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Undergraduate Colleges /
University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
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| Reviews |
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| There are 8 reviews of this college. |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
March 04, 2008 |
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I found UMass to be greatly underrated. The tuition and housing costs are very reasonable for instate students, and the student body was diverse and friendly. It's pretty hard to find a wider array of departments than ol' Zoomass, and it is also a first rate research institution. You can study anything from Animal Husbandry to Romanian.
A large school like UMass can be a little intimidating at first, but I am very glad I stuck it out. There are many fine small liberal arts colleges that can give you an excellent overall education in the Humanities and Natural Sciences, but you'll be missing out on the chance to try out a lot of fields. I took courses in Plant Pathology, Arabic, Ancient Political Theory, Judaic Studies, and more!
If you think a giant place like UMass is intimidating, I've got a couple of suggestions that I had to learn the hard way. First, find a friend. Find someone who is at least a Sophomore if not a Junior, and who seems like they have their act together. A good friend base will provide you with moral support so you don't feel lost, as well as knowledge and experience. Second tip: don't fear the administrators. Most of the admins at UMass are friendly and will bend over backwards for you if you're polite. They are more than happy to explain the system, and they will often make exceptions when it's in their power. When in doubt, ask an admin. Finally, if you have a prof you enjoy, got see them at office hours. Profs tend to be a little removed from the actual day-to-day operations of the school, but they can often provide you with opportunities for work study, internships, etc.
The students are also very very friendly, so don't worry about finding friends. Sure, we had 18,000 undergrads, but it's pretty easy to find enough friend to make it seem a lot smaller.
I've been to an array of colleges on exchange, King's in London, New England School of Art and Design, and I did some continuing ed at the University of Southern Maine. I cannot think of a single school I'd rather study at than UMass. |
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| Write an online review and share your thoughts about this college with others! |
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| Write an online review and share your thoughts about this college with others! |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 15, 2007 |
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Umass Amherst is a party school, first and foremost. Expect the temptations of spending most your Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights out partying. Also, expect the University to be taking every step it feels necessary to curb this reputation. Dorm life is frought with disciplinary perils, police officers, undercover and otherwise, are in most of the big party dorms.
Avoid the all-freshamn dorms your first year. They're simply out of control, and you don't get to meet and interact with older students. Also, avoid the Sylvan residence halls unless your a loner and aren't interested in meeting normal people.
Be prepared to put up with some serious amount of administrative red tape, as this is a large public institution, and you will be spending a fair amount of time in the administration building if you need to do any routine administrative-type changes.
Classes are generally well-run, look up your professors before hand (ratemyprofessors.com), and avoid classes that are taught only by teaching assistants (listed as "staff" on SPIRE). Make sure to plan your schedule around your sleeping habits, and make the best out of the area. Amherst and the surrounding area is too fun to be left unexplored! |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 15, 2007 |
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This is a great school for certain areas such as business, engineering, agriculture. It is very large and there are 4 other colleges in the area so there are many opportunities for students (acedemic, cultural, athletic and recreational). The Greek life is not a major facet of the school, although there are plenty of people in fraternities/sororities.
UMass Amherst is not in or close to a major city so outside of the University world there is not a whole lot. Northampton, MA is two towns over and accessible from campus by public transportation and is a great small city for shopping, music and arts, and just hanging out in general.
I would definately recommend this school to mature students who actively want to make the most of their college experience. There is a lot there, but there is no one looking over your shoulder telling you what you need to do. |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 15, 2007 |
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A FEW Positives:
-The campus and student body are both HUGE.
This allows students to explore a diverse entire campus, as different parts of the campus (especially living areas)have completely different looks and feels from one another. The student body is also just as diverse, which allows one to interact with people from all areas of the world and life.
-PARTY SCHOOL.
The school is notorious for big parties, big riots, and lots of booze. Need I say more? There may not be a lot to do in Western Mass, but being drunk with your friends (and a lot of other people)can lead to pretty creative experiences and ideas.
-FIVE COLLEGE INTERCHANGE PROGRAM
UMass Amherst works alongside Smith College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and Mt. Holyoke College to allow students from each of these schools to take classes at one of the other schools in the 5-College interchange. It is a nice way to change things up.
-BUSY CAMPUS
The UMass Amherst campus is very active; you'll always find something going on.
NEGATIVES:
-HUGE CAMPUS & STUDENT BODY
Such a big campus with so many students often dehumanizes you to your school ID#. Getting appointments is hard, as is scheduling a meeting with an advisor. Get used to being anonymous.
PARTY SCHOOL
-Yes, another positive than can be a negative. Too much booze + Poor judgement= Violent crime, theft, vomit, rape, riots...Parties don't always end well.
CONSTANT CONSTRUCTION
-I know all colleges have construction, but the amount at UMass is frusturating...especially when it cuts in-between a walking path of yours from class a to class b...in February. |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 14, 2007 |
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On the positive side, UMass Amherst is a world-class university, and all the resources in the world are available to you there. The professors are renowned, the facilities are great, and the campus is situated nicely, with the Berkshires in full view and just 15 minutes from Northampton, where there is a lot of fun stuff to do.
On the negative side, there are a lot of students at UMass who don't choose to take advantage of the positive aspects of going to school there. Hence the legendary party scene. I know of two people who flunked out with less than 1.0 averages because they partied too much. Also, being a state school in a state with so many private colleges, UMass often gets hit pretty hard by budget cuts during fiscal crunches. Finally, if you are not a self-motivated student who is willing to go find the resources you need, it will be difficult for you at UMass. It is a large campus, both geographically and population-wise. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle. |
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| Interesting Fact |
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| Boston is truly a college town. It's home to 47 colleges, with dozens more in the surrounding areas. |
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