University of Maryland-Baltimore County Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Kendra

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

Neena

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.

Erin

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

Lauren

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.

Olivia

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

Olivia

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

Olivia

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

Jonathan

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.

Yong

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.

Ryan

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.

Ty

To be honest, I was skeptical about UMBC at the start. About half of the school's students commute, which severely reduces the liveliness of the campus on the weekends and hinders school pride. Luckily, the administration acknowledges these problems and is doing its best in conjunction with the Student Events Board and Student Government Association to find practical solutions. This relates to the most unique, and my personal favorite, aspect of UMBC- the administration is constantly looking to form partnerships with individual students and whole organizations to enhance student life and shape UMBC to address the needs and desires of all students. The Office of Student Life is unbelievably encouraging for students who want to better the UMBC experience and the Student Government Association provides funding for concrete ideas that students develop through Prove It! and other events. Although I do feel that school pride is lacking, it's definitely getting better. I find that when I tell people that I go to UMBC they're impressed, but also a little hesitant to comment because they do not know all that much about the university. People complain about the lack of school pride and the absence of a football team, but there are a lot of redeeming qualities about the university that students overlook. There are a lot of places to simply relax and amazing opportunities to build a community with not only other students, but also with faculty and staff. Overall, I think UMBC is a great place for driven students looking to get a great education, gain experience in their field and start a career.

Thomas

Ty

To be honest, I was skeptical about UMBC at the start. About half of the school's students commute, which severely reduces the liveliness of the campus on the weekends and hinders school pride. Luckily, the administration acknowledges these problems and is doing its best in conjunction with the Student Events Board and Student Government Association to find practical solutions. This relates to one of the most unique, and my personal favorite, aspect of UMBC- the administration is constantly looking to form partnerships with individual students and whole organizations to enhance student life and shape UMBC to address the needs and desires of all students. The Office of Student Life is unbelievably encouraging for students who want to better UMBC experience and the Student Government Association provides funding for concrete ideas that students develop through Prove It! and other events. Although I do feel that school pride is lacking, it's definitely getting better. I find that when I tell people that I go to UMBC they're impressed, but also a little hesitant to comment because they do not know all that much about the university. People complain about the lack of school pride and the absence of a football team, but there are a lot of redeeming qualities about the university that students overlook. There are a lot of places to simply relax and amazing opportunities to build a community with not only other students, but also with faculty and staff. Overall, I think UMBC is a great place for driven students looking to get a great education, gain experience in their field and start a career.

Fatima

The best thing about UMBC has to be the education standard along with the variety of backgrounds that can be seen coming together every single day. "Compared to Notre Dame," a current transfer student and a friend of mine always says, "UMBC is like heaven. You actually see people in the hallways and outside of classes!" Now I don't know how true that is but UMBC is definitely a relatively large sized school but nowhere near the size of UMCP. When people hear about me attending UMBC, I usually receive a congrats and an "Oh, you'll do so well; it's such a great school!" UMBC is the #1 up-and-coming university in the nation and it definitely challenges its' students to work hard but all of it is worth it in the end. Sure, our campus may not have the greatest of school spirit or the biggest football team but it really does make you feel like a part of a family. You can probably be sure to bump into President Hrabowski every once in a while too while coming out of the library. Most students could be found in the Commons during Free Hour where they hangout in the food court, game room, or Sportszone. During finals week, the library is jam packed with practically the entire campus and is not exactly quiet; that's when I like to retreat to the now quiet Commons and study from any distractions or distracted friends.

Grace

My overall opinion of this school is only full of positive regards except when it comes to communication. UMBC is a very student-run based school and whenever you call say the financial aid desk or residential life desk for example, after either being placed on hold for several minutes or told that all operators are busy, you'll be placed in contact with a student who will attempt to answer your question or concern with the basic information she was required to know but in the end, your problem won't be solved or you'll be told to call a different department. I wouldn't even try emailing staff though(even the head of the departments) because I guarantee you won't get an answer. Your best bet would be to come to the school directly and talk to an actual person, face-to face, that way they can't hang up on you or ignore your emails. Other than that, the school is wonderful. It's not a huge campus like it's neighboring college, University of Maryland College park, and you can usually walk to your classes in under 15 minutes (and even that time is a stretch). UMBC may not have a football team but the school events (especially the soccer and basketball games) are always quite entertaining and there really is a lot of school spirit. My only suggestion is to not go outside of campus at night (or atleast going to the actual city). One time I remember driving home from the animal shelter near by which was only at the edge of Baltimore City and i counted at least 3 clusters of homeless families while driving back to school (which is only 10 minutes away). Typically though, there's never a need to go off campus (unless it's a late night trip to McDonalds) because they always have some type of activity going on on the weekends when everyone goes home. What I personally liked the best was the "weekly movies" because they showed a film that had just been released from theaters but hasn't come out on DVD yet.

Brittany

I definitely loved going to UMBC. Classes were difficult at times, but the professors are often available to help a student and there are plenty of Assistant Teachers in our classes as well as tutoring centers for several courses! I was there for four years and had a chance to do EVERYTHING (join a dance team, work as a Resident Assistant, study abroad, make friends, join an amazing sorority...) I wanted to do during my time there as an undergraduate.

Kyle

When it came down to it I was deciding between College Park and UMBC and there were a few different reasons that I came here. One of the main things was that at College Park you are just a number. It is so hard to get personal help there because of how many people go there. Here there is always help and everyone tries very hard to get you through the year happily. One thing I would change is I would give the school a football team because I think that is a big reason that some people lack school spirit. To summarize though, the school is very convenient for me and the knowledge that is provided to me and the people who are here always makes me feel that there really is something special about this place.

Ao

I believe UMBC is is not too large, or too small when it comes to the amount of people who attends the school. It is literally a comfortable size of campus numbers, where it is not too large so you don't feel like you are lost with so many people, and it is not so small that you feel like you literally know everybody and not having much diversity. I have a sense of pride of being a UMBC student since whenever somebody asks me what school I go to and tell them I go to UMBC, majority of people always tell me that "that's a really good school to go to!" However, it seems like there is not a lot of school pride among students, and I wish that would change. Perhaps another downside about UMBC is lack of college town, and the surrounding neighborhood not being so safe.

Arabia

My overall opinion of this school is that it is a school for education. I know you say education isn't every school however, it is not. Majority of colleges and universities there are a plethora of parties and drinking and drugs on campus. At UMBC there is not a lot of that going on. The students here get there work done and party later, but the library is always packed so I highly doubt there is much partying going on.

Arabia

My overall opinion of this school is that it is a school for education. I know you say education isn't every school however, it is not. Majority of colleges and universities there are a plethora of parties and drinking and drugs on campus. At UMBC there is not a lot of that going on. The students here get there work done and party later, but the library is always packed so I highly doubt there is much partying going on.

Dan

My overall opinion of this school is excellent. Here I have gotten opportunities I didn't even think about in high school. Possibly my favorite thing about UMBC is the class size. Many are small enough where you can get specific help from a professor but not to small as to where as there are no people socializing. Another great thing about our campus is President Freeman Hrabowski who was recently featured on '60 Minutes.' He is a very charismatic man who is always walking around campus and will always say hello and ask how your semester is going. I'm very involved with athletics here at UMBC and the school also provides great competition to watch. Women's basketball was picked to finish first in the conference this year and men's soccer made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Dan

My overall opinion of this school is excellent. Here I have gotten opportunities I didn't even think about in high school. Possibly my favorite thing about UMBC is the class size. Many are small enough where you can get specific help from a professor but not to small as to where as there are no people socializing. Another great thing about our campus is President Freeman Hrabowski who was recently featured on '60 Minutes.' He is a very charismatic man who is always walking around campus and will always say hello and ask how your semester is going. I'm very involved with athletics here at UMBC and the school also provides great competition to watch. Women's basketball was picked to finish first in the conference this year and men's soccer made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Keena

The diversity in my school is phenomenal. I don't say this to boast, but we have a diverse student body coming from different parts of the world, diverse majors from performing arts, to school of aging, to philosophy, and we take part in everything from Bollywood film festivals, frisbee games, cultural shows, to chess tournaments. Not only do we excel in exploring our diversity, but we have been ranked as the number one upcoming University for the second year in a row. The perfect size of our campus, with growing student attendance, I'd say the diversity only allows us to become more involved while allowing us to learn about different cultures, activities, organizations and perks about our campus. However, most of the students wished we had a football team to rave about or watch on TV, we do have an outstanding soccer team who has won the State championship in the year of 2010.There are no "clicks" existing, when SGA holds a barbecue on the first day of school in the Erickson field, while greek organizations recruit, and frisbees are being thrown around, and the Pre-Med Society is grilling the hot dogs- we all collaborate, with no regards of what group we represent, we hold our own identities while enriching our knowledge about others.

Ryan

UMBC is a community. I don't know how else to describe it.

Todd

best part- close nit community of staff and students. Change- more activities for dorm students. School size is just right. People think it's college park when I tell them its umbc. spend most of the time in dorm room, dining hall, gym or academic row. "what college town?" UMBC's administration rocks though the regisitars office is kind of slow. Biggest recent controversy one was the results of ProveIt. Big increase in pride after the amazing basketball season. Unusual- the tunnels. Experiance- everything. Complaints- meal plans and nothing to do on campus

Reese

The best thing about UMBC is the environmental and mood our campus provides. Students are very friendly, welcoming and open. The administrative red tape could be changed, however this problem exists in any bureaucratic organization. I feel like UMBC is just right, not too big but not too small. People used to snicker, and say thing like "U Must Be Crazy" but I don't hear things like that anymore. I've honestly spent time everywhere from the Library, the dorms, the Commons, the Fine Arts couches, or the benches next to the pond, I've chilled everywhere! It's definitely a "what college town" campus, but get a car or get a ride, there's so many places nearby! The biggest controversy would be between the change in food provider for the campus or the lack of funding for athletics. School pride has increased after UMBC made it to the NCAA. The campus is a huge circle, and there are tunnels underneath it, go find them! The 40th Anniversary celebrations, we had fireworks coming out of the library! Students complain about parking, the food, the lack of entertainment.

Lindsay

UMBC was a perfect choice for me. It's inexpensive, yet offers the same excellent education as any prestigious University. UMBC is a large campus with a lot of students, but not to worry: It is easy to make friends and easier still when you start taking classes in your major because you meet people with the same interests as you have, and it is not hard to stand out even though it is a large campus.

Kate

I LOVE UMBC! It's weird because there are a good amount of commuters, but the suprisingly will hang out with you if you ask them to party or what not. UMBC is the perfect size and it is in the perfect location. It is its own little world inside of the loop. Campus is very safe and so easy to walk around and not to mention 10 minutes from downtown Baltimore. To get to Baltimore its FREE with the shuttle. UMBC is great because the president tries to get to konw people. It is awesome to see the president of the university walk around campus and say hello to you. With each year UMBC gains more pride! Especially since the mens basketball team went to the NCAA dance this year and our lacrosse team did very well also and not to mention that the swim team was once again conference champs and beat hometown rivals College Park. YAY UMBC!

Kelly

I like UMBC's size. I wish there was more in the immediate area of UMBC. No one really cares or supports our Athletic teams. UMBC lacks school pride. Parking sucks.

Angela

UMBC is the perfect sized campus and perfectly located. Its not too small or too big and its near the city but located in a quieter more residential area. You get the best of city life and a small town feel. Lots of students complain there isn't much to do on weekends because a good deal of residnetial students go home, but if you have a good group of friends to hang out with you can always find some fun on campus, in Baltimore, or in one of the towns nearby.

Bridget

It can be hard to find someone who says UMBC was my fist choice school. I admit it wasn’t mine. Having been rejected by other schools, it was the next best thing. In reality I guess it was THE best thing. I have had opportunities to do research along side some of the top professors in my field and I’ve been able to have an on campus job and play rugby, things that I may have never been able to do at a bigger school. UMBC is growing, and I hope that more people will see its changing reputation and respect it as a honors research university. I want to hear that UMBC is someone’s first choice, not an alternative.

Alex

UMBC is a fairly quiet, suburban campus. It's good for people who want a medium size research institution, people who live near baltimore and want to stay close to home, and commuters. Much of the population commutes. Even though it's quiet, people still drink and party, but there are no huge on-campus parties. Walk off campus and you will find the blue collar town of Catonsville, but Baltimore is about 15 minutes up 695. It's also one of the most racially diverse schools you will find, but that is probably due to its location.

Fred

UBC is a great school. There is always omething going on. One really great thing is that we have a major city so close to us which offers a great variety of things to do. AS far as the size of the school I think it is jsut right. I did not want a small school of say Loyola's size nor did I want the size of College Park. I think that UMBC is just what I' looking for, where you can know a lot of people but you can always expect to see a new face. I would have to say, being an athlete, I spend a lot of time at the RAC and at the Commons. Arbutus is not a college town at all, so don't go out looking to hit up the bars or clubs, all though there is one plce that usually packs in the students on Thurssday nights. The admin at school are very understanding and helpful and are looking out for the best interest of the students. School pride is definitley growing with the succesess of men's basketball and lacrosse (and often overlooked Men's and Women's swimming and diving for the 11th and 2nd straight year, respectivley) students are becoming more proud of the fact that they go to UMBC.

Nico

The best thing about UMBC is the fact that it is not too small and not too large. Being a medium-sized school, UMBC provides many opportunities where a person can get to know their professors, classmates, dorm-mates and just about anyone who attends UMBC. The Commons is the best place for people to catch up with their friends and the library is the best place to get some studying done!! But the library and the commons are not the only places at UMBC. As you walk through the buildings around campus, you will find people chatting and or studying. My personal favorite place to study is not the library, but the Information Technology and Engineering (ITE) building at UMBC, which is the newest building on campus.

Aditya

I feel UMBC is one of those colleges that can be whatever one wants it to be. It's big enough to be big, small enough to be small. Almost all sorts of clubs and extra cirriculars are offered, from cultural orgs to Greek Life and SGA, and none hold any weight over the other. It is not a party school however one can find the party crowd if they want to.

Lexi

The campus itself is not the most "beautiful," but there have been a lot of efforts lately to develop it, by adding new buildings, etc. The next decade or so will be a lot more up-to-date because of campus improvements. The library is extraordinary compared to some libraries I've visited (i.e. Towson) and the inter-library loan system is very convenient and run effectively. The size of the campus is perfect for those who want to make it to class within 15 minutes of waking up: only 10 minutes from the farthest points of campus. Not worrying about having to catch shuttles or busses to class (like on larger campuses) is a major major plus.

Maria

I would say the best thing about UMBC is how easy it is to meet people from all over the world and make new friends ALL the time. The size of UMBC approx, 10,000 undergraduate with 75 percent of incoming freshman living on campus make it easy to meet people. The sad thing is though is when I say I attend UMBC most people react negatively because they are ignorant about what UMBC offers their students and what our students have become after graduation. Most people spend time between classes in the commons because its where everyone meets for lunch between classes and its where all the student organizations meet up on Wednesdays. The commons is also during free hour from 12-1pm every M-W-F. UMBC is not a college town we are The Loop. The campus is encompassed in a one large circle road and everything you need is within the circle. It's more like a little city in a circle. Administration at UMBC are a huge disappointment, this is where a majority of the schools stereotypes evolve from. Res life is the spawn of the devil and and pretty much stuck on the thought that no one should have any fun at UMBC that involves partying in music. Some of the rules applied to students are completely ignored such as the designated smoking areas one and recycling bins across campus. The biggest controversy on campus was on the last night of Spring semester a students apartment was entered by two suspects wielding a gun and knife and robbed the students. Safety on campus has become a concern now. School pride only happens when one of the sports teams makes it to a big tournament or playoff. UMBC REALLY REALLY needs a football team and an ice hockey field on campus. I love all the people I met at UMBC and thats what I miss every summer when we all go home. These are lifelong friends and it's an important factor in my staying at UMBC.

Reese

UMBC will give you however much you put into it. You can certainly remain mostly in your dorm room, and the dorms are nice enough as to make this not so disagreeable. Or you can get involved. There are lots of clubs, many cool people, honestly there is such a range that it makes it hard to place a wide stereotype over everything. We have just about every sport except foot ball (even skydiving!) So, if you come to UMBC, come willing to make at least a small effort to make yourself a part of the school.

Dawn

UMBC is a good size and very student accessible for academic purposes. However, it is hard to find things to do in spare time, the Involvment Fest takes place once a semester and is overwhelming. UMBC needs to find another way to publicize activities and provide information about them. I spend most of my time on campus, because I did not have a car and it is hard to get off campus without one. The biggest recent controversy was over the ROTC program possibly coming to the campus, which it was decided that it would. School pride is something I feel is lacking, and something I wish the campus would work on fostering, there is not much cohesiveness as a whole student body.

Matt

We NEED a football team!!!!!!! The size of the school is alright, not too big, not too small. Overall the school has a negative connotation. "UMBC stands for 'U Made a Bad Choice'" Not enough time spent outside, though it often gets too windy to spend much time outside. There is no college town atmosphere, once you step foot off-campus. Not much school pride, or it's just too spread out. There's no sports team to unite the entire student body. The social scene, in terms of parties etc., is, at times, hard to find, but it's definitely out there.

Alex

I was worried that UMBC would be too large. There are a couple of lecture hall style classes but I must admit that the professors want to see you. Even in the largest of my classes last year the professor made it no secret that he was available...to go over tests, help line up tutors if necessary and even serve as a stand in advisor on the subject or not. What I love about the campus is that for one I am not the only commuter. UMBC is an active campus and one would benefit from living on campus and being able to enjoy it full time however, UMBC still reaches out to commuters with often weekly activities. Additionally, there is this great vibe within the student body that makes you enjoy coming to class. I have never been to a campus that has been more postive and enthusiastic. People are truly motivated and still have a good time. There has been a great many times that I have stayed in a class and talked for an hour or so about the course or current politics. A car is a definite necessity and finding a parking spot can be a universal problem past a certain hour. But in general I can honestly say I could not be happier with my decision to transfer to UMBC. I love the faculty who respects the student. I love the campus that is beautiful and can give you quite the work out with all of those darn steps. I love my major and the great use of technology throughout every course and the availability to students.

Michelle

Everyone automatically thinks "College Park" when they think University of MD, but UMBC is much better. There are fewer people, so you're actually treated like a person instead of just a number. I like the size of UMBC. I spend most of my time on campus in my dorm with my friends. Baltimore is a great city to visit, but I'm not much of a city person so I don't go very often. The administration's ok, the president is great. There's not much school pride, possibly because we don't have a football team. Almost everyone goes home on the weekends, so it gets really quiet, but there are always events you can go to if you look for them. My favorite memories include playing a pick up soccer game in a thunderstorm at 11pm one night, and playing Cops and Robbers along Academic Row another night. The most frequent student complaints are about the meal system, but our caterer is changing this coming fall, so that should improve.

Grace

UMBC is a very modern, medium-sized school. I love its size and the academic environment here. It's cool to study and everywhere you go, you'll see people with their books open or talking about their last exams. When people find out I go to UMBC, they wonder what I do for fun and assume that there's nothing to do here. There's actually plenty to do for fun. Sometimes I play frisbee in Erickson field or go to the gameroom to display my ineptitude at pool. If you want something crazier to do, you can always ride the shuttle bus off campus to the Harbor or catch a ride to go clubbing in DC. UMBC is surrounded by suburbs so it's also really safe.

Emmerson

The best thing about UMBC is the students. Coming from a very preppy high school, I find that all the students at UMBC are very nice and approachable. On the other hand, the worst thing about this school are the grumpy, inconsiderate staff members who works in the registrar office. Some of the people who works in the administration and office of student life seems like they couldn't care less about students and their job. This is probably the reason why students don't care about SGA elections. The only student service offices that I've enjoyed working with are the Career Center and the Shriver Center. The Shriver Center helped me obtain my first wonderful internship opportunity, while in the Career center helped me find a job that I would be interested in.

Thomas

It's a very credible school in the Maryland system. UMBC is a medium sized school, so between and within classes you will certain spot a few people you know, but you can also run into people that you only see once. Physically, the campus is rather cozy, it's all encircled by a circular road, and the academic buildings are all clustered together in one area. As far as reputation, UMBC is not that well known to your average joe, or far away from Maryland, though it is respectable for it's engineering, computer science, and psychology programs. These are the most popular majors. It is also recognized for it's availability of various research, and cutting edge technologies such as nanotechnology. So, while an old classmate from highschool may not recognize the name, it holds some clout in those areas. Sports wise, UMBC has been standout in Basketball, both women's and men's. There is not much of a college town, just some houses that are used for university residencies and a church. Other than that it's trees and grass. The "town" that is used it Baltimore or D.C. that must be reached by car or bus or something of the like. The administration is there, nothing to special to note. Though, the police are a bit too present for my tastes. I would watch my back if I was planning to drink underage in the open or piss on the side of some building. There is rarely any big controversy around campus. Recently a student died of a diabetes related complication and there was a massive vigil for him. There is moderate school pride. It's gentle rather than hardcore. Though, the basketball cames sellout and there are those with painted faces and bodies, it's nowhere near the scale or intensity of other major universities that I've heard of. It also does not help that basketball games are less inductive to a festive outdoor scene than football games. There are a fair number of kids with various UMBC apparel, often from one of the events here. The dining hall is a very solid place to eat each day, as it provides quality all you can eat food; homestyle but with some interesting variety. However, it seems that the commons is a more popular venue. It offers a food court approach with pizza, subs, mexican, american, coffee shop, greek, sushi and a convince store. There is a bus that runs for free for students to popular stops such as the inner harbor and Arundle mills mall. However, it is flawed in that it does not run past 10PM or before 10AM. The bus can be tracked by a website, and so can the status of the washer and dryers in the dorms. Rooms have bathrooms that are shared between 2 to 4 students. There is a kitchen on each floor. There are many parking lots on the campus and parking all along the road that circles around the main campus. It is free and fairly available. There is a game room in the commons with pool tables, ping pong tables, and several HDTVs with all video game consoles available. There are weekly Magic the gathering tournaments as well as tornyies in Halo 3 and Guitar Hero.

Denise

The best thing about UMBC: It's not a ridiculously large campus like College Park where you have to make big efforts to be a part of something. Here, it's not too big, not too small, and there are lots of opportunities you could include yourself in. If there was one thing I would love to change, it's to create a strip mall of sorts near campus that is accessible by foot. That would be awesome and would help create fun and excitement (and a place to go) on weekends. I spent most of my time....everywhere. I'm a commuter on campus but you will still see me everywhere around campus. Library, game room, student organization space, dining hall, office of student life, academic buildings, etc. We're starting to get a lot of school pride on campus and it's continuing to grow because of our men's basketball's recent exposure in the NCAA (twice in 2 years). Unusual thought about my school: UMBC has professors that actually care. Most of them, at least.

Chelsea

The best thing about UMBC is the size. It is not too huge but it's not a campus where you know everyone and everyone knows you. All of the professors are really great and there are a ton of clubs and organizations you can get involved with. If you don't find the one you want, it's easy to make your own club (that's what I did!) Most people spend a lot of time in the dorm rooms or in the Commons. On the weekend, a lot of people go home, but it's also really easy to drive 5 minutes into Baltimore if you have a car or know someone who does. Arundel Mills mall is also only a short drive away, and they offer shuttle buses. This school is starting to turn into a really great one, and it's very young - only 41 years!!! People think it's a bad school because it's not like College Park but College Park has 100+ years on UMBC and took a very long time to get to where they are.

Tanya

I was a transfer student with HCC. The only thing I can tell you is that you will work hard. The courses are very diffcult and the expectations for your do to well are higher than most other schools. If you aren't one of those over achievers, than consider another school. If your party a lot then consider another school.

Harper

UMBC is a campus with a lot of potential which is being constantly held back by administrative, bureaucratic bullshit. It is filled with students who want something to happen, and want to do interesting, fun things; however, being able to actually pull any of that off with the current environment is very difficult. The administration prefer to image the school as an "Honors University," with a rigorous focus on academics; however, in doing so they inevitably stifle creativity and student life. There is still plenty to do and a lot of great people to meet and have fun with, the problem is that everything remotely interesting is forced underground and hard to find.

elle

disconnected....i feel disconnected from the school.