The University of New Hampshire

Date: Mar 04 2011
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
I have had a really bad experience at UNH, which I was not anticipating. I will do my best here to be objective so that my input can be helpful to prospective students. FYI, I studied here for one year as a commuter, and one semester as a post-grad student living on campus and taking undergrad classes.

The campus is overrun by young undergrads who treat the whole school like it's their dorm. Thursday through Sunday late afternoon to about 3 am, hordes of undergrads are out partying. There is NOTHING to do in Durham- there is a tiny strip of stores downtown, and that's it. So students cope with this by drinking excessively for half the week outside and at keg parties, and walking around most of the night, yelling and screaming. The noise can be pretty unbelievable. The litter from these alcohol binges is pretty bad- UNH may look pretty from Main St, but go down any side streets and you'll be tripping on beer bottles and trash. It's disgusting. I definitely believe that the alcohol and drug problem on campus comes almost solely from the fact that people are bored.

What makes this even worse is that this campus is not that safe at night. Within a one week period recently, a girl was raped and two guys were randomly assaulted outside of a dorm. On top of that, there was a suicide. The incidents of night time crime have really escalated the past few years. From my understanding, it's mostly due to out-of-towners coming in and causing trouble. But I'd be remiss to point out the scary sexual assault rates- in 2010, there was an average of about two sexual assaults a month, and that's only what was reported. For a little NH town, that's pretty bad. At night time, the street lights are not very good, and depending on where you are and what time it is, you can be walking through a wooded area for a while all alone. For all those reasons, UNH night time makes me very uneasy.

There is no shortage of student clubs and organizations and other events going on - true. But it's very hard to actually form friendships unless you are living in a dorm. This is New England, where people tend to be stuffy and unapproachable to strangers (I'm a NH native, so I get to say this stuff - it's honest. People keep to themselves.) It can be very hard to meet and befriend people. Also, in winter, between the creepy atmosphere at night and the freezing temperatures, it's hard to find the motivation to even go out.

UNH has a bit of an immature feel to it in general, between all the very young people, the excessive partying, the fact that tons of people walk around in their pajamas, etc. It can be frustrating if you're an older or just a more mature and serious person who is here to learn- you might have the feeling that most people are instead here to party, which may be the case.

Many people choose to live off campus, and I'd definitely recommend that. If you can find a nice place in Dover and commute here by the Wildcat bus, instead of struggling to park every day, then I think you'll be much happier. Apartments in Durham tend to be very expensive, and then you have to put up with all the noise. People will probably try to steal your parking, too.

Classes are a hit and miss. I have had to drop half of mine this semester because the teachers were absolutely incompetent. On the other hand, two science professors I have right now are completely awesome. You are really not always guaranteed to get a quality education- sometimes you'll luck out, other times you won't. And if you're having really bad luck, you will feel like your tuition is being totally wasted.

Winters here are brutal. The campus is not designed to protect you against the elements. For the most part there is barely any cover from trees, so you will be in pain if it's cold and windy out. In short, it's very uncomfortable to get around outside when it's winter… but in addition to that, the campus is so hilly that massive puddles form when it rains, and that sometimes can block entire path ways. The other day, people had to climb snow banks to get around a bridge walkway that had filled up with water. And in winter, the path ways become very icy and it's treacherous just to get around.

Parking here is atrocious; no one can deny that. If you are commuting, you're in for a lot of stress. Lot A fills up in two seconds, and people have to circle it over and over and over to get a spot. If you manage to park, then you have to put up with the walk from the lot to main campus, which is agonizing if the weather isn't good. The other option is to park at West Edge, which is 1.5 miles off campus. You have to park in a massive lot, walk to the bus, wait for it, get on the bus, walk to class, etc. then do the reverse just to get back to your car. It is a pain.

There is ALWAYS a fight for parking downtown because there is so little of it, and the traffic cops watch you like a hawk.

I've heard that the dining hall food sucks, and I believe it. I shop at the Durham Marketplace, affectionately called "the dump" because it's, well, like a dump. But you can get by using it.

In summary, here is what I don't like about UNH- the weather, the overload of drunk/disrespectful undergrads, lackluster education, the keg party culture, rising crime, and the boring town it resides in.

What's good about UNH? You are close to some awesome places, like Portsmouth and Boston. I have noticed a big increase in diversity over the past few years, which is cool. If you're into snow activities/sports then this location is up your alley. There are some professors and classes here that are gems. It's a big university with a lot of connection and opportunities. If you get into a good dorm/apartment and have a nice group of friends, and you are able to entertain yourselves for 4 years, this could be a nice, comfy place for you. Otherwise… if any of this is putting you off, please seriously consider going elsewhere.

I also have to say- the UNH Manchester campus is AMAZING. The classes there are small and nearly all the teachers I had there are wonderful. The lack of campus life is the downside, but honestly, I didn't mind so much because the education I got was outstanding, and the campus is very small and intimate so you'll be sure to get the attention and learning experience you want. A lot of students there are in the workforce, and it definitely has a more professional and serious feel than UNH does.