If you’re from Massachusetts and your high school experience was anything like mine, the majority of your graduating class applied to UMass. Even for the kids that wanted to attend a small college across the country, UMass was still on their list of places they were sending an application. I applied not really knowing if it was a serious option for me, but when May of my senior year came around, it was clear that UMass was the best choice. It had the best program for what I wanted to do (architecture) and wasn’t too far from home.

When I came back to UMass for my sophomore year, I was determined to make this school year even better than my first. I had a pretty successful freshman year, and I made friends and did well in school. However, I wanted UMass to feel more like home. I took the summer to compare what was different between the life I lead in college versus the life I had in high school. What it all boiled down to is that in high school, I was way more involved and busy all the time. My first year of college was filled with a lot of down time that I struggled to fill with activity.

Last week many social organizations, such as sororities and fraternities on campus took part in the #ItsOnUs campaign. This campaign is targeted at ending sexual abuse on college campuses and how we, as students, need to be proactive in stopping it.

Last year, for an assignment in my Art History 115 class, I had to go to a local art museum to find a painting to be the subject of my essay. My professor noted that Smith College, one of the schools in the Five College Consortium, had one of the best museums, so I decided to check it out.