Your First Year

Hey! Good choice! Unity College is the place for explorers, adventurers, collaborative leaders, outdoor types (and indoor types, too). Here’s where it all
starts – that exciting, scary, intense, messy, challenging, fun, and satisfying first year.

If you met us on the road at a college fair or high school visit and are ready to follow up, our admissions counselors can answer your questions and fill you in on admissions requirements.

Wonder what it’s going to be like in class – and what if you need help? Unity’s learning specialists provide academic support and guide you to lots of other resources:
• Library
• Learning Resource Center
• Information Resources (computer help)
• Vibrant Community office
• Counseling Services
• Writing Assistance Center
• Career Resource Center
• Service Learning opportunities
• Internships

Your Path to Success
The Unity Experience, part of our academic program, gets you started right and helps you stay on the path to success – taking you into the classroom, out to the forest, up to the mountains, or wherever you want to go.

Your first adventure as a Unity student is NOVA, a fantastic wilderness orientation program that really makes you part of the Unity College community. During this week, you meet new students and learn about the college from current student-leaders. NOVA experiences range from hiking a section of the Appalachian Trail, canoe fishing along the West Branch of the Penobscot, camping in Acadia National Park, or climbing Mt. Katahdin to trail maintenance at Mt. Blue State Park, or rock climbing on Maine’s Mid-Coast. All the while, you’re actively learning and demonstrating outdoor skills, building teams, discussing sustainability issues (or whatever!), and getting in some relaxation time. Forget about showers and shampoo, though; it’s rustic – we camp in tents and cook over camp stoves – and it’s the most fun you’ll have with or without electricity.

Another part of your first-year Unity Experience asks you to explore goals and outcomes in three areas. First, you’ll assess your strengths and identify areas you want to develop. Second, you’ll join in projects that serve the campus and the local area. Third, we nudge you to think about your role in environmental stewardship. After all, your interest in conserving and protecting nature is why you chose Unity College, right? We thought so.

Everyone needs a guide, a mentor, a partner — especially when starting a new adventure. Your Unity Experience course instructor fills these roles as you navigate the courses, projects, and challenges of daily life as a first-year student. Don’t be shy; get to know yours. Advisors are here to help you succeed!

So what’s the Unity experience really like? Ask a student who’s living it. Find out how Unity “rocks,” what happens on the “Field of Dreams,” who drives the veggie-fuel truck, and everything you need to know about composting, as well as where to get late-night snacks, and how to keep your Internet connection up and running. It’s all in a day’s work for the friendly students at Unity College.

Still have questions or want more info? Let us know how we can help make your first year at Unity College a success!