Campus Life

Looking for a fencing club, a cappella singing group, mock trial team or Buddhist thought and meditation group? We have you covered.

With more than 800 clubs, fraternities and sororities, and sports getting involved at Maryland couldn’t be easier. Are you a musician looking to entertain big crowds and make lifelong friendships? Audition for the Mighty Sound of Maryland, our beloved marching band. Also on campus are religious organizations, an improvisational comedy company, sports clubs, political clubs and student chapters of professional societies. Plus, Maryland has a huge array of community and volunteer services that can connect you with local and national organizations for elder care, tutoring, mentoring or environmental action.

Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Form your own group! All you need is eight people with a shared interest. And you can always have fun attending the hundreds of cultural events, movies, lectures and concerts held on campus each year.

College is a big adjustment, and you will come to rely on the friendship and support you will find in your roommate or your suite- or floor-mates, or from your resident assistant. It is where you will find someone to share a pizza with, watch your favorite show or host a late-night study session.

We can help you find your home away from home on- or off-campus. Nine out of 10 Maryland freshmen live in the university’s residence halls. Roughly half of on-campus residents are in living-learning communities, providing a great chance to bond with students with similar interests.

Our Department of Resident Life can connect you with potential on-campus roommates and help you pick the right student housing option. All university housing comes with live-in resident assistants and successful upper-class students who can help you find your groove academically and socially.

If you’re looking for a home away from campus, Off-Campus Housing Services can help you find your perfect place. Their resources provide personalized information about housing and off-campus living. Resources available online include a searchable database listing available rental properties in the area and an online database where students can search for roommates with similar housing needs and interests. And our Shuttle-UM buses make it convenient for off-campus students to commute.

Your parents are bound to wonder: Are you eating right? Do you get fresh vegetables? Can you manage your allergies and still eat well? Will they serve you a healthy meal whenever you want? At Maryland, we make sure you can say "Yes!" From your early-morning, before-class breakfast to your late-night, study-time cravings, Maryland Dining Services can feed your needs.

In our two main dining halls, you’ll find culinary stations serving fares such as rotisserie meats with comfort sides, Mongolian stir-fries, gourmet burgers, vegan and vegetarian selections, and made-to-order sandwiches and salads from 7:00 a.m. until midnight. A third, smaller dining hall offers lunch and dinner six days a week. You’ll also find food courts in the Stamp Student Union and Martin Engineering, cafes in academic buildings, and five convenience shops around campus.

You can choose from four resident dining plans and a kosher meal plan. If you are living in an apartment or at home, stay connected to campus with our connector dining plans. Use your plan's dining dollars in campus cafes and shops, or sign up for Terrapin Express, an optional pre-paid debit program. Use Terrapin Express to supplement your dining plan or cover your tab at the University Book Center, University Health Center and other spots on campus. 

Fear the Turtle! It’s the rallying cry at the University of Maryland, which has one of the country’s most comprehensive and successful athletic programs. From intramural and club sports to our Division I teams, Terps are active. You can rock-climb at the Eppley Recreation Center, jog around our scenic campus or swim laps in our Olympic-size pool. Stretch your lung muscles by cheering on your favorite team, like our national-champion women’s field hockey team, and sit in the Xfinity Center’s student section during our hugely popular men’s and women’s basketball games—our student athletes love to see you there! The Princeton Review regularly ranks Maryland in the top fifteen for “Students Pack the Stadiums,” and our teams draw strength from the spirit of our fans.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics provides hundreds of student-athletes a rewarding experience, an integral and valued component of their Maryland education. A current member of the Big Ten Conference, Maryland is one of only three NCAA Division I institutions to have won national championships in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. From field hockey and wrestling to soccer and lacrosse (men’s and women’s), Maryland is a perennial championship contender, and our student-athletes compete in some of the finest athletic facilities anywhere in the country. The Terrapins have won 18 national championships since 2005, including the NCAA title in women’s basketball, three in men’s soccer, and in 2017, both women’s and men's lacrosse.

Whether you live on campus or off, the Department of Transportation Services makes it easy to get around. Shuttle-UM buses operate several campus-based routes and serve a six-mile radius beyond, taking students to Metro station, shops, restaurants and more than two dozen apartment communities. All you need to ride Shuttle-UM is your student ID. It’s also a snap to travel to Washington, D.C., Baltimore and local airports by using Metrorail and MARC trains.

If you’re living off campus, permits for campus parking are available for purchase from the Department of Transportation Services.

The Annual Security Report contains information about campus security including: campus security programs, recommended personal safety practices, the authority of the university police, campus disciplinary procedures, alcohol and drug policies, crime reporting procedures and campus crime statistics for the most recent 3-year period. Individual printed copies of the report may be requested through the mail or in person from the University of Maryland Department of Public Safety, Pocomoke Building #007, College Park, MD 20742-6011 or by calling 301.405.3555.

The Annual Fire Safety Report contains fire safety information about on-campus student housing, including fire statistics, fire safety systems, fire drills, fire safety rules, evacuation procedures, fire safety education and training policies, fire reporting procedures, and plans for future fire safety improvements. Individual printed copies of the report may be requested through the mail or in person from the University of Maryland Department of Environmental Safety, 3115 Chesapeake Building #338, College Park, MD 20742-3133 or by calling 301.405.3960.