University of New Hampshire | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Christofer

Class: Junior
Major: English
Gender: M

High School: Concord High School
Transfer Student: Y

Big Picture

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.

Academic Life

I love every class I take at UNH. My major allows me to pick and choose several things I enjoy learning about. People who are in the nursing major, or other strict fields will have less freedom in the classes they choose, but as a liberal arts student I have the opportunity to chose what I think is best for me. There are a lot of diverse things to study at UNH, and many entry-level classes so you can test the water. I have found that most of my classes automatically harbor class participation. For instance, my sign language class would be entirely unsuccessful if there were no students willing to participate. The same goes for my writing fiction class, and film study class. The bigger lectures are usually an eclectic mix of people and there is limited participation in those courses. They implement "clickers," which are small devices the professors assign so students can participate electronically. They are also used for in-class quizzes. In my experiences professors like using them to take class polls and see how divided the class is on certain issues. I've visited friends at many schools, and honestly, UNH lacks in intellectual conversations outside of class. I suppose if you are a philosophy major it would happen more, but in my experience, it's not as common as I'd like it to be. However, topics like literature and politics usually get people amped up to talk for long periods of time. Literature classes are the best for intense discussions. Most professors will take the time to get to know you, unless it's a 200+ student lecture class. I like that most of my professors seem to care, and they are really intelligent people to get to know. I've had really great conversations with professors outside the class. Don't forget that your teachers are people, too. I took a class at UNH that was very unique, even for the liberal arts department. It was a class all about dreams, how to interpret them, and what they may mean for us. We learned a lot about dreams, and ourselves, while growing creatively as well. We wrote poetry, drew pictures, and had dialogues with our inner critics. We were also required to buy a plant and keep it alive for at least the semester. The best part of the class is that one a week we had a gift swap. Students had to bring hand-made gifts and explain why they wanted to make it. They would give it to another student, and hopfully brighten their day, or inspire them. It was a really unique experience, unlike anything else I've done in school. UNH also offers a lot of opportunity for Study Abroad. You could go nearly any place in the world and get credit for it. And if UNH doesn't already offer a program for that country or culture, you can make one for yourself and get it approved by the university. UNH wants you to make the most of your education. After all, you are paying for it.

Student Body

UNH is a hugely diverse school. We have organizations specifically for various races, religious groups, hobbies, interests, and nearly any walk of life. There is a very strong and present LGBT group, a Black Student Union, and the Diversity Support Coalition. These groups work to make students more aware of the diversity on their campus through events, lecture series, film screenings, and music. It's no lie that bias incidents do happen on campus, but they aren't just swept under a rug. Residential Life compiles all the bias incidents (posters, signs, graffiti, pictures) and add them to a gallery that students can observe. The gallery is there so students know it is happening and that it is not okay. Seeing the incidents in one presentation really opens your eyes and lets you know what's really going on in people's minds. So, while there are students on campus who feel the urge to make others feel inferior, there is a group willing to fight back and stand up. I think that's incredible. I don't think any type of person would feel out of place at UNH once they find their niche. The people who have trouble "fitting in" are usually the ones who aren't trying hard enough to find an organization that suits them best. It's your own fault if you're bored at UNH: there is just so much to choose from!