The University of Massachusetts - Amherst

I'm a freshman at umass and I have to say that I had a hard time adjusting to this school in the first few weeks. You WILL be receiving a lot of independence and time management can be hard. However, everything is available for you if you choose to seek it out.

So far, I've been pretty pleased with the quality of education. My teachers are all friendly and accessible and really try to help ease the transition for incoming freshman ( also I recommend taking a freshman seminar to help with this). A few teachers are a little too pleased with themselves and sometimes they can be a little pushy about their political views, but it hasn't been a problem. The courses themselves aren't too easy or too hard (of course there will always be some variation).

The social life here is really what you make of it. There are a lot of different types of people at this campus, so you will probably end up finding a nice niche for yourself. Also, look into the different areas of campus. The stereotypes seem to hold true: smart kids in Northeast and OHill, stoners/hippies/artsy people in central, and the partiers in southwest. I've never met anyone from sylvan.. However, you'll really be able to find a party no matter where you live as it IS college. I live in Central and I love it here. The RAPs are pretty good at creating a smaller community feel so you should look into those (it doesn't really matter which one you choose as long as you are mildly interested in the subjects). Oh, and I am not a partier and I know quite a few people who aren't really into it either. Don't think that if you aren't into partying you shouldn't come to the zoo.

The dining halls serve pretty good food.. your friends from other colleges will be jealous.
The campus is beautiful, with the exception of a few buildings (the campus center, etc). The southwest area has a concrete/ city-like feel but the rest of the campus has a lot of grass and beautiful, traditional buildings. Ohill rooms have awesome closets, just fyi.

Walking around (especially if you live up the hill) can be a hassle, but you'll get used to it. If you really can't, there's the PVTA bus system. It takes you all around campus leaving at frequent intervals throughout the day. Also, you can take some PVTA buses to the surrounding area and colleges. Northampton is an awesome town, it's always fun to look around there. Amherst is also a cute little town that you could even walk to if you didn't feel like taking a bus. A MAJOR plus in terms of transportation is the fact that there is a peter pan bus stop on the campus, right next to the Fine Arts Center. It is so convenient if you are looking to go to cities like Boston or NY.I would recommend UMass to anyone, really. The cost is relatively low for a pretty good education. Also, I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it here, so that's also a good sign.

1st Year Female -- Class 2014

Individual Value: A, Useful Schoolwork: B

I am in the Honors Commonwealth College for Engineering. Umass was actually not my first choice. I was very interested in going to Northeastern University. I am so glad I decided on Umass! It is rated high for an engineering school, com college is great and the costs much lower. I had a great internship this last summer.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2012

Education Quality: A, Scholastic Success: B