1.  Academics: Overall, I felt my classes were well-taught, and that I was left with imporant nuggets of wisdom.  There are definitely good professorsm and bad professors in every department, but there are some great ones that really made my education at UMAINE worthwhile!  My advice is to ask around about various professors before you just blindly sign up for a class.  My education was definitely what I made of it also.  You get back what you put in at UMaine.

2.  Quality of life: Fabulous!  If you are a city person, this place is probably not for you, but Orono provides a picturesque, quiet and relaxed place to live, helping to combat the daily stresses of college life.  While the dining and shopping selections and somewhat limited, everything your really need is within a 10 minute drive, including a mall, and several restaurants.  The nature opportunities abound with Acadia only 1.5 hrs away, and local jaunts like the Bangor City Forest and The Orono Bog Boardwalk.  Plus the campus is beautiful, especially in the summer.  Very woodsy and green.

I reccommend living either on or off campus, as I have experienced both.  Living on-campus gives your a good 'ole college experience, but can be loud at times, and excessive drinking takes place in any given weekend (or weeknight for that matter).  So that is something to consider (good or bad!) There are numerous places to live off campus, and the rent is pretty cheap (as low at $400 for a 1-bedroom apt.)

I also enjoyed the UMaine community, and met some wonderful people during my time there.  The key is to get involved in academic and social activities (which there are plenty of) and even just meeting new people in your dorm.

I would recommend UMaine at an Undergraduate insitution; I feel I chose to get a great deal out of my education here.