University of Vermont
Reviews

So Far So Good

Best things about UVM - the weather (if you like snow), the scenery (it's on top of a huge mountain looking over Lake Champlain and New York State - truly breathtaking), the kids (most people you meet are chill), downtown (fun nightlife, shopping, food, big grassy quads) Burlington - If you're like me and you come from the New York metro area (which is like plenty of kids at UVM), you'll laugh to find out that B-Town is the biggest city in Vermont. But that's not saying much - you can drive from one side of Burlington to the other in fifteen minutes. With that said, it's an awesome place to go to college. Filled with hippies from the 60's, environmental Vermonters, old people, young people, sketchy townies, Burlington is the perfect size for a college town. There's so much to do here - North Beach gets packed with UVMers when the weather gets nice. Lake Champ is a little too cold for swimming, but everybody comes down with beers, burgers, footballs, etc - it's a super chill time. And of course, Burlington is within driving distance of the best mountains in the Northeast - hiking in the winter, Stowe, Jay Peak, Bolton, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Smuggs in the winter. Size - It's totally cliche, but absolutely applicable to UVM - with 10,000 students, UVM is big enough to always be meeting new

We're Talking About Vermont Here

Everyone's nice, some people are crazy. There are a lot of liberals. Can get annoying sometimes. But for the most part, great people.

Party

My school is definitely a party school, but a high end party school, for governors or basketball players... Of course there are fake majors, psych, teaching, etc.. But there are also hardcore majors that you need to either be a genius for or take summer classes to stay alive in, chemistry, medical sciences, etc.. Regardless of your major, you'll hit a party with plenty of alcohol and bud, most likely off campus, and probably with a couple kids trying to blend in from the local private college. These kids even get into university events and enjoy our public university stuff without paying our ridiculously high tuition. If you're not interested in partying too much, it's possible, you can live in substance free dorms, but you won't escape the smells completely.

Athletic Training

So far so good! I am a junior and am enjoying this major. It is ALLOT of work...the clinicals are usually very good, as long as your clinical instructor is focused on teaching and not just having you do their grunt work.

Balance

I notuice the smell of pot but dont see it being used. there are some parites that go on as well

Variety of Choices

The places to eat on campus are well spread out and offer a real variety of choices. There's tons to choose from and it takes a while before you eat the same thing twice. The staff are super friendly, and the environment is warm and inviting, however, the food is highly overpriced.

Greek Life

Greek life is interesting at uvm. Even though it is so small it still seems to dominate the party scene. Everyone asks me to take them with me to a frat party on the weekends etc

Transportation

Buses to and from college street. Can see where it is on your phone.

Lots to Do

At UVM there is always tons of things to do for all ages. There are always a huge selection of parties going on and you decide which type of party you would like to go to. If you aren't a party person, there are tons of uvm sponsored events such as concerts, festivals and fun activities.

Overpriced

Anytime I eat on campus, I almost feel cheated. The points program has a better variety of food, but most students end up running out of points by the end of the semester due to how pricey everything is. The other option to dining, Unlimited meal plan, where you can use blocks or meals at the dining halls is limited. The dining halls have a poor choice in food and it can be repetitive.

Very Wide Range of Classes and Interdisciplinary

You can take almost any class at UVM and have it count towards the Environmental Studies major. The ENVS advisors and program directors are incredibly helpful and always make themselves available. ENVS classes typically have many guest lectures that feature great professors and their experiences/specialties that relate to the class. Also, there are 6 different concentrations you can branch off into, including ecology and conservation, environmental policy, health, sustainability, etc.

However, I am in the Rubenstein School and there are a few super annoying general education requirements (3 credits in each: speech, math, statistics, writing, and "race and culture in natural resources" (aka the worst class ever)). BUT don't let this make you hate the Rubenstein School! It is kind of like a cult; everyone knows other Rubensteiners and since it's the smallest school on campus, it offers great barbeques, picnics, and muffin breakfast days!!

Convinient to Have Your Own Computer, but Not Necessary.

There are a lot of computer stations around campus, and a lot of computers available in the library with access to a printer (you do have to pay to print). I would say it's more convenient to have your own computer, but not completely necessary. There is a secure connection to wireless on campus that you need your user name and password for. It is very reliable.

Not Very Strict on Partying

Being in Vermont, there are a lot of students that participate in drug and alcohol use. Many consider us "hippies" here at UVM. I don't live on campus, so I don't know too much about the policies about this kind of thing, but I do know that a lot of partying goes on and I hardly ever hear of anyone getting caught.

Girls and Guys

The girls on campus are all super nice and easy to get along with. The guys seem very athletic and Greek life oriented in my opinion. Good mix of personalities between both sexes.

Getting Involved at Groovy UV.

There's so much to do here, there's never a dull moment. As long as you apply yourself, and seek out the things that interest you the most, whether it's an organization you've always longed to be a part of or you're itching to start you own club, you can and with a few friends it's possible to make that dream come alive. School spirit here, is a major part of the extra curricular scene, and our mascot, Rally the Cat, is the best. Meow. The athletic facilities are splendid, and there's always something happening, whether it's a dance class, or students climbing the rock wall, it's all there and free for students, and staff to use at their leisure. It's a busy time no matter the season at the Univ. of Vermont.

It's Your Education

What drew me to the University of Vermont was it's fantastic and well known environmental program at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. The education you get out of UVM is a reflection of what you put into it. Professors and extra help are always available for students with needs or who just have questions or want guidance. There are countless courses to choose from in a large number of subject areas. Class sizes vary as does workload, which depends on the number of credits a student chooses to take on.

Need for a Car

I am a freshman so I do not have a car on campus. In terms of campus buses, though, they are always running and stop at many locations. We also get to ride city buses for free which will take you downtown, to the mall, to the airport or to Walmart etc.

Drunk Bus

Transportation is great. The buses are always running, even with the snow. There's our campus bus and the local bus. Then on weekends our off-campus bus runs until 3 or 4 am and it's wonderful. The security guards are hilarious. They just screw with all the drunk kids. But the bus smells in those hours.

No Rules

The campus says it's strict but it's not. If you get caught smoking weed you write a 4 paragraph essay about why it was wrong. And if you're caught in a dorm with alcohol you get the same thing or just a talk and a slap on the wrist. If you get caught by the police you get a $150 ticket or if you're really drunk they bring you to detox for the night and that's it. It doesn't really deter students from drinking and doing drugs.

Very Cold

It's generally cold here, but the on-campus bus is very reliable and convenient. There is a normal amount of rain and snow, though in the winter it snows more, since it's Vermont. Once you get used to the cold weather it is not so bad.

Muchas Drugas

So here's the thing- there is a ton of pot (given, it is vermont and COLLEGE)

Every college has drugs.. get used to it.

While many people here drink alcohol and smoke weed (on the occasion, you find someone sipping acid or cocaine) however there are also kids who do not participate and there is no pressure.

Avoid These

Parties are mainly all downtown; there are very few on campus parties. They're usually in crowded loud basements with a million people. Many are hosted by theme houses, such as the lacrosse house, Frisbee house, etc. Some are frats. But both sorts of parties are very sketchy.

Nightlife

Basically people will go downtown to clubs or people's houses apartments, or their will be a small party in a dorm room. Other than that frats have parties and if you know someone, you can easily get in. There are also tons of activities planned by the UVM/bored group. There are shows to see, concerts, and random places to check out. There are free buses that are pretty reliable and free!

Pretty Good Looking Hippies

In all honesty, UVM has a pretty predictable type of people: hippies. This is absolutely not meant in a negative way. Everyone here loves the environment, being outdoors, and just generally being kind and open to everyone. There is a large LGBQT population here, but there are plenty of straight people as well. Most people are variants of hippie, with a little more modern flare, more skater, or sometimes even more hippie. We've got a pretty good looking crowd of students up here too, I must admit. All these hippies are pretty easy on the eyes and have the personalities to match.

No Where Else Can Hold a Candle...

Burlington is by far the greatest little city. It is the ultimate college town and there is always something to do.