Meet Our Students - Adam Reno
Why did you choose UMaine and the EES program?
Honestly, the most influential factor for me choosing UMaine was money. I didn’t want to graduate with mountains of debt, and UMaine seemed like a good school at a reasonable cost to me. As for the EES Program, it was a spur of the moment decision. I came in unsure of what I wanted to major in. There were a bunch of considerations going through my head about choosing something; what kind of job can I get, how good would the pay be, how manageable is the course load. The more I tried to sift through these, the farther away I felt like I was getting from deciding. So, I swept aside all those questions and asked myself what I felt like was the most important one; what would I enjoy learning about? The answer was environmental science.
What has been your favorite class so far?
So far, my favorite class has been Biology. The material jumped out at me and really stuck. I don’t know exactly why, but systems biology in particular is a study that I’ve developed a fascination with. I’m looking forward to getting into the more applied fields next semester, when I’m taking ecology courses.
Best hands-on experience?
So far BIO205, A Field Natural History of Maine, has had fun opportunities for me. We had the opportunity to go to a lot of places, including Baxter and Acadia, and actually immerse ourselves in the ecosystems we were learning about. It’s one thing to read about the physical indicators of old field succession, but there’s something really satisfying about seeing them myself and reaching that conclusion.
What do you do when you are not studying?
When I’m not studying, I enjoy getting some fresh air. Hiking and camping are longtime favorite activities, and recently I’ve been trying to get more into paddling. I’ve been killing time at the slack line a lot these days, too. I’m a pretty avid reader, many days I can be found lounging in a comfy armchair in the library or under a tree, getting lost in a book.
Any words of wisdom for incoming students?
Mix things up and try something new. You might discover something that sparks passion and it’s good for the inevitable stress buildups. There have been times that I’ve gotten pretty overwhelmed by classes and work and the best way to alleviate that (and have fun) was to drop it for a while and grab my headlamp to go for a night trail run, hit up Bull Moose with some friends, play some COD, or just take a walk down to the river and watch the sun set. They make my worries seem smaller.
What should prospective students know about EES?
EES is the definition of interdisciplinary. It spans across many subjects, some of which might be difficult to connect back to human-environment interface. For me, making an effort to find overlap in concepts between courses is incredibly helpful.