UMO vs. UMF computer science

Submitted by dinsmore207 t3_10ohzbn in Maine

hi there, i’m a current CMCC student beginning to think about where i might transfer into after my graduation; ideally i’d like to stay in-state, with UMO and UMF being my top 2 choices as a computer science major. i’ve read that UMO has the better CS department, but my main concern is the size of the school. my high school had roughly 1,000 students and even that could be overwhelming at times for my introverted self, which is why i’m leaning towards UMF. would i be much better off as a CS student at UMO, or is the difference between the two schools negligible enough to the point where i should be prioritizing the “fit” of the college? any advice would be much appreciated, thanks 🖤

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Warm_Aspect_4079 t1_j6eqz8c wrote

While I can't speak to the quality of the CS program at UMF, last year they cut 9 faculty positions due to enrollment being down. Those positions weren't in CS, but things do not look great for UMF.

I'm an introvert as well and would personally use this as an opportunity to grow by going to a bigger school with a more comprehensive program. There will be "growing pains" for you, no doubt, but a research university will definitely have more resources.

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siebzy t1_j6esypf wrote

Go to UMO not UMF unless there is a very specific program/career reason to choose UMF. At a bigger university you can find more people with all different kinds of interests and build your own community. At a smaller school you are kinda locked in to trying to be friends with whoever is there.

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benevolentmaster111 t1_j6kwsfo wrote

I think you missed the "introverted" part.

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siebzy t1_j6kyxs9 wrote

No, I didn't. I went to a small college for undergrad and later lived right next to a bigger university campus for a few years post grad. As someone with introverted tendencies and some social anxiety, I much preferred the larger community where I could anonymously slip through the crowd if I wanted but also find people I really liked to spend time with, rather than feeling forced into social groups and cliques like I found at my small college.

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benevolentmaster111 t1_j6l11st wrote

Makes sense. I didn't get the whole "hide in plain sight" thing. My bad.

I am an introvert and I lived off campus because I couldn't even slightly deal.

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timothypjr t1_j6ess6q wrote

Hello there!

First off good on you to start at cmcc. It’s a great—if underrated—school.

I’m a Black Bear (UMO) alum, and I loved it there. It felt small enough, but with Bangor nearby, I felt connected. There are plenty of communities to attach to—especially in your field. Plus plenty of auxiliary groups, etc.

That said, Farmington is a good school and the academic difference isn’t likely to be huge. If you need a smaller community, then UMO can feel big.

All of that stated, I recommend Orono. The opportunities will be more plentiful. If there was a specific program at Farmington or it was substantially less money, I’d suggest it. It’s a good school. However, neither is true (the last time I checked), so UMO is my suggestion.

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Darcola123 t1_j6f58ow wrote

Not enough people start at a community college and then finish their degree at a state school. I work at a private university and this is something I recommend to almost anyone.

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IamSauerKraut t1_j6hs7im wrote

Great advice! Only thing I would add is go to the program where you believe you are most likely to finish. If going small makes for a better learning experience then go small. Otherwise, head on up to Orono where you are likely to find other introverts.

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timothypjr t1_j6hscon wrote

100% agree. Farmington might not be ‘better’ than UMO in comp sci, but it’s better if you feel more comfortable there.

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Lady-Kat1969 t1_j6gbt2k wrote

As a graduate of UMF and someone who doesn't like the Bangor area (no good reason; it's just always felt wrong to me), I have to recommend UMO. UMF has made it clear over the years that the only program that matters to them is the Ed program. They give every impression of wanting to be a single program school and treat the rest as afterthoughts at best. They also have a habit of allowing buildings to deteriorate and then decide it's too expensive to fix them.

Yes, I am bitter about what they did to the Creative Writing building.

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Darcola123 t1_j6f51sf wrote

Hello! Go to UMO for CS, engineering, most humanities, STEM, etc. Go to the satellite campuses for niche things for that school. UMF is known for their education program, you'll get a better education at UMO for CS.

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kintokae t1_j6fl8k6 wrote

I would highly recommend UM over UMF any day. Consider your future career path and look for positions posted now. Are they requiring a BA or a BS degree. UMF cut most of the bachelor of science degrees when the University of Maine System began pushing for single accreditation. They only issue bachelor arts degrees now. UM has a strong program in Computer Information Systems (they merged with the spatial engineering department a few years back). They teach C++, html, Java, databases, and more. Depending on the career path you wish to pursue, you will have more in your portfolio coming from UM.

That being said, nothing stops you from applying to one campus and getting permission to take courses from another campus within the system. I do this with online classes at UMA that do not have an online counterpart at USM. I went to school at UM years ago and now attend USM.

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flocking_north t1_j6gb2da wrote

I agree with your post for the most part, but a couple things. Nobody cares about BA vs BS in CS. That said, you're right that they should do UMO no question. OP should stick with computer science. Ceiling for career and pay will be much higher. Also it really teaches you the underlying fundamentals instead of teaching you more like a trade. Even years down the line I can (for the most part) tell which of my colleagues did full CS programs versus CIS/bootcamp/IT/etc. They are all successful no doubt, but the lead/principal devs/architects are all hardcore CS people. YMMV and of course not everyone in tech wants to work IN tech, so it's all about what you want out of it.

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DirigoNomad t1_j6g7lzg wrote

Graduated HS in a class of 20, went to UMO and didn't feel overwhelmed or out of place at all. Generally, no matter where you go, you'll find your crowd and be comfortable. Go to whichever campus aligns with your goals better.

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lantech t1_j6ia6jg wrote

Doesn't UMO have a literal supercomputer on campus?

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OurWhoresAreClean t1_j6infn5 wrote

From a strictly CS perspective, UMO is probably going to be the better choice. A bigger school will mean more resources and better internship opportunities.

If you're worried about this...

>my high school had roughly 1,000 students and even that could be overwhelming at times for my introverted self

...keep in mind that sometimes being at a larger school can, somewhat counterintuitively, mean more anonymity. A bigger student body may give you greater space to just find your niche and do your own thing than a smaller one where everybody is more likely to know each other. Kind of like how it's easier to live anonymously in a big city than in a small town.

What sort of work are you looking to do after you graduate? Are you planning on going into programming/software engineering side of things or into infrastructure (managing networks, servers, etc.)?

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dinsmore207 OP t1_j6iumcv wrote

you make a great point about the potential anonymity that comes with a larger student body; to answer your question, a career in software engineering is the path i’m currently looking to take

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OurWhoresAreClean t1_j6j15qj wrote

> a career in software engineering is the path i’m currently looking to take

Ok cool--if that's the case then yeah, my vote would definitely be for UMO.

That said, a big part of college is what you make of it, so if you really think you'd be more comfortable at UMF then I'm sure you could go there and have a perfectly good experience.

Best of luck to you either way.

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hike_me t1_j6kh5bz wrote

Graduated from UMaine CS department (as the flagship they don’t like being called UMO) and I know people that went to UMF for various degrees. I would definitely recommend UM over UMF for comp sci.

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Existing_Bat1939 t1_j6ez9p2 wrote

One other thing you may want to consider: the M/F ratio at Farmington is way off, about 2/3 - 3/4 female. I went to a college where the ratio was the opposite, and most of the guys found it to be a dating wasteland and the girls were overly pressured by the single guys.

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Darcola123 t1_j6f5frc wrote

They're going into CS, either way that major has like a 1 to 10 ratio of guys to girls.

Don't pick colleges based on gender ratios.

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Natprk t1_j6fd642 wrote

Yeah…I went to UMF… those numbers might be technically correct but there’s a big portion that aren’t dating material.

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lt_doolittle t1_j6fq3wl wrote

I graduated from umf in 2020. Honestly don't really recommend it unless you want to do education stuff. It's only getting more focused on the ed programs these days. My entire major was axed immediately after I graduated. Also, funny side note - I graduated there, and am now almost ready to graduate from cmcc, so congrats on the equal and opposite trajectory lol.

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CalebC6 t1_j6i3bax wrote

I went to community college for Computer Systems Technology at EMCC in Bangor(didn’t want to pursue 4 years afterwards) and their program was really solid honestly. I believe they recently got a fat grant to upgrade their program further as well. Keep in mind I graduated 3 years ago and am not sure how it is these days!

As a couple other people on here though, I would recommend doing gen eds and such at community college as they’re the same credits at a much cheaper credit hour cost. Just make sure they transfer to your school of choice! :)

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