50 things to do

before you graduate

Maine Hello signs, Rock climb, lighthouse
Morse Field and Map
Tickets, Bean Boots, Katahdin Sign
Planetarium, lobster, skiing
Corgi for Pet Therapy, Greek Life, Megaphone, Sports balls
Paul Bunyan, Steven King, Apple Picking, Hudson Museum, Farmers Market
  1. Join a club
  1. Experience Greek Life
  1. Be a part of UMaine tradition: Play oozeball; watch a concert on campus; volunteer; eat at a cookout
  1. Tailgate at the Homecoming football game
  1. Try Buffalo Chicken Wednesday at York Dining
  1. Explore Maine Bound: Go on a trip; climb the rock wall; rent equipment
  1. Visit the New Balance Student Recreation Center: Take a free class; sit in the sauna; try the ropes course
  1. Participate in intramural sports
  1. Swim or float down the Stillwater River in an inner tube, paddleboard, kayak or canoe
  1. Take a photo with Bananas, UMaine’s black bear mascot
  1. Take a photo at the UMaine bear statue
  1. Find the banana tree in the Roger Clapp Greenhouses
  1. Sit in the student section at a UMaine vs. UNH men’s ice hockey game
  1. Visit the Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden
  1. Walk, bike and cross-country ski the UMaine trails
  1. Ice skate for free at Alfond Arena
  1. Hang out on the Mall: Relax; study; play frisbee, view the stars; try slacklining
  1. See a show at the Collins Center for the Arts using your two free tickets each semester; visit the Hudson Museum
  1. Support the arts: Attend a School of Performing Arts performance; go to an art opening at Lord Hall Gallery; watch the Dance Showcase
  1. Participate in the Career Fair
  1. Wear your L.L.Bean Boots
  1. Study abroad
  1. Take a weekend trip to Canada
  1. Learn and sing the “Maine Stein Song”
  1. Visit downtown Bangor; explore the UMaine Museum of Art for free; participate in the Bangor Artwalk
  1. Walk through every building on campus
  1. Participate in Maine Hello
  1. Attend Culturefest and try a new food
  1. Watch the Earth Day parade
  1. Visit the Orono Bog Boardwalk
  1. Buy fresh at the Orono Farmers Market
  1. Support local businesses: Original location of Pat’s Pizza
  1. Hike Chick Hill in Clifton
  1. Visit Baxter State Park and hike Mount Katahdin
  1. Go to a Waterfront Concert in Bangor
  1. Drive by Stephen King’s house
  1. Find the Paul Bunyan statue
  1. Eat a lobster roll
  1. Visit Acadia National Park: Watch the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain; eat at Jordan Pond House; visit Sand Beach; participate in the polar dip; bike the carriage trails; hike
  1. Visit Bar Harbor: Eat; shop; take a boat tour or whale watch
  1. Visit Freeport: Home of the flagship L.L.Bean store (open 24 hours, 365 days per year); and shop at the outlets
  1. Visit Portland and its Old Port
  1. Ski Sugarloaf and attend events there
  1. Visit a Maine lighthouse
  1. Watch a game or show at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor
  1. Pet the therapy dogs during finals week
  1. Visit one of the many area farms in the fall: Go apple picking; get lost in a corn maze; take a hayride
  1. Visit the Versant Power Astronomy Center and watch a planetarium show
  1. Get involved with the Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism
  1. Participate in Senior Week: Take a photo with your name on the Alfond Stadium video board before you graduate
Maine Hello signs, Rock climb, lighthouse
Morse Field and Map
Tickets, Bean Boots, Katahdin Sign
Planetarium, lobster, skiing
Corgi for Pet Therapy, Greek Life, Megaphone, Sports balls
Paul Bunyan, Steven King, Apple Picking, Hudson Museum, Farmers Market

In spring 2017, 23 seniors in a 400-level communication course undertook a capstone project in collaboration with UMaine’s Division of Marketing and Communications. The project, “50 Things to Do Before You Graduate from the University of Maine,” is a UMaine bucket list for students by students. Led by Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism Claire Sullivan, the undergraduates in the class conducted in-person interviews with 286 UMaine students in different majors and years in school to get their input to compile the list of 50 must-do activities and places to see. A news release about the project is online.

Editor’s note: Updates made Aug. 9, 2022.