Smoking Weed May Not Be as Harmless as You Think
In my experience, both legal and illegal marijuana are easily accessible in college. The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged many college...
Julia Oktay (U Mass Amherst ‘22)
Julia Oktay (U Mass Amherst ‘22)
Julia is a junior at UMass Amherst studying Operations and Information Management at the Isenberg School. She self-supports via her two jobs as an office assistant and a social media director for a local nonprofit. Besides her career, she is passionate about social justice, journaling, and exploring the Pioneer Valley.
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Why College Students Are Partying During a Pandemic
As the pandemic wears on into the winter, mental illness knocks on our door. The combination of social isolation, not being able to get out...
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Fostering Friendship During a Pandemic
It’s easy to underestimate the extent to which losing our acquaintances affects us. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all lost...
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Why I Went Vegetarian After 20 Years of Eating Meat
Some people get bangs after a life-changing event; I went vegetarian . I had made a change that was supposed to make me happy. So, why wasn...
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Dating During a Pandemic: College Edition
I thought dating was hard in 2019. When the pandemic hit, I remember thinking, “Thank God I’m not single!” However, I spoke too soon. As a...
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Moving Off Campus? Furnishing on a Budget
I have been an RA facing housing insecurity for a year now. When the pandemic hit, I was told UMass Amherst reversed its reopening plan. I...
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Professional poker is far from free money: An interview with a pro.
Andrew* started playing poker at eight years old, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a professional poker player. At fifteen,...
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Coronavirus and the U.S. Economy: Explained
I wasn’t worried until my University sent on-campus residents home and I lost my summer internship. Here’s what you need to know about the...
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How active listening cured my fear of love
Around the month of October last year, my boyfriend stopped having time for me. I was the youngest in my family growing up, and they used...
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Pedestrians continue to die on the UMass Amherst campus. Here’s why.
On November 30, 2018, Lili and I were leaving Wheeler Hall on foot when she was hit by a car on Thatcher Street. It all happened so fast...
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Personal Budgeting with Excel: College Student Edition
When I started paying my own bills, the first thing I did was create a personal budget spreadsheet to make sure I could afford all my bills...
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Being an RA is Not Like What You See on TV--It's Way Harder
One of my residents knocked on my door last month, specifically to ask me, “Why don’t you ever wear a bra?” I wish this story could end...
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Forever No More: Here’s the Lowdown on the Forever21 Bankruptcy
In late September, Forever21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company was founded by a young South Korean immigrant couple in 1984. Do...
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Dodging Drinking Culture at College: Actually Fun Alternatives to Partying
The holiday season is upon us: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. ‘Tis the season of getting drunk every weekend. Since Amherst is...
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How I Bought My Own Car Months After I Moved Out, at 19-Years-Old
I have been self-supporting financially for seven months, and last week I bought my own car. Last week, I got an internship 30 minutes away...
