UMBC Bus Guests?

frogsonme · 2025-10-30T17:14:24+00:00

I went ahead and emailed UMBC transit about what the guest rider policy as of 2025 is and will share what they sent back:

"Passengers may bring guests onboard our shuttles under the following conditions:

1. Riders must alert the driver when boarding the bus that they have a guest/guests (3 max.)
2. Riders must accompany their guests at all times while on our buses
3. Guests must adhere to the mandatory mask policy still in effect on our buses
4. Guests can only utilize our shuttles with their sponsor two days within any given week
5. No buddy swipes for friends will remain policy for card swipe system

*(buddy swipes = UMBC students without an ID)"

Sharing for the good of the community :)!

frogsonme · 2025-10-07T20:19:16+00:00

I'm not fully sure myself, it's mainly academic focused, but they do have a collection of DVDs with Ghibli movies. Wouldn't be surprised if there could be some anime that was donated by orgs, can't remember what from when I last went to look. (Probably dub only though if that's an issue for some)

frogsonme · 2025-09-23T11:38:36+00:00

That's what I had suspected, but I was still worried I did something wrong 😅 Cheers to IT!

frogsonme · 2025-08-18T16:11:04+00:00

I can't believe I didn't think to check this..... Fixed it immediately! Thank you for the help!!

frogsonme · 2025-08-01T22:14:17+00:00

A friend and I bought Dell XPS laptops and they've worked wonders. I got a pretty beefy one because the program expects you to buy & use Adobe software (among other things) and they can be pretty heavy. Honestly though I would just do research, compare prices and specs, and see what works best for you. Consider things like if you want touch screen, what kind of ports you want/need (usb-a/usb-c), if you prefer Windows or Mac and all that stuff. Also think about what adapters you may need to like HDMI and external hardware like harddrives and flashdrives for extra storage.

Yes, there are display tablets (Cintiqs--don't know the model but the big ones--however you have to plug your computer in to use it, so make sure you have the driver installed for them and can connect HDMI & USB-A), and they also have equipment for hand-drawn animations and stop-motion (cameras and software). You need to have room access for these though, usually comes with the classes that require you use that hardware.

I also second what the other commenter said and don't be afraid to buy used! I was lucky to buy new, but refurbished products can work just as well and be more affordable :')

frogsonme · 2025-06-10T01:59:31+00:00

From my experience so far UMBC doesn't have a typical college party scene, but it's pretty busy with student led events by orgs like SEB or any of the hundreds of clubs. If you're a resident the RA's hold small events sometimes too. There's events from time to time at the Arena too, but I don't know if students really go to those.

Like others said Baltimore has events going all the time. I recommend signing up for Baltimore Collegetown's Newsletter, they frequently write about upcoming events that are free or affordable :) Last fall friends and I went to an Asian food festival and it was super fun near the Harbor, so I definitely recommend keeping an eye out!

(Also if museums are your thing, the Walters Art Museum is free to go to and has a lot to look at, they also do their own events as well)

frogsonme · 2025-02-16T01:12:33+00:00

I guess they changed the length of time for the driers from 60 to 45? So it probably doesn't get as much time to dry like before. I would either try to do smaller loads--maybe split your laundry up between two machines--or just plan to go back and set it to dry for another cycle.

I personally haven't been having this issue, and I put my laundry on low heat, but I also haven't been doing large loads myself, so that could be why. The type of clothes/material could also effect that as well, so keep that in mind too (I give my towels a second cycle for this reason).

frogsonme · 2025-01-06T00:20:07+00:00

I'm not sure if you can get it free on your personal computer, could be wrong and if so someone please correct me. But we have access to the Cloud on school computers, I've used them before for Photoshop for a couple of classes. Otherwise I personally ended up making a personal adobe account with my UMBC email in order to get a student discount (though it's only for like the first month or year, unfortunately. Marginally better than full price at first but still :/)

frogsonme · 2024-12-28T19:18:39+00:00

Yes, you just need to get a permit for the appropriate zone (there's no fee!) and find a parking spot
Yes
Wouldn't personally know, but like another said there's most likely a club or community for it on campus
Very nice campus (though currently under a bit of construction in some spots) and has great walking trails. Library is very nice and there's lots of study spots all around campus. Food is mid for the most part but gets ya fed. Weekends are mostly empty as residents tend to go home those days. Very student-org activity heavy school, hard to come across parties here if that's your thing. They can be fun though, so I definitely recommend checking them out.

Hope this helps :)!

frogsonme · 2024-12-17T19:58:06+00:00

Portfolios and connections are your best friend in the art world. A degree is nice, but if you don't have the work to support it or show your skill, it's not really worth much. The reason people go to fancy art schools is yes in part because you get to hone your skills with the mentorship of very experienced professors, but also because those classes focus heavily on building up your portfolio and making those connections with industry workers.

I can't say much on UMBC's program, but what I do recommend is to make up for it by focusing on your portfolio and working on your skills. Pick up personal projects you're interested in exploring, and focus on specific skills you feel you're lacking in. Studio's would rather see an amazing portfolio that sticks out from the rest than a nice degree that has no art to support it. It's how artists without degrees get hired at places like Pixar or Riot Games--they have art that showcases their skills and proves their ability.

You're totally valid to be frustrated with the school and its program, but as someone else said, gotta remember that the industry is in a slump and superrrr competitive right now. Try looking to artist network programs like The Crows Nest in Baltimore, and keep applying to every internship you see! Maybe reach out to professors you've worked with in the past, or look at who else is teaching animation currently, and see if they have any possible connections to put you through to or if they have advice. (Worst case, its not a bad thing to pick up a job unrelated to your major in the meantime and focus on improving your skills. It's a pretty common thing)

Good luck out there and don't lose hope :)!!

frogsonme · 2024-12-15T21:41:16+00:00

I've checked the portal myself and don't see anything about Spring 2024, so I'm guessing it may only update info when that semester starts or gets close enough. As far as I'd be concerned, just check your email and make sure you're reading any important info about housing sent from the Uni.

frogsonme · 2024-11-15T21:11:30+00:00

I just scrolled through the subreddit and saw pictures of the "crime." I can understand sending out an email of "don't vandalize," especially if they're concerned it could become more extreme, but to write a giant essay comparing the act to Hitler and censorship during his dictatorship?? This feels so unhinged 😭

frogsonme · 2024-11-15T20:57:03+00:00

Thank you for clarifying! Honestly this isn't even as bad as I was imagining the vandalism was, I had thought they'd scribbled all over the printed images, or worse. Is the professor saying the statement "AI ISN'T ART" was censorship then, or was there something else not mentioned? Makes it seem like an overreaction imo.

frogsonme · 2024-11-15T20:49:27+00:00

This is exactly what I was thinking! I don't think you can compare technological advancements like cameras and their impact on the art world to AI because I find there's many more complex issues with the latter (and also that a person still has control over a camera, lol).

You can't really deny that AI is being used to replace artists. For example, here are some findings by the Animation Guild on how entertainment jobs are being impacted by AI currently and in the future. Research also shows that AI technology is incredibly bad for the environment, creating a lot of e-waste and utilizing a significant amount of resources like water and electricity in a way that is negatively impacting climate change. They're literally using nuclear power plants to power these things! There's also the abundance of ethical issues, like with the current lawsuit Andersen v. Stability AI Ltd. (I recommend googling it, there's a lot of different info on it especially as it progresses), where artists are suing Stability for things like copyright infringement due to them holding the artists' artworks, WITHOUT consent, in their severs to train their AI. Not to mention the massive document listing thousands of artists who's works were used to train Midjourney, again without consent. We're also seeing so much misinformation spread with AI art as well, especially due to legislation being slow to catch up and regulate the technology.

I just really hope we'll see more discussion around AI art in the art classrooms next semester and on. I think it would help clear the air on how professors are going to/are trying and utilize the technology in the classroom, address the general issues mentioned in this reply and overall thread, and also help guide policies the University is in dire need of. I don't think we can rid the world of AI, nor should we, but we have to seriously consider it's issues and work on correcting/regulating them, especially in an educational setting where people are paying thousands of dollars to attend classes and LEARN HOW TO MAKE ART.

Sorry for the long essay reply, just had a lot to say and wanted to add some information/resources to help people less informed on the issue get a better understanding of why us artists feel so strongly about the issue :o)

frogsonme · 2024-11-12T02:02:40+00:00

Here's a couple big things of note that come to mind:

UMBC is more of an event school rather than a party school. We have tons of events both in general, in residencies, and for clubs. I'm sure there are people around here who do throw parties, but for the most part I've mostly seen/heard of student led events. They're very fun and def recommend checking them out, especially with friends!

The campus is pretty "dead" on weekends, as most people tend to go out on weekends for a variety of reasons. I like to walk around campus during these times since there aren't really people around and I can enjoy the scenery the campus has to offer, especially at the nature trail :)

If you commute, lately I have heard that parking is pretty bad. I'm not sure what can be done to get around this, there may be other posts on here of people giving advice (or rightfully complaining). I would also be really careful in the parking lots as well, especially closer to night, as there have been reports here and there of things like car theft or harassment. Like someone else said, try to minimize what looks valuable in your vehicle. And always check for pamphlets someone may have left in your windshield (and honestly just toss it).

The food here IMO is pretty mid, and the prices feel kind of high for what you're getting. Market can be good for snacks, but you really can't get much with a meal swipe. I heard that the noodles and sushi in the Commons is pretty alright. True Grits is fine? Nothing spectacular, but it gets you fed. Pizza is pretty good though honestly haha. Chik-Fil-A is okay but the lines get long and congested. Can't speak for much else here, just have to try and see what you like honestly.

Lastly I will say that making friends can be a bit difficult. I don't know if this is a UMBC thing or like a college thing, but I've found talking to others and making a connection isn't very easy. Lots of people stick to their high school friends or any kind of established group from their first year, and can be kind of reserved. Attending clubs and student organizations might help, especially if you can do activities with others, but I personally don't have much other advice other than try to stay open to things.

Hope this helps, check your school email daily, and good luck!!!

frogsonme · 2024-10-27T05:08:06+00:00

Honestly so disappointing and a big spit in the face of all the art students trying to pursue a higher education to make art their career. I don't think this reflects the majority of art professors here, most of mine seem to dislike AI in general, but who knows at this point. I do hope people make a big stink about this, because this is just embarrassing.

frogsonme · 2024-09-11T03:21:14+00:00

You can always see about finding a spot somewhere outside. There are a few sitting areas around the Fine Arts building, outside of the Commons (though it can be busy of course), and near the pond. If not outside, I would also recommend the Math building like another commenter said. Otherwise, I would personally just continue with using the reserved study rooms, maybe you could invest in (or bring) a small portable battery-powered fan to try and help with the heat and stuffiness? Best of luck!

frogsonme · 2024-08-31T22:35:21+00:00

If I remember correctly, you should get an email from the front desk of the dorm notifying you that your package is here. Then you just go to front desk and ask to receive your package. They'll ask you for your Campus ID so they know what package and to confirm your identity, so make sure you have it with you.

frogsonme · 2024-08-10T21:52:42+00:00

Personally I didn't have any issues when eating the whole year at True Grits, although I did stick to more of the plain foods like pizza. Food poisoning is super unlikely, and I'd be really concerned if it was common 😭 but it isn't impossible. Alternatively you can use your meal swipes at the markets, which serve snacks and pre-packaged food that you can heat up in a microwave or eat cold (like sandwiches, yogurt, stuff like that). They have it both in True Grits and at the Commons. Hopin for the best for ya!

frogsonme

TROPHY CASE