Overall, I am happy I came here. I think the best thing about the school is the diversity of subjects that are taught here. I transferred to UMaine from a liberal arts college, and was astonished at the number of majors I could choose from when I came here.
If there's one thing I'd change, it would be the amount of public transportation to and from campus. I live in nearby Old Town and I rely on a bus to get to class. The bus only comes every hour, and it can be inconvenient.
The size of the University is just right for me: when I first applied to college, I thought I would be overwhelmed by the size of a large state university. After spending a year at a small school, however, I felt that there wasn't enough diversity of opinion on that campus, and that most people were too similar. This prompted me to transfer to a larger school.
I spend most of my time on campus in Memorial Union and the library. The Union has food and lounges, and is very convenient for commuters. The library is comfortable, has plenty of computers, and also sells food.
Orono is a tiny town, and Bangor is a small city. There are one or two clubs in the area, and the Bangor Mall is close by. There are also many hiking trails in the vicinity. I'm someone who enjoys the outdoors a lot, so I'm very happy with the trails and nearby forests.
The biggest recent controversy on campus was the ban on tobacco products: the school can now fine students who smoke or chew tobacco in public (or in the dorms). This was implemented in January 2012, but so far many people are still able to smoke in public with no repercussions. The fairness of this new rule is still being argued by students, with the main objections being that it is very hard to quit smoking, and that cigarettes are completely legal.
The UMaine Black Bears have a lot of school pride, and most of the school turns up at the hockey and football games. During football season, you can hear the cheering all the way across campus!
Probably the most frequent student complaint has to do with the food in the dining halls. The food is not healthy, and I've noticed that there are few vegetarian options, and hardly any vegan options. I personally had a few instances of food poisoning from one of the dining halls. Living off campus solved this problem, as there is a grocery store (Hannaford) close to the school with good-quality food.
Despite the University's flaws, I really like this school and I'm glad that I came here. All my instructors have been incredibly helpful and approachable, and the classes in my field (Wildlife Ecology) are very hands-on and exciting.