UMass: A Home Away From Home – A Senior’s Reflections on Living on Campus

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CHCRC is a vibrant living and learning community.

When first-year students come to UMass Amherst for their first semester—or any college, for that matter—it is often their first time living away from home. Being away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings can make for a challenging physical and environmental transition — even before tackling the academic side of things.

I was no different when I came to UMass. I had only been away from home for a few days or even a few weeks at a time before—say, for a trip or summer camp—but nothing as extended or unfamiliar as this. However, living on campus, especially in the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC), helped make it easier to get situated and comfortable at UMass.

Now that I am a senior and the fall semester is flying by, I hope sharing my reflections will reassure first-year students and prospective students that the college transition is achievable and that they will eventually be able to call UMass their home away from home.

My first year at UMass I lived in Melville Hall, a relatively small, low-rise dorm at the edge of the Southwest Residential Area, alongside a community of diverse first-year students in the Emerging Scholars Program.

During that year, I lived on the same floor as my friends, my classes were fairly close, being in Thompson Hall and Machmer Hall, and I lived within walking distance of my still-favorite dining hall, Hampshire Dining Commons. Something I often say about this time is that it made the huge campus feel very small for me—in a great way.

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Having access to healthy food, familiar people, and my classes all in one area made it easy for me to quickly learn where important spots on campus were, where to go when I needed support, and how to get into a routine.

Growing in Honors: Moving to CHCRC

After my first year, I was admitted into Commonwealth Honors College. I could have lived off-campus at this point—since only first-year students are required to live on campus. Having grown accustomed to on-campus living, I was curious about about the CHCRC.

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The Honors Hub: a space for students to unwind and focus, all with a view of the CHCRC!

I was interested in the CHCRC because it is located in the heart of campus, is close to most of my classes, and offers great study spots like the Honors Hub and the CHC Concourse.

So, I decided to live in Linden Hall during my second year, and I have stayed in the CHCRC ever since. I lived in Linden Hall for a few semesters and have been in Birch Hall for the past two semesters.

Moving to A New Home

For my last semester, I will be staying at UMass Amherst’s Mount Ida Campus in Newton for a spring semester internship program. I am excited for it, of course, but it means that this fall marked my final semester living here—a strange realization. I know that I'll miss this campus, and the CHCRC in particular—it has become my home away from home.

It is mostly a quiet and peaceful dorm space, and it has many great study spots, for which I am grateful when exam season comes around.

It is also a social place. I frequently see many of my classmates and friends hanging around the concourse, doing work in my dorm’s lounge, getting food at Roots Cafe, or just walking down the main CHC pathway. I also often see mentors, co-workers, and even professors in the CHCRC.

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The Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community. Photo: Austin Lee

I've come to appreciate the little conversations and spontaneous opportunities to catch up with friends or professors that I had many semesters ago, which only happened because of this space.

I've also taken many Honors classes in the CHCRC, such as the classrooms in Elm Hall, which is just a few steps away from my dorm.

In my view, the CHCRC isn’t just a modern dorm space—it’s a vibrant living and learning community. I get to share this space with students who are equally intellectually curious and passionate about their fields, creating a place where I truly feel I belong.

As this semester ends and my time at UMass comes to a close, I’m uncertain where life will take me—but I do know that finding a community where I felt comfortable and truly belonged has been invaluable.

To any first-year or prospective students, my advice is this: Find a place on campus that feels like home. Build a community of people you can rely on for support. Most importantly, seek an environment where you can comfortably be yourself. With these in place, you’ll have a strong foundation to navigate the challenges and opportunities as you learn, grow, and thrive.