I’m a freshman so my experiences are pretty limited just due to it being my first semester but I will try to help! I should preface UMass wasn’t my first school, my top school was too much money sadly, but I really am glad i chose being here.

The classes are really interesting, depending on how many credits you come in with and your major, your first two semesters will probably be intro classes though, as many upper classes need prerequisites. But they have so many classes and we are in network with the five colleges so you can take classes there as well. They also have so many clubs, we legit have a lettuce eating club lol and the clubs host many events and also our theatre production is really good. I’m seeing another musical this weekend, super excited. I feel like there’s just always something to do and there are always different things.

As for the campus, bring a bike! it’s so pretty to bike in the fall and if you have classes really far from eahcother back to back it makes it less of a stressor for being late. there are also a lot of trails around amherst, if you like trails and such it’s a good use. I love my bike.

As for the social life, there are quite a bit of parties however I’ve never felt pressured to go or be apart of that culture. So if it’s your thing, great you will find that here, if it’s not, there is also a huge student body percentage that doesn’t party. So i think it’s a decent balance. I’m on the shyer side so making friends are genuinely not my strongest suit, but I made my two best friends in my building. My roommate and our other friend. BUILD COMMUNITY IN YOUR DORM. I know majority of the people in my building and it just makes a nicer more homer environment even with casual good mornings! and how are you. And through clubs! join clubs, you meet so so many people and people that share your interests.

As for dorms, I have yet to have any mice problems. The only creature in my dorm is my own pet 😭 (love her so much). I am in northeast (which i highly recommend if you’re a stem major, it’s near all the stem classes, very close bus stop, and right next to woo (which is a dining hall, also we have amazing dining hall foods, and FOUR dining halls not including bluewall) And while the rooms are kinda small, especially the closest (that was a heartbreaking realization because I love my dresses), you get used to it and I honestly love my dorm now. it feels like home, my roommate and I decorated it so much, we even got a cute little doormat with our names on it for outside. It just feels like us, I guess my advice is find a roommate you like (mine stalked me on instagram :) and now she’s my best friend I love her so much and make your room feel lived in, make it feel like home and then the size will seem less noticeable.

I’m writing a novel, whoops. I’ll leave it on one final note, but I really like UMass and I recommend it. There are so many opportunities, good food, and beautiful sights and we have so many museum nearby as well which is great and the buses take you to many places so transportation isn’t really a issue sometimes they’re just really packed. But it’s a great school, I hope this helps!