This semester, I am taking six courses versus my usual five. I’m in a combination of upper-level journalism and communications classes. My Tuesdays and Thursdays are jam-packed with four classes in a row, going from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Each subject gives a good amount of homework, too. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when Monday rolls around every week, but these are my tips for keeping on top my work while staying relatively stress free.
On a brisk autumn day, I decided to venture out my beloved UMass and explore the greater Pioneer Valley. I decided to go to Look Park in nearby Northampton...
A common misconception at a school with such a large population is that every class is made up of hundreds of students. Though it is inevitable that some of your 100-level lectures could be around one hundred students or more, this does not apply to the majority of your classes, especially not your major-based classes.
This might sound a little sad, but I’m convinced my dorm room was a huge reason I was able to make friends so fast my freshman year.Ok, yeah, now that I’ve typed it and re-read it, it's definitely not the most conventional brag. Nonetheless, it’s been almost three years and I’m still proud of what I was able to pull off.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post of mine, coming to UMass was a completely new start for me. Having not known a single person here, I was unsure of how to go about choosing my roommate. I knew a lot of incoming students who were in a similar position found their roommates through the UMass Facebook page, where people post about themselves in order to find someone to live with or just meet people to befriend. This is a super easy way to meet new people and find a potential roommate, but I was intimidated by the idea using Facebook to find the person who I’d live with. In the end, I decided to “go in random" for my roommate.
One great thing about UMass is that it has a gigantic arena for sporting events, concerts, and more. The Mullins Center (pictured above) is conveniently located on campus and every-so-often there is a musical performance or event that you just cannot miss. Students at UMass have the luxury of seeing some big-name artists perform right here in Amherst.
Being a journalism and communication double-major, it is no surprise that most of my assignments revolve around writing. I love how writing lets me be creative and always gives me a piece to reflect on. My papers and articles supply me with the ability to read them and track what areas need improvement. When it comes to writing, the hardest part for me is always facing writer's block before I start an assignment.
In case you haven’t heard by now, we have amazing food here.Amazing, all-you-can-eat, "food baby" inducing food.Luckily, we also have a three-story recreation center that makes treating yo'self okay, everyday.
Yesterday, I lost my wallet. I didn’t notice until a few hours after my last class of the day ended, but as soon as I realized I didn’t have it I began retracing my steps. I searched the dining halls, the classrooms I was in, and my residence hall, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. But what surprised me was how genuinely helpful everyone I came across was. Both dining hall managers and two professors in the classrooms I went to could not have been nicer.
My favorite part about living off campus is decorating my temporary home. I recently just refurbished an old broken cabinet into a cute crackled bookshelf.It’s perfect for neatly holding my text and notebooks that were previously scattered everywhere. For this project paint was my best friend! Continue reading to see how I accomplished this and the before picture!
As wonderful as UMass dining halls are, sometimes you cannot help but get to a point where it feels a bit monotonous. UMass does a fantastic job with a variety of options, but it can be easy to fall into the trap of eating the same few meals over and over nonetheless.
