University of New Hampshire | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Krista

Class: Junior
Major: English
Gender: F

High School: Bishop Brady
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

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.

Academic Life

Though there are probably eighty five million billion different things that you can major in here, UNH is mainly known for is its business school. Most of my friends went in as business majors, but a lot of them have switched to liberal arts. The business school is a tough program, and the business school kids always seem stressed out. Class sizes are pretty dependent on what your major is. As an English major, I've had small classes. One actually only had eight people in it. However, for several of my general education classes have had over two hundred people in them, and we've used electronic clickers to answer questions. Though I definitely prefer the small classes, every professor I've had for a big lecture hall has been interesting enough to make the class at least somewhat enjoyable. In the four semesters I've been here, I've only had one professor who I didn't like, and I've had several who I absolutely loved. There are a ton of classes available, in all the expected subjects like Biology and Art, and tons of unexpected ones too, like SCUBA or rock climbing. With this in mind, academically, UNH is what you make it. If you're into getting by on minimal work, you can take GPA boosters like Theatre and Dance, which is the most popular class at UNH, because it fills a fine arts gen-ed and is ridiculously easy (I was drunk for the final and I got a 98). But if you want to work hard or just learn some interesting stuff, there are demanding classes, professors who challenge you, and courses in things you'd actually want to learn. Last spring, I took a sociology class called Sexual Behavior, which was fascinating. I learned a lot, and picked up a minor in Women's Studies as a result. That's why I recommend taking interest classes rather than stressing over requirements. They're the best way to help you find out what you want to do.

Student Body

Administration really likes to use the word "diversity," which is pretty ironic given the fact that there really isn't any on campus. Most of the kids who go to UNH are either from New Hampshire or some other state in New England. Maybe that's why everyone seems to be white and wearing an Abercrombie and Fitch hoodie. Walking around campus, you'll see a lot of denim mini skirts and flip flops, not to mention a lot of sweatpants. Most of the people you'll meet grew up in the suburbs and went to a public high school. If you look a little deeper than this though, you'll find that there are plenty of smaller groups of people who don't fit this overall image. UNH has a great outdoor education program and is big into environmental action, so there are plenty of hippies who hang out on Thompson Hall Lawn playing Frisbee and climbing trees. Every year, there's a solar powered music festival which is always full of dreadlocked heads. There's also College Woods, an on campus area full of trees and walking paths for anyone who happens to be outdoorsy. And then there are a lot of very politically active students, most of whom are registered democrats. For this reason, it's easy to be informed about politics and everything else that's going on in the world. For every person who fits the mold of the public school student who doesn't go to class and lives off of Ramen noodles, there's someone well dressed enough and intellectually motivated enough to prove them wrong. A lot people see college as a bubble where you're cut off from the world. My experience has been the opposite. Because of how politically aware this campus is, I actually find it harder to stay informed when I'm not here.