For my first article of the semester, I thought I’d talk a bit about the Five College Consortium. In case you’re not sure what this is, here’s a brief summary:
Back in 1965, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, came to an agreement that the students attending these institutions should be given the opportunity to take classes away from their home campus. One of the best parts of this program is that students can take the classes for free– so there’s no stress in trying to pay a registration fee. The Five College program has been doing extremely well over the past 52 years: according to the website, the five campuses consist of 2,200 faculty members, 30,000 students, and over 6,000 courses to choose from. In other words, there are plenty of options for students who are interested in taking classes away from their home base.
When I was choosing my classes for the fall semester last April, I knew right away that I wanted to join the 5-College program. After scrolling through each of the course catalogs from each school, I found myself most interested in a class called Communication Disorders, which is offered at UMass. I signed up for the class, and felt a shock of excitement run through me. I absolutely love Mount Holyoke and all it has to offer, but I was eager to get a taste of a different college — in many ways, what could have been my college experience if I’d accepted UMass’s offer of admission back in high school.
I’ve only had two class meetings at UMass so far, but I’ve already noticed a few of benefits that come with enrolling in classes at another school:
1. You surround yourself with new faces.
This one seems extremely obvious, but it’s true. Despite the fact that UMass is a short bus drive away, the atmosphere is completely different. At Mount Holyoke I always feel at peace, and everything seems so still and serene. UMass, on the other hand, is a bit like a city: students are always bustling around the campus and there’s rarely a moment of silence. Usually before my class I like to sit on a bench somewhere outside and observe the different people who pass. As I watch them, it occurs to me that I never see the same person twice. Having thousands of people around can be a good thing, because it gives you the chance to meet and familiarize yourself with a variety of classmates.
2. You have a new classroom experience.
I knew before I attended my first class meeting that UMass’ lecture halls were enormous: some have as many as three hundred students in one lecture! But I was still amazed by just how many students were able to fit into the room when I sat down last Tuesday. My Communication Disorders class has roughly one hundred students, which seems massive compared to the size of Mount Holyoke’s average lecture hall (40 students).
I really enjoy being in this class for a few reasons. First, it’s a nice contrast to my Mount Holyoke classes. In my UMass class there’s no pressure of being called on or being pinpointed by the professor. At Mount Holyoke the classes are smaller, meaning your professors get to know you more and therefore can recognize you easily. Since I’m the kind of student who prefers to listen and take notes, being in this class is great because it allows me to blend in. Second, the overall atmosphere of the class is very relaxing. I tend to tense up a bit when I’m in a classroom where everyone is silent and simply concentrating on the task at hand. Having the relaxing environment helps me concentrate better and feel less anxious. And lastly, I enjoy this class because I sit beside a new person each time and get to know more of my classmates.
3. You get to try different dining hall food!
You can deny it all you want but it’s true: people love their food. I’m no exception and I’m quite picky about the quality of my food. That being said, another reason why I enjoy coming to UMass’ campus a few times a week is because of their dining hall experience. The dining halls are massive (which makes perfect sense, given the student population), and the food is overall delicious. Walking into the dining hall is a brand new experience for me, because I’ve grown used to the smallness of the MHC dining halls. In a way I feel a bit overwhelmed by how crowded and loud lunch time can be while at UMass, but I also enjoy seeing new people. Having so many new faces surround me at lunch makes me realize there are plenty of opportunities to make friends here. And, of course, what better time to socialize with other college students than while eating some amazing food?
The semester has only just started for students at the Five Colleges, but I’m sure that plenty more reasons will pop up for why everyone should take advantage of the Consortium as the days go by! I hope this article convinced you to at least think about enrolling in a class at one of the other four colleges in the area. After all, you’re not going to be a college student forever! So why not take advantage of the opportunity? For more information, please feel free to visit the Five College Consortium webpage.
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