I’m now a sophomore, and so far I’ve had an incredible time here at UMass. I couldn’t imagine myself at many other schools outside of this one, and I have to pat myself on the back a little bit. I worked really hard to give myself this wonderful experience, and I hope it’ll help whoever is looking for advice for their upcoming freshman year.
Academics
Unfortunately, we do have to eat our vegetables before we eat our dessert. The good news is that you are paying to do this, so I think it’s only fair that I give some tips to help with academics. I am not the strongest student. It takes a lot just for me to even just a B in something.
One study trick I have is to get Quizlet+ (not sponsored, I just highly recommend it). If you don’t want to use any study websites, stick to some good old-fashioned flash cards. I would also recommend using Google Calendar or some planner to better map out your week. It’s helped me stay organized and not become overwhelmed with planning because trust me, you will be busy in college.
Roommates
The first thing I did before even coming to UMass was reach out to people on the 2028 commitment page. To be honest, this sucks. Most people will leave you on delivered, or you simply won’t click. I will say that many other people and I were able to find roommates and are still friends with them to this day. Even after I got a roommate, I still reached out to folks as a way to better immerse myself in my class. I did end up making a couple of friends through this process, though it’s not ideal.
When finding a roommate, I would recommend making sure you are rooming with someone new. From what I’ve observed, many people who roomed with high school friends had a much harder time adjusting and making new friends. I would also stay away from going random. Almost everyone I know who got a random roommate either had to move out or didn’t get along. I only speak for a fraction of college students, but I still think it’s worth pointing out these things.
Extracurriculars
Before coming to college, I highly suggest skimming your college’s club and sports lists and trying to find one or two clubs you want to join. If you played a sport in high school, maybe try joining the intramural version. I found that joining a club gave me structure and a greater sense of purpose on this campus. Both my roommate and I did this and found a lot of joy in the clubs we joined. While this may not be on your radar now, you do want to start filling up your resume with college experiences, so this’ll be a massive help.
I would also suggest starting to go to your school’s recreational center. It should be free, and it’s a good way to get in some exercise (especially if the weather is getting bad).
Friends
I am definitely on the lucky side and did not struggle to make friends at school. Maybe on a bad day, I felt like I didn’t have many friends, but I had a mission and I succeeded. Let me show you how. You are going to have a floor meeting where your RA goes over rules and whatnot for your dorm. Talk to as many people there as possible. I met like four of my friends there. I would also highly recommend either making a group chat for your dorm or joining one. I got to know a lot of people in my building, and it made my dorm feel more like home. Tied directly into this, join a RAP (Residential Academic Program). This might be specific to just UMass, but when you are applying for classes for the summer, you have the option to join a RAP. The RAPs typically fill a gen ed, and when you join, it also gets you housing for that exact building. Joining helped me meet more people, and I got a specified preference for my dorm. Outside of your dorm, make sure you’re trading socials with people you click with.
For those worried, excited, or somewhere in the middle, I promise it will be okay. The one thing you need to remember is that you need to put in the effort, or else you won’t go anywhere. I also think that everybody’s experience is different. I know several people who transferred out and are much happier, as well as the other way around. Keep your head held high, and you’ve got this!
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