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A Day in the Life of a UMass Student
What's it like to attend UMass? Four student tour guides give you the inside scoop.
At UMass Amherst, students can explore myriad academic opportunities, keep active (and have fun) by participating in intramural sports, network through the Student Alumni Association or a Registered Student Organization (RSO), or roam our 1,450-acre campus to find a hidden study nook. No two students carve out the same path, but they all have one thing in common: They make UMass Amherst their own.
We asked four student tour guides—experts on the UMass Amherst campus—to share their experiences and offer a glimpse into what a day at UMass is like for them.
Yasmine Tighiouart
Public health major and Arabic minor Yasmine has been busy. In addition to maintaining stellar grades and hosting tours for interested students and their families, she's active in multiple RSOs, including the Arab Cultural Association, Muslim Students Association, Pakistani Students Organization, and Public Health Club.
7:30 a.m. I wake up and go to the Recreation Center for a morning workout.
8:30 a.m. I get breakfast at Hampshire Dining Commons, where they have the best made-to-order omelets! Then, I'll go back to my room to get ready before my first class.
9:30 a.m. My first class is a public health course that teaches how to visualize and analyze datasets. It is one of my favorite classes at UMass so far!
11:30 a.m. I work as a tour guide on campus, so I give tours to prospective students and their families twice a week!
1 p.m. I head over to my last class of the day, Arabic 326, one of the last classes needed to complete my Arabic minor.
2:30 p.m. I go to the Student Union to study with friends and grab lunch from Blue Wall. My favorite foods are the paradise sushi roll from Wasabi and the southwest chicken wrap from Green Fields.
5 p.m. I head back to my room to do some more homework and try to relax for a bit. Sometimes, there will be club events for me to attend, like karaoke night or paint night.
8 p.m. I usually go to Berkshire Dining Commons with my friends for dinner, and depending on the late-night menu, we'll stay for that, too!
Danish Humayun
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Danish Humayun started out as an economics major but soon added public health as a secondary major after taking a class called Great Challenges in Public Health and Health Sciences. Not only did the class reveal how different sectors of health sciences converge, but it also helped define health care as his future career path (he added biology as a minor to help toward this goal). Danish conducts research with real-world applications in two labs: One is developing edible clay that can absorb harmful chemicals inside your body. The other lab focuses on evaluating a court-based program in western Massachusetts that helps people affected by substance abuse on a path to recovery. Danish loves UMass Amherst's large campus; he sees it as a source of endless opportunity.
8 a.m. Wake up, get ready, and head out to Hampshire Dining Commons for breakfast.
11 a.m. After I am done eating, I head on over to my first class in the Integrative Learning Center, which is Physics 131: Intro Physics I. This class is required for the pre-med track.
12:20 p.m. I have another class right after Physics called Econ 311: Money and Banking. This class teaches students about the functions of money, banks, and the government and how they affect the economy.
1:30 p.m. After my first two classes, I go to the Blue Wall to grab something to eat. My favorite food on campus is the Southwest wrap from Green Fields. Usually, I will take my food and go to the Student Union to study with some friends during my breaks between classes.
2:30 p.m. One of my favorite classes at UMass is Bio 288: Physiology. We learn how complex organ systems in organisms work to keep them alive.
4 p.m. My last class of the day is PubHlth 301: Principles of Community Health Education. This is a required class for the public health major, where you get to design a community health project.
5:30 p.m. After all my classes are done for the day, I head on over to the research lab to run experiments or to analyze data.
7 p.m. I will then go to Furcolo Hall to volunteer for the Boltwood Project, a student-run organization on campus where the UMass community can engage with adults with disabilities in the local area.
8:30 p.m. As a resident assistant, I attend weekly meetings to discuss the goals for the week and how we can engage residents in the living space.
10 p.m. I usually head to Berkshire Dining Hall for late night and hang out with some friends before it’s time to go to bed.
Elise Porter
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Management major Elise Porter is a founding member of the Minuteman Marketing Group, an organization that provides students with one-on-one technical advancement and professional development growth. Student analysts connect with mentors and work to develop creative pitches to find tangible solutions to real-world business problems. If she's not studying in the Durfee Conservatory, you might find her zooming down the slopes with the UMass Alpine Ski Team, a club sports team run for and by students.
7:30 a.m. I wake up and get ready for my day! I live in an apartment right by the Isenberg School of Management, so it is only a five-minute walk to my first class.
8:30 a.m. My first class of the day is Public Speaking for Business. This class is a great way to get in the mindset of speaking professionally and getting comfortable in front of a crowd.
9 a.m. After my first class, I walk to Hampshire Dining Commons (arguably the best dining hall on campus) and eat some delicious chocolate croissants, cantaloupe, and strawberry yogurt.
9:30 a.m. I meet some of my UMass Alpine Ski Team teammates to play pickleball! We love to stay active and spend time together even in our off-season.
11:30 a.m. Midday, I stop by Whitmore Café to get a delicious chicken Caesar salad wrap. The wraps here are customizable and are always a great lunch option.
12:30 p.m. After lunch, I head to my Accounting 221 lab. This is a class requirement for all Isenberg students so that we know the basis of different financial statements.
2:30 p.m. After doing homework in the beautiful Isenberg Business Innovation Hub, I head to my next class, New Venture Organization and Growth. This has been my favorite class as we discuss real-world business problems and it is heavily discussion based.
4 p.m. After that, I head to my final class of the day, Business Law. This is another Isenberg requirement where we learn about the ethics and laws that go into the structuring of organizations.
5 p.m. For dinner, I head over to Berkshire Dining Hall for some amazing chicken parmesan, garlic bread, and broccoli. For dessert, I grab one of the chocolate brownies and add some vanilla soft serve on top to make a delicious brownie sundae.
7 p.m. I end my day by organizing the Women in Business Peer Mentorship Program event. Through this program, we work to pair underclassmen with upperclassmen to help guide students and promote a welcoming environment!
8 p.m. After my club, I head back to my apartment to finish up some homework and relax with my roommates before going to bed!
Divya Raghunathan
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Double majoring in microbiology and BDIC in integrative health sciences, Divya Raghunathan gets lots of opportunities to participate in hands-on research. She is interested in cultivating a holistic view of health care, focusing her studies on pre-pharmacy. She's already applying her career training at her job in downtown Amherst at a local pharmacy. Divya also works as a peer advisor, which has allowed her to meet lots of other students who share her major and interests. This year, she helped kick off Amherst Agni, a student-run South Asian dance competition.
9 a.m. I wake up in my off-campus apartment and walk to the CVS in downtown Amherst where I work at the pharmacy. My coworkers are all UMass students interested in the healthcare field, so we always have so much to talk about!
12 p.m. Usually, I hop on a PVTA bus and head straight to Haigis Mall in front of the Bromery Center for the Arts. I stop by Carney Café in the Isenberg Business Innovation Hub for my go-to drink—an iced matcha latte with vanilla. Then, I head to the Whitmore Administration Building, where I work as a tour guide. At the tour guide office, I answer emails and phone calls with some of my best friends on campus!
1 p.m. I walk downstairs to Whitmore Café and get a Cobb salad wrap and chocolate milk from Green Fields! The Whitmore Café is a hidden gem that always has great food.
2:30 p.m. After work, I head to the Morrill Science Center for my only class of the day (perks of being a senior!), MicroBio 542, Immunology Laboratory! This class is super cool as we get to learn modern lab techniques and develop our scientific understanding of immunology in a lab setting!
5 p.m. I head back home to drop off my stuff and start working on my homework and spending time with my roommates!
6:30 p.m. I head back to campus for dinner if I don't feel like cooking at home. My favorite places to hit are Hampshire Dining Commons (I LOVE their smoked salmon rolls and miso soup) and Blue Wall. I specifically love Wasabi and Star Ginger at Blue Wall for some yummy poke bowls or orange chicken.
8 p.m. I take the bus back downtown to go home, unwind, and relax after a long day!