The following reviews are the views of students or alumni at this school and are unrelated to the school data and other editorial content on usnews.com. These reviews neither reflect nor impact a school's position within the Best Colleges rankings.
I think UNH is the perfect size small enough that you will recognize people walking down the street but large enough where you can meet new people everyday. Durham is a college town, UNH is basically all of Durham and you are only going to see college students I find it strange to see older people downtown. Hockey is huge on campus and football is increasing in popularity every year. Everyone goes and tailgates before games and most people get to drunk to even make it to the game. The UNH cops are strict the Durham cops are not too bad, apparantly there is a distinction but I say cops are cops. Ever since UNH was named number 7 party school the amount of cops patrolling campus thursday nights through sat is outrageous. The biggest student complaint is the lack of parking...there is none and if you get a ticket they are a hefty price. UNH won't build a parking garage because they think it will take away from the beauty of campus and it will no longer be a "walking" campus.
Meghan Junior
UNH has a large population. Sometimes it's ridiculous to think we house so many people in such a finite location. Durham is not a big town. There is a middle school and elementary school up the road, and kids walk around town just as much as adults and college kids. Sometimes the amount of students can be overwhelming, not only for other students, but for the programs as well. I recently changed my major because I felt I wasn't being cared for in the program I had applied for. I felt like a number. It was like I had no identity, and no one cared about my plans or integrity, or my wanting to do things my own way. In that sense, sometimes it seems like there are too many people here. But outside of the educational flaws, the town itself is very quaint. There is a single strip of shops, and a very dated plaza, and too many pizza places for one town. But the buses run frequently enough to take you to Dover or Newmarket when you need to expand your horizon a little. UNH is prideful in it's sports and academics. Hockey games are a big deal around here, and musical events really help to pull the community together. I think most people who go to UNH love it here. Parking, however, is a topic that gets many people frazzled. It seems that there is never enough parking, or it is too expensive, or the parking lots are in inconvenient locations. Parking is the biggest complaint on campus, hands down. Recently we've had four reported car thefts, and I think some good will come of that. The university will have to reevaluate their parking procedures, lot location and surveillance. UNH is a safe place, but this event has gotten some people worried. Why? It is pretty anomalous.
Christofer Junior
UNH can seem daunting at first because the campus is widespread and there are a lot students. Initially, I thought that by being here, I'd be missing out on a sense of community. However, I quickly learned that the very thing that I'd always seen as the worst aspect of UNH is actually the best aspect of UNH. Going to a big school gives you a chance to meet a lot of people and have a wide range of experiences. Sometimes I feel like I meet someone new every day. It's also really cool to know that there are clubs dedicated to everything from intramural sports (broomball-a sort of hockey with brooms-is huge here) to juggling. Because college is about moving out of your comfort zone, some people are scared to try new things to meet new people. At my freshmen orientation, I noticed that all of the kids who went to high school together tended to clump together. UNH has a lot of kids who are in-state, and a lot of them have chosen to hang out together instead of meeting new people. A lot of them also go home a lot. If you are in-state and you get homesick, however, your best bet is to not go home. The only way to get to know UNH is to be at UNH, of course. During my first semester, I went home a lot. I really did myself a disservice by doing this and missing out on some good times. Ever since then, I only go home for winter break an d Thanksgiving. That's the only way to break through the daunting barrier of a large student body and create your own community. There's a lot to do around here. Living in Durham means living on New Hampshire's seacoast, which is a fun area filled with tons of music venues, places to eat, and places to shop. All of this is accessible by the free university bus, which I am really grateful for (despite the rumor that a girl got free tuition after one hit her). Durham is fun too, mainly because of all the people you can meet.
Krista Junior
I think UNH is a great school. Some feel overwhelmed by the size, but for many it is not an issue. One thing I'd change is the cost. As a low-income out of state student, UNH's cost was scary. I was lucky enough to recieve very generous fiancial aid, but not all are that lucky. UNH gets the least help from their home state's government in the entire country, and it shows. The school is amazing, but if the tution was lower I think a more diverse set of students would be applying to the university. Durham truly is a college town. It is a quick walk to the downtown area, with many stores, a small grocery store, the post office, and even a Dunkin' Donuts is within walking distance. The biggest controversy on campus right now is the strike teachers want to innact for the summer classes. There is a great deal of school pride when it comes to athletics, but in general people are not as passionate about the school in general as they could be. One thing I will always remember about UNH is their hesitancy to call snow days. I have walked, swum, slipped, trudged, and anything in between.
Megan Freshman
The best thing about UNH... is probably the weekend. I have had more fun during one random weekend being a UNH undergrad, then I had during all four years of my highschool days. The friends I have made here are amazing. They are incredibly wild, fun, and carefree. Every person here seems to know and value that these are our "last" four years- to be young, and careless. If I could change one thing- I would probably have a "how to guide" for freshmen as far as the academic advising goes. I've had waaay too many friends get ***ed over by hidden prereq's and poor advice from professors that are not in proper communication with their departments. I would recommend that every new student goes into this school knowing its kind of large- and are motivated and determined to knock on their advisors door every chance they get- and stay on track academically. That being said, I personally feel that my school size is PERFECT. I come from a small town (high school was about 1,500 kids) so this school is small enough where you will see familiar faces (especially if you're put in one of the freshmen dorms), but large enough that if you make a couple mistakes, the gossip train isn't going to get right back to you. When I tell people I go to UNH, they obviously ask me if I go to the hockey games first (I've been to one)... but for the most part, people seem to have this glamorous idea in their heads. It feels pretty kickass to be able to have so much pride for going to such an awesome university. I spend most of my time at my residence, the gym, and then house parties/bars. Durham is straight up a college town- and NOTHING more. We have no food chains- Dunkins is off campus on your way out of town- and our equivalent to Walmart is a Rite Aid; however, if you have a car- or take advantage of the bus transportation- Dover and Portsmouth are awesome- and the beach is 20/30 minutes away. The Fox Run Mall blows- but Salem mall is 45 minutes away- and the Mall of New Hampshire is about 40 minutes away as well... oh- and the parking sucks. Plan on paying about $500 in bull*** parking tickets throughout your time here. $15.00 tickets if your meter runs out- $50.00 if you park in a lot without a permit- and $75.00 if you leave your car in any lot during the winter... if "Smittys" garage doesn't tow your***first, for at least a $100 minimum. Despite the ***ty parking, under-cover bull*** cops, overcrowded gym, etc... UNH is one in a million. HELL YES I have school pride. Drive by Cowell Stadium in the fall and witness the students decked out in UNH gear, slugging beers, and screaming in anticipation of the upcoming football game- and you wont be able to argue. Academically, I am walking away from this university with a full resume. I have had the opportunity to be a reasearch assistant, to be a teacher's assistant for a stats class, to do the honors program, i've taken extra courses every semester, and i've fostered incredibly close relationships with professors I plan on keeping a life long connection with. You get back, what you put in. If you want to come here and spend every school day skipping class, every night blacked out or drugged out, and every weekend a sloppy mess- you probably will- and you might walk away with a degree. But if you come to this school to "work hard- and play harder" I think you will find you belong to the majority of us here. We are America's future- but we don't take our lives so seriously that we forget how to have fun. We're still young- and just because we're growing old- does not mean we are forfeiting our right to grow up. When I throw my cap in the air this spring, I will not regret a single thing- because this experience has made me the person I am- and I walk away with confidence that UNH has prepared me for the real world at large.
Amanda Senior
UNH is amazing. It is just big enough to meet somebody new everyday, but small enough that you can hang out with your own clique if you want to. I was the only person from my graduating high school class to go to UNH. It was great coming by myself, because that way I knew I would have to meet new people and not just depend on high school friends. People think UNH was a random school for me, but when I go home over break, I'm the only one bragging about my school. None of my friends love their school the way I do. The best things about UNH are the campus, and the people. The campus looks like something from a postcard in the fall. You know you're at a New England school when, in the winter, people ski across campus and build snowboarding jumps all over the place. During the warmer seasons, a lot of people spend their time outside. Some professors even opt to teach their classes outside on the really nice days. UNH has a lot of pride, especially when it comes to our sports teams! We're a huge hockey school and there is definitely a feeling of competition in the air when schools like U.Maine come to town.
Rachel Sophomore
Reviews provided by: UnigoVisit Unigo to see 162 other reviews and videos on University of New Hampshire.
