University of Massachusetts-Amherst Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

James

There seems to be a rift between the student body and the administration as the powers that be try to change the UMass reputation to an academically focused college rather than a party school. Rules keep getting stricter and students suffer stricter consequences.

XIAOXUAN

Everything is wonderful!

Jared

For the school of engineering, it is a great school with a ton of career opportunities, through their career services department which is very helpful. The professors are reachable and willing to help with any problems that may arise.

Vincent

Great

Jessica

There is a ton of school pride, especially for the hockey and basketball games

Alex

Nice campus, good professors.

Corey

Overall I'm happy with my choice of school because it is a great education for the lowest price. The best thing about the school would have to be that there are a ton of labs you can get into and gain experience from. The dining halls come in a close second for the best thing though. One thing that I'd probably change is the number of students that are being admitted. The overflow of students is causing the school to have forced triples, which I was placed in. If they only admitted the number of students they could hold, there would be no forced triples and class sizes would be reduced so there would be less overcrowding of classrooms. Even though UMass is rather large, I think it is just the right size. It fits in well with the surrounding landscape. People's reactions when I tell them I attend UMass is right in line with the stereotype that UMass is a zoo. They instantly go to party school. I have to explain to them that I don't even drink, so that's an untrue assumption, UMass also has an outstanding academic record. I spend most of my time in my room or in the library, always doing homework. Amherst is definitely a college town, with both UMass Amherst and Amherst College in close vicinity to each other. Amherst is perfect because it's loaded with restaurants and other small stores. I don't really have any opinion on the administration of the school. The biggest controversy since I've been at the school was when a student passed around a letter stating that he didn't like the quality of people at UMass and that he wanted to find "friends". The letter was written in a mysterious and creepy way, which warranted the administration being alerted and the student being removed from the University.

Daniel

This school is about as good as you make it. There are lots of opportunities, which is something that I am really starting to learn now that I am in my second year. The size of the school can be a bit overwhelming at times, but it has its pros as well in all the diverse things you can do. I spend a lot of time on campus doing work, and I go to the new Rec Center often which is awesome when it is not crowded with a thousand people. The school is in a cool area, downtown Amherst and Northampton have good food and some cool local music. There is generally plenty to do, and there has been a "riot" during each of my two years hear which i guess can be a good thing or bad thing depending on who you are.

Jaime

I like how big it is and how that helps you network. I'd change the acceptance process and make it based on high school performance, there is a wide range of academic abilities here and it's almost too wide. I spend most of my time in the library or the campus food places doing work. It's definitely a college town, populated with mostly college-aged people. There isn't really anything unusual or huge controversies. The most frequent complaints are regarding class picking and grading.

Annalise

As a high school senior, I was a classic case of "UMass as last resort," but now that I am here I em enjoying it immensely. The school definitely doesn't feel as big as one might think it would, and there are lots of things to get involved in. Join clubs, student organizations and teams, apply for student-run co-ops, participate in volunteer programs to make campus feel smaller and find a home for yourself. The rigor of academic classes depends on the department, professor, and class level. I've found that 100-level lectures can be a joke and hardly worth my time, but smaller classes can definitely be a challenge and you can get to know your teachers better. Classes can be difficult to get into; I had to fight for my schedule this semester but by being diligent I got into everything I wanted to. Amherst is a great college town and Northampton has lots of cool places. You can find plenty of food at 2 in the morning. Lots of student deals also, as there are 5 major colleges in the Pioneer Valley. If I were to change one thing about UMass, I'd decrease the number of lectures and give students more opportunity for personal attention and discussion-based learning. Obviously that is hard to do with such a huge population, but if you find the right classes you can get this type of experience.

Gabrielle

I absolutely love everything about UMass Amherst! The academics are fantastic: professors are intellectual and very assessable, course work is at a difficult level, however it is manageable with the universities resources. Amherst is the biggest college town in the country with 5 colleges surrounding it. The pride and support of everyone is incredible- sporting events (mainly football, hockey, and basketball) are always filled to the max. It is a huge campus though, so LOTS of walking- but no need to take a bus everywhere.

Jesse

UMass is a fount of opportunity. For those that complain about their needs not being met, they likely haven't taken the steps to meet them. To everyone I recommend: be active, be on the look out and take those opportunities, they're there.

Amanda

It's a pretty big school, esp when your a freshman and since the dorm areas are pretty spread out it'll feel really big. But only at first,as semesters go by you''ll be able to find your niche and it'll actually end up feeling smaller than you think. There really isnt much school pride either, people only go to games to get wasted, because honestly, the football team sucks, the best part is tailgate, no one even goes to the games. Hockey is the most popular and their actually pretty decent. But expect thousands of drunk kids when you get there.

Cameron

The best thing about Umass is that you make the best friends, have a great time, and experience a lot. The sidewalks and roads are messed up, it's not the best looking campus. The school is big, but Southwest is like a little city. Dorms are average looking, southwest is probably the best place to live unless you like isolation then sylvan is the place.

Molly

The best thing about UMass is how many available options there are for courses and extracurriculars. If UMass doesn't offer something you'd like, you can also do independent studies or even participate in BDIC (where you can make your own major). UMass's administration can be a little frustrating -- to get one thing done regarding your account you may have to go to 5 different buildings and talk to 50 different people. The college town is great -- nice stores, great restaurants, and Hadley has Target and Walmart if you need it. I liked the size of UMass. The only part that was frustrating about it is if you need to be somewhere in 10 minutes and it takes 20 minutes to walk there.

Torry

The Big Picture of UMass Amherst, is mainly the Big Campus of UMass Amherst. This school has an extremely large campus compared to many other schools and it can seem overwhelming at first. After a few weeks of walking from class to class, meeting up with friends, and going to different events, the campus seems to get smaller and smaller soon you will know every shortcut and best route to get from point A to point B. In a school of this size there are all different shades of people, you be able to find those caught up in the spirit of UMass and there are those that just go out looking for something else to complain about. You have hippie protests that only 23 people know what they are talking about and the rest came just as an excuse to get out of class, and you have the athletes that strut around in their warm ups to let everyone know they are part of an elite crew of student athletes. The best way to deal with this is to keep an open mind, never shun someone else because of their beliefs, if you disagree with someone bring it up and start a discussion about it you will find you can learn a lot more when hearing the opposite side to an argument.

Torry

The best thing about Umass Amherst is that there is a lot of diversity but also the students are unified because we all go to the same school. I transferred to Umass Amherst this past spring semester from a private university in Arkansas. Coming to Umass was a big adjustment but I enjoyed attending Umass because I learned more about history than at my other school.

Dave

It is a great state school, which allows you to expand your academic horizons, while still having a great time. Everything you need is right around campus, whether its a bagel at Panera, a CD at Best Buy or a 4 credit class at Amherst College. School pride exists, but quickly fades by mid-sophomore year. Administration changes constanly, almost like poor parenting. Once things get tough- they go off to a bigger "better" school. Atheltic coaches are the same.

Bridget

Umass Amherst is a very large school, but it allows you to be yourself and make friends with people that you choose. When i am on campus in between my classes i am usually in the library or the campus center. The area is amazing and i would recommend Umass Amherst to anyone.

Jen

The best thing about Umass Amherst is the amount of diversity on campus.There is so much opportunity to succeed so much to become involved with and so many people to meet. It is a big school but there are ways to make it smaller by finding your own success. When I tell people I go to Umass I usually get teased about being a drunk but I know that there is much more to the school than that. The worst part about the school is small amount of kids that like to act out the stereotype because they feel they have to. Unfortunately the media likes to focus on the kids who cause trouble rather than the large amount of brilliant students on campus. I think there is a lot of school pride, sporting events are alot of fun especially if you are part of the Maroon Platoon. The town is small but the bar scene is still really good for college kids. There is always a party and opportunity to go out. Southwest is the most diverse place on campus and in my opinion, the best place to live.

Devin

Busses come every fifteen minutes which is great, the campus really isn't that huge anyway. It's big enough that you might not run into anyone you know over the course of a day, depending on where you go. I spend most of my time at the library because it's awesome, not like a regular city library at all. It's designed to accomodate students. Great place to study. The school pride is great, most students and teachers are into UMass sports and even if you're not, the games are fun to go to because there's always a great vibe. The one thing I'd change if it were possible is the architectural mess that is the campus pond. The water in most of it is pretty stagnant and we can't ice skate/ swim/ do anything with it except feed the ducks which is actually pretty fun.

Royce

U. Mass is a huge place. There is something for everyone, you just need to look for it. For me, at first I was put off by the size. However, the school is designed so students can break the school into manageable components. So if you need to, you don't have to tackle the whole school at once. I for one, found a nice small residence hall and spent my first year with a few friends, going to classes and a few social activities. I also devloped a fondness for the Peter Pan bus system and went home at least twice once a month. After fresman year, I expanded my role in my academic department and residence hall which caused me to learn and grow as a person. By the my senior year I was a campus leader, had aquired several close friends and a lot of aquaintances and spent most of my time on campus. I am a grad student at U. Mass now and the campus is even larger and even a richer environment than when I attended as an undergrad. Several of my friends and I wish that our children would consider U. Mass Amherst because of the rich cultural diversity (people, majors, faculty, fine art's center offerings etc) that exposed us to so many opportunities that are not available at other schools. It is really a world class school. Some people complain about the fact that students seem to always be protesting something. I see this as a good thing (much of the time). Students are by no means apathetic. They are not so called "kool aid drinkers". Students are informed and willing to advocate for the rights of themselves and others.

Dennis

Umass Amherst is awesome. The campus is beautiful, if you don't mind constant construction. I've lived in the Central Residence area going into my fourth year, which is the best area to live for my major. Where I'm in the business school, leaving in Central is an easy walk to all my classes. If I were a mathematics or engineering major, I'd probably want to live in Northeast, which is a good area too. If a student wanted to pursue athletics and didn't mind buses or long walks to classes, Southwest is perfect. Sylvan, on the other hand, has a reputation for being too far area and being creepy. The size of Umass is just right, as it's almost a town in and of itself. Coming from a small town, it was nice to get a similar vibe from Umass. There's plenty of space to plan fun things with friends like Frisbee, hacky sack, football, basketball, etc. The campus police are pretty lax too, just don't drive wildly on the weekends. Weekends can be really fun and exciting, or a bit frightening. Going to or coming back from a party, be prepared to either see a lot of cops or to be pulled over, whether or not you've done anything. The weekend starts a long chain of drinking and partying for most people on or those travelling off campus, so there are usually handfuls of drunk student wandering around campus at night, and four or five police cruisers coming from or going to hot spots.

Ben

UMass Amherst has an amazing atmosphere. Amherst serves as a true college town. So many of the town's venues exist only to serve the college students. There numerous coffee shops, a mall, a movie theater, book stores, bars, great places to eat, pretty much anything you'd need day to day. Plus the atmosphere is supplemented by the presence of other schools like Mount Holyoke and Hampshire College. At first I thought the school was very big, but after a while you get used to the settings. After a month it all seemed perfect. Your really get the feeling that it is its own community. For example city schools have so many distractions, because theres so much going on in metropolitan areas. However, when you're at UMass Amherst you feel immersed in it. You will always feel great here, which most schools can not say.

Shannon

The first week of college, while trying to get used to my new surroundings and the large campus, I was nervous that maybe UMASS was a little too big for me. It was a little intimidating that first week. But once I began making friends and becoming familiar with where all my classes were, the campus seemed to become smaller and was not as intimidating anymore! Just be sure to give it a chance, it is really an awesome school with a lot of valuable resources available!

Erika

I love UMass for how big it is. I came from a small town, so having a big school was something I was very interested in. Although it is big, I still see fimiliar faces, which I like a lot. There is always something to do at UMass. I have made some of the best friends at schoo. Also, I have had minimal problems with academics.

Jessica

One of things that drew me to UMass is that they have so many different majors. Since I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in, I was confident that no matter what I chose, UMass would probably have it. Another great thing about UMass is its Domestic Exchange program. You can spend a semester or even a year at another public college in another state. I think the size is great, even though its large size might intimidate some people. I think a large college provides opportunites to meet many people and make many connections. Large universities have great resources and opportunities to network. When I tell people I go to UMass, adults react in the way that they say oh that's a good school, but don't get sucked into the party scene! Which I understand, but like I said, I feel like that should be applied to almost everywhere. Amherst is definitely a college town. Downtown Amherst is geared toward college students, even though it's still pretty small. Nextdoor is Northampton (where Smith College is located), which is a great town that is growing, with a lot of cool stores downtown. UMass has a great transportation system, so Northampton is a bus ride away if you don't have a car. The biggest recent controversy on campus was a student strike to get more money to support diversity, reduce the money spent on "luxury projects," get police out of dorms, etc. I feel like there's not enough school pride yet, but it's on the rise, especially with how well the basketball team did this year. One of the most frequent student complaints is that it's sometimes hard to get classes you want.

Josiah

The worst thing about Umass is the rooms. They aren't big enough, the furniture is not correct. I mean, usually the furniture is supposed to be flexible, so that a desk, bed and dresser add up to the length and/or width of the room. This is not the case. Expect to have to loft your bed to make any sense of anything. Be carefull though. The beds are basically falling apart, I had to kick mine back together in the morning to keep the interconnecting wooden dowel from totally coming out. The chairs are horrible. Bring your own. Get your own matress. The Umass matresses are plastic, and you'll wake up damp with sweat every morning. The lighting is garish florecents, so you may want to consider bringing your own lighting. The floor is ugly, maybe bring a carpet. Bring your own cleaning supplies, unless you think walking to another building to get them is convienent. Oh, and there's a mandatory fee of $10 anually to use such resources as the broom. The umass website shows off a bunch of nice panoramic landscapes, but when you're actually there you get a diferent picture. The campus pond? The south end, which magestically goes right up to the fine arts center, is always covered in pond scum and debris, goose down and what else. The north end is a walkway, with bramble housing beer cans and empty doritos bags. The lawn around the pond is covered in goose dropings, so you don't really want to be anywhen near the pond. During the winter they spray all the pathways with a de-icer: an organic salient solution that smells like soy sauce. It's sticky, and unpleasant to walk on. Everyone walks between the spray lines if they can. During the spring the slush starts to melt and traps the rain into deep puddles. If you don't know alternater routes, you will be in up to your ankles and beyond getting to classes. The food is usually bad. They try to fill you up on cheap carbohydrates like mash potatoes and pasta. If you wan't to make a sandwich you'll have some nice mushy tomates fresh thawed for you you awaiting. I'd asume that the reason that the tomatoes are always mushy is because they freeze them after preparing them, and then thaw when needed. Berkshire is the only dining comon (we call em DC's) that has good food. The campus shuttle goes there all the time, so it's no to hard to get there. Cellphone reception is excelent for verizon. I've heared that it's good for all the other carriers too. The campus wifi is pretty weak in most places, so unless your device has really good reception you'll have bad wifi.

Devin

My favorite aspects of UMass are the large school atmosphere and the location. Personally, I enjoy the experience of seeing an unfamiliar face every time I walk around. Also, I think Amherst is a great place. The presence of four other schools in the area means that there is a high population of college-aged kids. Northampton (nearby) is another great town and has some great clubs/venues that get many good music acts,

Robin

Umass is not as great as everyone says. It's too big, people are impersonal and are in love with themselves. It's loud when you wanna sleep and boring when you wanna do something. Food and academics are good though.

Erin

I love the size of UMass, it's not too big, and it's deffinitly not to small. Once you've chosen a major, it's like everything else just kinda dissapears and you almost forget how big it really is. Being a Landscape Architect major, we are a VERY small department, with less than 25 people in my graduating class, we get to know each other very well. There's a lot of school pride when it comes to football, basketball, and hocey games. With nights like "White Out Night" for hocey games where all the umass fans wear white, or "Mullet Night" where they give out free mullet wigs, or "Black Out Night" where the UMass fans wear black. It's a lot of fun.

Kyle

When I first applied to schools, I hated Umass Amherst. Generally, for a lot of students in Massachusetts, it is the safety school. During my college search, I had no intention to come here; but much to my dismay, I ended up at Umass. However, I had a huge misconception of what the university had to offer. The aspect that kept me grounded at Umass was its size and diversity. I love meeting people and trying new things, and Umass definately offers such interactions. Due to large campus size of about 25,000 students, there are a lot of new ideas, opinions, activities, and people floating around. This exciting new environment opened up many new interests and ideas I never really got involved with and introduced me to a wide range of people from all over the United States and even the world. Aside from its diversity, Umass offers that quintessential college feel. Students attend the sporting events to cheer on the minutemen decked out in Umass gear. Also, the University hosts a wide variety of events to stimulate student participation and to get students involved; everything from free concerts to free food to free stuff is given out almost monthly. Many prospective students take a tour of Umass and think they will never end up at their safety school and that there are more opportunities in a city like Boston or New York. However, they are highly mistaken. Umass has the entire city feel on campus with so much to offer, yet maintains a college spirit and tradition.

Kristen

The best thing about UMass was how large it was. It's like its own little city. Everything you need is there. The area is great and so beautiful. There is lots of stuff to do in the area and some of the major cities aren't that far away.

Erin

You can do ANYTHING and be ANYONE at UMass, because there are so many different options and people to hang out with. You will find everything here. And being in a college town is great, because they cater to us- our hours, our economic capabilities, etc.

Alex

The school is HUGE, but that's one of the reasons I loved my time there. You meet so many people every day. Every time you go out you can always meet a ton of new people. Amherst is DEFINATELY a college town. There are five colleges around Amherst, so the town is pretty much owned by college kids during the school year. UMass administration, especially Commonwealth College, can be VERY frustrating. Everything pretty much needs a signature from 5 different people in 5 different departments. School Pride---GO UMASS! You'll love it. Best four years of my life. My friends that I met at UMass became my family.

Allison

Big school, in a small town... Lots of funs and great people.

Gene

UMass is currently expanding it's enrollment. When I enrolled in 2004, there were about 18,000 undergrads. When I graduated, it was over 20,000 and is continuing to increase. To accommodate this, the school is building new facilities for both classes and housing. It's big, but not so big that you don't get to know people. As far as Amherst goes, it's an amazing college town. Downtown Amherst (or Amherst Center) is a great scene at night and the proximity to other cool places, particularly Northampton, make for a great college environment. The five college consortium is generally underutilized by UMass students, but can be a pretty awesome asset, especially with Amherst College literally a few blocks away.

Andy

UMass is not a big school, despite its impressive size, especially when you just come to visit. You can get from one far end of campus to the other in only 20 minutes, walking. There are also buses that run frequently, so don't let size scare you. For me, it was just the perfect size. It's big enough for you to meet a lot of different people, but it's not overwhelming. UMass stands a little bit on its own, as in it's about 0.5-1.5 miles from Amherst (depending on where on campus you are), but a bus will get you there or if it's a nice day, a 20-40 minute walk could be great. The town has a lot to offer in terms of food, culture, events and is essentially there for college students. The campus itself has actually gotten better over the 4 years I've been there. They've built some new dorms, finishing up a couple of new buildings, etc. Another cool thing is you can take courses at the other 4 colleges (Smith, Mt Holyoke, Amherst, Hampshire). I'd say aside from Amherst, the rest are a big hassle, since you have to essentially allow for 1.5-2 hours travel time, which makes it not worth it, unless you have a car. Onto the drawbacks: depending on your major, UMass may be a bad choice, unless you start frequenting the other schools. Some find it too big. Depending on where you live on campus, you might have to deal with lots of potheads, or crazy parties, or feel completely isolated in the dorm.

Dan

A big school is what you make of it. Professors in the small departments are very accessible but its up to you to go out and meet them. Take advantage of the great 24 hour library and study like crazy, then you might actually get something out of your college career. People who drink and never go to class rarely last a whole year.

Meagan

UMass is a huge school with a ton of different people. Most people hang out with people like them. You don't seem much interaction between social groups so the sense of community isn't really there...beyond your friends. Sometimes people forget we're all UMass students...its like living in a city. Amherst is a cool college town. A lot of people think we go to school in Boston but we're like two hours away. We don't need the city though; everything is basically right here.

Jamie

Fun times, met a lot of cool people. Very big school, lots of big classes even in my major. Nothing in Amherst besides the students. Athletics is weak, not much school pride. Teachers in my opinion only care about getting students through, but not actually teaching them. Basically on your own, no one will help you unless you ask for it

Alex

UMass is a large school, so don't come here if you are looking for an intimate experience. The majority of the teachers care about you, but they won't "babysit" you and make sure you are doing everything, like lots of homework or attendance. What you put into school reflects when it comes to midterms, finals, and papers. It is your responsibility to "make it or break it". Amherst is a great town. The surrounding area has so much to offer, and if you are complaining there isn't anything to do, you haven't explored your full options. Go apple picking, go to a club, visit the Peace Pagoda, see a student athletic game or play, go to the movies, visit Northampton via the bike path, go skiing, try contradancing (I dare you...), play lazer tag at the mall, have some local ice cream, go watch some live music, see the many alpacas down at the Hadley farm - there is so much to do here that you may not even know about.

Sarah

I think that UMass Amherst is too large. It's hard to get to know professors and the other students take advantage of it. The administration does not seem to care that much about the students. The funding does not go to students or the facilities we use everyday such as streets and dorms. The town is great. The one thing I love about the school is the access to Amherst and Northampton which are the two best towns I've ever been to. There is always something to do and interesting people everywhere.

Matt

Everyone before actually going to Umass Amherst always tells me that "it's too big, I'd never want to go here" then they actually visit and change their mind. The school is only as big as you want it to be. The 6 distinct dorm areas on campus(Ohill, Central, Southwest, Northeast, North apartments, Sylvan) offer 6 distinct living experiences, yet are close enough so that you can experience them all. Living in Southwest is like going to school in the city, living in central is like going to a small school in the country. Not to mention the food at our 4 different dining commons is quite good for a college. The town of Amherst is a great little college town, with delicious restaurants and fun bars... 15 minutes past that North Hampton is a small city with a great vibe. Go in other directions and you've got wilderness and mountains. The bus system makes it easy and affordable to get around. The location of Umass has something for everyone and the campus itself does too. D1 sports, intramural sports, clubs, concerts, art exhibits, and hundreds of different events put on yearly.

Isabel

welll lets see how can i put this basically i wouldnt want to be anywhere else. truthfully i dont know what i would be doing if i was anywhere any else. i love it here. it is a big school so you better be ready to walk like i mean walk but anyways besides ALL of the walking it is a good school. i never go a day where i am bored or not excited about tomorrow. college is always going to be fun. but there is work like serious work well for me cause i am Pre-Med but thats not a major but lets not get into that right now. but the library is the best place to study like i really get work down and theres what 22 floors to my advantage so there is always somewhere to study. Um what else theres plenty of school pride everyone loves it and theres always something juicy going on. the lacrosse players fighting, the football player who showed "himself" off what else some sad news but it's 20,000 people bigger than some towns so everything happens.

Dana

The best thing about UMass is the area and a lot of the people that go here. There are MANY different types of people that attend (however I wish it were more diverse in terms of nationalities). I like the size, but it did feel overwhelming as a freshman. By the time I became a senior the school seemed to shrink and everyone knew each other. It is the quintessential college town and I love that about it. The downtown area is not littered with fast food or chain stores, but rather local favorites (the food is amazing!). The administration, unfortunately is easily summed up as a string of red tape. Nothing flies around here and it's unfortunate because I quit my resident assistant job on a technicality that prohibited me from missing RA training for another school related acitivity.

Nicole

UMass Amherst is a HUGE school. There are so many students, but each person finds their niche. You feel more at home in your major, and the buildings you're major are in feel like a smaller school. But you also have resources of a large university. There is a lot of school pride, but there are also those who don't choose to go to sporting events, and that's fine. There are a variety of people who go there and it's easy to find friends.

Laura

Amherst is a great place to go to college, theres always something to do with such a large student body, and the other schools in the area really make it feel like an urban area in the middle of nowhere. I love going to a big school and knowing that next semester, I'll meet a whole new group of people. Its a great place to come if you want to be social, but some of the dorms are hard to socialize in as an upperclassman because it feels like everyone already knows each other; at least thats how it is in Orchard Hill. I transferred here after spending my freshman year in a city in a England, and I love that UMass has the city feel without the downsides of a city. Its not usually that noisy and there is so many different types of people here that its easy to find people to hang out with. I know people say theres a lot of violence on campus, but I rarely see that, and I think that happens in any school this size.

Hunter

I came from a town where there was a lot of pressure to go to an upper echelon, expensive private school. I decided to go to my state school, Umass, and have never looked back. I love it here. The campus is beautiful, there's endless opportunities for almost anything you want to do, and Amherst is a great community that you will quickly fall in love with. Some people are worried about the drinking scene or the riots, but that is really a very small portion of what Umass really is. On the other hand, this is definitely a big school, and I don't think it works for everyone. I would recommend it for people who are more independent and aren't afraid to get out there, get involved, and meet people.

Nicole

When I tell people I go to UMass, they automatically assume that I drink like a fish, that I shower in vodka, and I brush my teeth with Captains. This is absolutely not true, though I am one of only a handful of students who aren't future Alcoholics Anonymous members. The Umass administration is absolutely awful. In order to even get a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, you have to call 100 people who tell you to call another 100 people. It is just so bureaucratic and awful. There is a ton of school spirit though, its fun watching hockey games because everyone gets so into it. There is a lot of club spirit too. People in clubs go all out, like the comedy group Mission Improvable had a mini-prom outside the Student Union to advertise for their Promedy Jam comedy show.