The University of Baltimore

Take these REALISTIC comments very seriously, do NOT come here. This place is a commuter college with a boring, dead vibe to it. The weekends are horrible and the atmosphere wreaks of the smell of drab.

Students: boring and drab, not an insult, the reality of it here. Cold is another word I would you for this place, like a dark depressing Les Miserables "Dreamed a Dream" type feeling.

Faculty: They are somewhat decent, just very old or really young and inexperienced, which makes any help rather pointless as the conversations are usually that awkward and unhelpful type. The best advice I received from a teacher was "Why did you even bother coming here?" No joke, transfer seminar lol.

Environment: This place wreaks of paucity in interactions and conversation. Th average student here is either older and already in the work force or a young kid with the lack of background to understand that a party is not video game night and wine coolers lol. Even the older adults comment about how drab this place is, which is what you would expect from a research institution in the middle of no-where lol. The campus is DEAD after 5 and the people who stay for the weekends are usually few and far in their numbers (I dormed last year, believe me it was a nightmare on Friday nights) This is not the place for a college experience and the chance to make friends and build bonds. The graduation videos reflect this type of cold feelings, little hugging or high fives, just a nod and bye bye hehe. all in all if this place is for you than you are a special type of person, and it will be a disappointment for the masses who want that authentic american college living. I missed my chance to leave now Ill be graduating in 2 years with a sense of apathy about my 4.5 years @ UMBC. Don't come here, and see how happy you are about if after experiencing AUTHENTIC college life...

3rd Year Male -- Class 2014

Put simply, UMBC sucks. We've been the number one "up and coming" university for the better part of a decade with no signs of ever actually reaching any particular level of excellence. I chose UMBC based on it's reputation for having an excelent comp sci department. So far, I've yet to meet anyone who knows what we've done to deserve that reputation. With a few notable exceptions, the professors are either young and completely inexperienced or are ancient tenured egomaniacs who care only about their very narrow field of study. In addition, most of them can barely navigate an English sentence. Courses are challenging, but only because the professors are terrible at teaching and grade extremely harshly. Expect to teach yourself most of the material.The administration staff is useless. I've yet to have anything go smoothly, from registering for classes to checking out library books. Everything is a colossal jumble of bureaucratic headaches. Avoid UMBC at all costs.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2014

Campus Aesthetics: B-, Scholastic Success: F

I am graduating with a bachelors degree in History Education in May 2012. The history department is very good academically. However, the advisers are not very helpful. There is one history teacher that you can go to for anything and everything. He works extra hours to pick up the slack from the other teachers. However, most of the history professors know the material very well. Most of my problems lie within the education department. The education department has to be the worst on this earth. No one knows anything. Not a single professor in the school knows the Maryland state requirements for teaching or even for the school. Every single meeting you attend is a waste of time because the answer is always "I don't know." The lack of communication is worse. The teachers do not collaborate and you get twenty different stories from each teacher. The entire education department is useless and frustrating. The advising is awful. It is guaranteed that you will have a negative experience if you are an education major at UMBC. The only positive experience you may have is your internship (if you get a great school and mentor teacher). However, expect your school to hate UMBC too. UMBC does not collaborate with the schools that you will teach at either. The schools will be clueless regarding expectations and obligations. The department is even well aware of their miscommunications and lack of knowledge. This whole department should be fired and tenure should be eliminated.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2012

Innovation: B+, Individual Value: D