Student Profile
Jessica
- Class: Sophomore
- Major:
- Gender: F
- High School:
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
One of things that drew me to UMass is that they have so many different majors. Since I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in, I was confident that no matter what I chose, UMass would probably have it. Another great thing about UMass is its Domestic Exchange program. You can spend a semester or even a year at another public college in another state. I think the size is great, even though its large size might intimidate some people. I think a large college provides opportunites to meet many people and make many connections. Large universities have great resources and opportunities to network. When I tell people I go to UMass, adults react in the way that they say oh that's a good school, but don't get sucked into the party scene! Which I understand, but like I said, I feel like that should be applied to almost everywhere. Amherst is definitely a college town. Downtown Amherst is geared toward college students, even though it's still pretty small. Nextdoor is Northampton (where Smith College is located), which is a great town that is growing, with a lot of cool stores downtown. UMass has a great transportation system, so Northampton is a bus ride away if you don't have a car. The biggest recent controversy on campus was a student strike to get more money to support diversity, reduce the money spent on "luxury projects," get police out of dorms, etc. I feel like there's not enough school pride yet, but it's on the rise, especially with how well the basketball team did this year. One of the most frequent student complaints is that it's sometimes hard to get classes you want.
Academic Life
In large classes, many professors will want to know your name, but it's hard because of the class size. They will know your name if you participate frequently in class and go to office hours. In small classes, my professors have almost always been eager to learn the names of their students. In my dorm, there were both kinds of people: those who studied a lot, those who did an average amount of studying, and those that seemed like they never studied. It's really varied. It's varied when it comes to many things because of the large number of students. So far, I haven't spent time with professors outside of class, but I plan on it once I choose a major. In general classes, professors were always available during office hours or appointments, I just never went. The requirements aren't too bad, but I do feel like there are too many of them. I think whether or not the education is geared toward getting a job or just learning depends on the department. I took an environmental design class and got a glimpse of what the Landscape Architecture department is like, and I felt like they are really geared toward helping students learn for the real world and getting a job. The building was always covered in papers advertising opportunities for internships, etc.
Student Body
There is every kind of group on campus. However, they seem to be kind of segregated (by the students' choice). Most black people seem to live in Southwest, while Central is almost all white people, and I think Northeast houses a lot of Asians. Therefore, I don't think any student would feel left out unless they were in a dorm area where there wasn't a big mix of people. People have all different kinds of styles. Some dress up for class, some dress more casual or like they just got out of bed if it's an early class. Most students are from MA. Financial backgrounds vary as well- there are many wealthy people, but also people with pretty average livestyles, and many students have work-study, where they get financial aid by having a job on campus. There is definitely a group of students on campus that are both politically aware and active. I'm not sure how large the active group is, but they are there and, this past semester, had very strong feelings about pushing certain candidates for student government.
The Best Things
a lot to get involved in
The Worst Things
far from a big city
