UMass

Introduction
I did not actively consider UMass while applying for schools. I am from out-of-state and kind of just ended up going to UMass...but I am so glad it happened. UMass is a huge school, and at first it may be intimidating. But believe me you adjust and end up loving it. Becuase it is so big, there are endless options for classes, there are tons of people to meet, and there are millions of other things to participate in (ie parties, clubs, groups etc.) If you do choose to go to UMass, I think it is important to know what you want to get out of the school. I wanted to get a good education while and having fun, so I had to make sure to make time for both. At such a big school, it is easy to lose your way and get too wrapped up in one thing or the another (usually partying too much). But if you aren't a huge partier, or if you want to make time for studying, you can and you should. I think UMass is a great school, and that it supplies endless opportunities on multiple levels, and I am very glad that I chose to attend school here.

Campus Life and Social Life
There is always something to do on weekends. There are parties in dorms, off-campus at houses, frats, and/or sister schools. If partying isn't your scene, there are still tons of things going on in the area, especially in North Hampton, a 10-20 minute ride away. In Amherst and North Hampton there is good shopping and great restaurants.

At first it is hard to make a solid group of friends, or meet people that you find yourself completely compatible with, but you find ways to do it. You find ways to make the school smaller by picking a major, joining groups and clubs, whatnot. Advertisement
Academics
I think that our school's academics are great. There are alot of general requirements you have to take, but you still have a lot of different options to fill those requirements. I haven't enjoyed every class I have taken, but I have enjoyed a lot. My class sizes have varied between 8 and 300 students. It is just important in the huge lectures to get yourself there, and to keep up with the material, because you won't have a teacher looking out for you, asking if you have done the work, and helping you when it gets hard. Teachers are mostly very nice though, and if you take the initiative to seek them when you are having trouble, or just to get to know them, they are always very welcoming and impressed by your initiative. The workload can vary, and it totally depends on the classes and the professors.

Student Body
While students are from all over, most are from in-state. However, because the school is so big there is still a large amount of people from every place you can think of. As someone from out-of-state, there are certain things you inevitably pick up on, such as rooting for the Red Sox (unless you are a devout Yankees fan, and if so expect to seriously defend yourself), or saying words like "wicked," which I promised myself I would never say, but now I think is wicked cool.

In Closing...
UMass has been greatly stereotyped on many levels. And most of the stereotypes have been stemmed from actual occurrences. However, you should not make your decision based on them. Yes, our school is a big party school. If you are a big partier, you can party hard here. But no, if you aren't a big partier, or are somewhere in between, you can just as easily not party.