This is it, my final piece for Her Campus at UMass Amherst. After eight semesters of being with Her Campus, I am ready to write my 43rd article! I think it’s only fitting that I take this time to be sentimental and reminisce on the past four collegiate years. It’s hard to sum up all of the feelings and experiences I’ve had in that time, but there are certainly a few moments I know I will miss…
Getting a drink at the ISB Café
Finding out that I could get Starbucks drinks without having to leave campus was one of the best discoveries I made during my freshman year. Sometimes, all I want on a sunny afternoon is a grande iced matcha with soy milk. Or a grande iced chai with soy milk. Or a grande Dragon Drink. Sometimes a hot London fog. No matter what I get, some of my favorite moments at UMass involve visiting the ISB Café after having lunch with my best friend. This became part of our weekly routine, where we’d wait in line and discuss what new drinks we were thinking of getting (knowing the whole time we’d order the same things we always got).
Sitting in Durfee Conservatory
The fact that I can walk to a beautiful, heated greenhouse with a waterfall and koi pond without leaving campus is quite amazing. With benches tucked away amongst the greenery, Durfee became one of my favorite places for warming up on a chilly day, chatting with my friends, and peacefully observing the brightly colored flowers and koi fish. Schoolwork seems to melt away when I sit under the tropical trees and mist. My friend and I often visit after getting a drink at the ISB Café and I usually pass through it on my way back from UHS physical therapy appointments.
Watching wildlife at the pond
Most of the time, I’m speedwalking past the pond to make it to lunch at Blue Wall before the lines get too long or trying to book it all the way to my class at Herter. When I have the privilege of free time, my boyfriend and I will occasionally sit at one of the benches by the water’s edge and observe the duck couples napping under a tree, the squirrels hopping through the grass, and the honking geese that seem to multiply each week. College life moves pretty fast, and I’ll miss those moments of stillness when the sun is beginning to set and I can just watch other creatures live their lives in the center of the UMass campus.
Getting Antonio’s Pizza after a night out
Just standing in line for the bars and jamming to your favorite songs on the dance floor is exhausting. After a long night of hopping from Spoke, to Stackers, and then to McMurphs, all I want is a hefty pizza slice from trusty Antonio’s. There’s something so fun about standing in a bustling pizza joint after hours of being in a dimly lit bar. Pizza tastes best when you’re holding a slice of it after midnight and giggling with friends in the dark. I’ve tried a fair amount of Antonio’s slices, but I think I’ll miss their avocado quesadilla slice the most.
Discovering new things on campus
Even though I’m a senior, I tried a lot of on-campus things for the first time this year. I had never explored some of the student co-ops like Sylvan Snack Bar, Sweets & More, and Greeno’s Sub Shop. Yes, it took a bit of extra effort to take the 35 bus to Orchard Hill or to walk up the hill to McNamara Hall, but walking in those student-run businesses and getting some deep purple cow ice cream or a Bougie Grilled Cheese was such a treat. My roommate and I made it a point to visit every café and offbeat eatery on campus. From Whitmore Café to Snack Overflow in the computer science building, we’ve pretty much tried them all. I got to experience virtual reality for the first time by just signing up to use the extended reality rooms at the library. I’ve collected free posters from the University Museum of Contemporary Art in the Fine Arts Center. UMass may not be the Big Apple, but it holds a lot of little treasures that I’ll miss discovering.
There are so many more wonderful things that I’ll miss about my time at UMass. I’ll miss my entertaining communication lectures. I’ll miss my freshman-year brunches at Hamp, recapping the previous night to my friends. I’ll miss having a canceled class on a warm afternoon and taking the 30 bus downtown to browse the romance novels at Amherst Books. I’ll miss walking through campus and running into the friends I least expected to see. I’ll miss seeing my name on a slideshow during a Her Campus meeting, signifying that I had received an Article Recognition. Although my time at UMass is rapidly coming to an end, I’m glad that I have so many things to miss about it.
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