University of Maine - Orono

[beet-nik]

Who posted the other acceptance to UMaine? It'd be great to hear from you 

[charabanc]

I see you're from California--have you visited Orono?  I only ask because I grew up in the area and it definitely is a place to visit to get a feel for.  It can be a quite desolate if you're not used to rural & small town living.

[beet-nik]

I see you're from California--have you visited Orono?  I only ask because I grew up in the area and it definitely is a place to visit to get a feel for.  It can be a quite desolate if you're not used to rural & small town living.

 

I haven't visited yet, but in all honesty, I'm not too worried about the rural area aspect of the school. I currently attend a small state university that is surrounded by redwoods and is six hours from the nearest city (pick one, SF or Portland). Orono and my current town are about the same size and they also seem extremely similar in that they both have that "outdoorsy" feel. All in all, having a number of cities within the same driving distance (Portland, Boston, Quebec City) doesn't seem too bad. Also, UMaine has the best fit for me in terms of my interest in Franco-American Studies.

Any places you recommend visiting? I may make a trip out there in May if I receive a TAship.

[charabanc]

If you're used to living in a small, somewhat isolated environment then it probably wouldn't be too big of a shock, then--and I think the school does a pretty good job of conveying to out-of-state students the environment there.  I would guess some students might come expecting the Maine from TV and movies (lighthouses, ocean, lobster rolls) and the Bangor area could be a rude awakening.  

If you do make it up there and fly into Portland (the Bangor airport does have some daily flights, but they tend to be very expensive), definitely take a few hours to walk around and get a bite downtown/in the old port.  I live in Portland now and it's a first rate little city.  Once you're up north, I'd stop in downtown Bangor, which is small but I have a soft spot for it--the public library is absolutely beautiful, there's the Friar's Bakehouse run by Franciscan monks, Bagel Central which is a pretty substantial kosher bakery, some nice shops, a couple of pubs, a nice used bookstore.  The architecture in Bangor can be quite pretty, too.  Most of the city does revolve around the mall area and big box stores, but  there are also very pretty homes, good restaurants, and in the summer there's a waterfront concert series and a yearly folk festival.  

Acadia National Park/Mount Desert Island is about an hour east of Orono, which is of course beautiful, or about an hour and a half (I think?  maybe more) north of Orono is Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin.  Orono itself is very small with only five or six businesses downtown but if you like the outdoors, there is plenty to keep you happy.  If I were going to grad school at UMaine, I do think I would live in Bangor and commute just because Orono is so small, but I know plenty of students do stay up there.  

[beet-nik]

Hahaha yeah I definitely don't expect sea and lighthouses everywhere. That all sounds great -- thank you for all of the recommendations! All perfect for me since those are the type of places I hang out. And I was also considering living in Bangor...is it hard to get to campus by 6 a.m. during the winter? Or do they plow the roads before then?

[charabanc]

Bangor/Orono does get a fair amount of snow and it can be hard if there's a heavy ice or snow storm, but the towns and Maine DOT are much better equipped to handle plowing than most any other place you'll ever live, so if the roads are really impassable, the campus will probably be closed.  They keep the roads in good condition all night, so early mornings shouldn't be a problem.  The commute from Bangor to Orono is an easy few miles up the interstate, so that helps, too.  Just get some snow or studded tires for your car and you'll be golden. 

 

Feel free to message me anytime if you end up having questions about Bangor, where to live, etc.--I doubt there's anyone else on gradcafe who's really familiar with BGR/Orono lol.  It really is a nice region and I hope to end up back there someday.

[lexluthr]

That was me! I send you a PM.