads run through UMBC (except for arriving and leaving). It's a great distance from Arundel Mills (13min away driving) and other areas i.e Walmart (9min away driving). 4. Before there wasn't a noticeable reaction when you'd tell someone "I go to UMBC" but due to recent publicity (60min) of the school and our awesome President (meet with Obama and other higher education leaders). UMBC has received a large influx of student....which is why one of the residence halls was extended. 5. The school administration is VERY effective and thorough. If you do your work and meet the deadlines for registration, billing etc, there will be no problems. 7. UMBC does have school spirit and PRIDE but let's face we are all geeks on the down low and like to have quiet time. There are many things to do but the curriculum is tough. There are complaints that we do not have enough fun but hey, that is not what you are here for. Freshman year is the year to go all out, after that, books come first...until Senioritis

My opinion of this school: 1. UMBC is a small community so you can have a good network of friends. The teacher to student ratio here is also good. Class sizes are small, except for freshman classes and beginning science classes. The professors here are awesome and I read a posting that said their effective teaching skills are tied with Yale at 4th place. 2. One this I would change is the registration system. The add/drop date is really early so most people do not get a good feel for how rigorous a class might be and end up having to drop it with a "W". I would extend the add/drop date. 3. UMBC size is just right. It a good amount of students here. It's location is away from outside neighborhoods and distractions. No major roads run through UMBC (except for arriving and leaving). It's a great distance from Arundel Mills (13min away driving) and other areas i.e Walmart (9min away driving). 4. Before there wasn't a noticeable reaction when you'd tell someone "I go to UMBC" but due to recent publicity (60min) of the school and our awesome President (meet with Obama and other higher education leaders). UMBC has received a large influx of student....which is why one of the residence halls was extended. 5. The school administration is VERY effective and thorough. If you do your work and meet the deadlines for registration, billing etc, there will be no problems. 6. As a prospective Med Student, I spent my times here at UMBC in the library which now has an awesome 24hr access key only study space fully equipment with conference rooms, monitors, whit boards and study booths. This place will be your 2nd home. 7. UMBC does have school spirit and PRIDE but lets face we are all geeks on the down low and like to have quiet time. There are many things to do but the curriculum is tough. There are complaints that we do not have enough fun but hey, that is not what you are here for. Freshman year is the year to go all out, after that books come first...until Senioritis

Overall, I believe I made the right choice by attending UMBC. It is the school that will get me to my goal with the least distractions that can derail my plans. The problem with most universities is that college life overtakes what you're actually suppose to be doing in college, which is obtaining your degree. While UMBC is not devoid of college life, it does take second place to academics by a large margin. The best thing about UMBC is that its a relatively small school which somehow has a large student population. While at UMBC, most of the time, it won't feel like there are as many students as the number of attendees. So I feel it's just right. The one thing I would change is the fact that there is no football team. I feel this would instill more school spirit, which I feel a slightly lacking. However, if the football team did not do well, I don't think school spirit would be any higher anyways. The opinion of others, depends on who matters. If you tell locals or others from Maryland you attend UMBC, there is an automatic comparison to UMD College Park. However, if you tell an employer you attended UMBC, there are advantages in that area. UMBC recent successes have translated to a higher employment rate. On top of that, Baltimore was polled highly as a "College Town" recently by US News and World Report. This fares well for the school, but transportation to Baltimore from UMBC isn't always apparent. Nevertheless, having Baltimore as your "college town" beats living in a small town that's obsessed with your school but there's nothing to do there. Our president is Freeman Hrabowski, who is relatively renowned in his own right. He appeared on 60 minutes speaking about UMBC and its success in attracting and graduating high-caliber students. The rest of the administration are passionate about 2 things: Academics and Student Life. Career placement is also huge at UMBC. There's a career fair, job placements, etc almost every single week. UMBC has also taken advantage of technology to help students reach the next level of their lives. This is a huge advantage to other schools I have attended which have been labyrinths when trying to obtain help regarding employment or tutoring or just about anything else. At UMBC, you ACTUALLY get the help you need, instead of searching relentlessly for it. Additionally, if you're a socialite, you won't feel awkward at UMBC. There is a robust student life, its just subdued and not visible during the weekend. However, a lot of students at UMBC have cars and making friends who can take you places is very, very easy. Therefore, you're not limited to remaining on campus or in Baltimore, but you are open to visiting other locales, such as Washington DC and New York.

I really enjoy studying at UMBC because UMBC provides good education. The professors are very devoted to teaching and helping their students, and there are many academic resources and help available for students. The campus is a little small, so I get to know almost everyone on campus. People are very friendly and close to each other. One bad thing is that UMBC does not really have a lot of campus life activities or clubs on campus. Some clubs are not well-organized. When I tell people I go to UMBC, they usually ask me if I take a pre-pharm or pre-med major. I am actually planning to go to a medical school, so I enjoy hearing the assumptions and stereotypes.

When I was first accepted to UMBC, I wasn't exactly impressed. To be honest I only applied there because one of the faculty at my High School approached me about qualified for a scholarship here. If I was to pick what to change about the school, the main thing for me would probably be parking. There's currently ongoing construction and it's gobbled up one of our larger parking lots. I don't have a problem with the parking now, specifically, but it would be nice for people to stop talking about it. Additionally, I think that something that needs to change is UMBC needs to make its accolades more apparent to the student body. There are always signs and news articles and things like that proclaiming one of two things: that UMBC is the top up and coming school in the country, and that UMBC is one of the top Universities with respect to focusing on Undergraduate education. But beyond that there are a lot of things that UMBC probably should be advertising that it doesn't. We have a fantastic Psychology program, for example, but no one knows about it because it isn't made apparent to the student body. I think it would go a long way to fostering pride in the school if things like this were advertised more blatantly. Student pride is present, but it's not at the same level as some other local Universities. Part of that is likely because we don't have a football team, and the teams we have for the "big" sports aren't usually very good, but the more UMBC presents to the student body to But beyond that, in general I'm satisfied with my school. Particularly in the technical fields, it provides a plethora of opportunities for Undergraduates to take advantage of and the faculty is generally above average, if not better. There are the usual gripes with the school, but for the money the school is an amazing value and will undoubtedly prepare me for where I want to go.