There is something about fall in UMass that feels like a warm, fuzzy hug. The kind that sneaks up on you somewhere between your first hot chocolate and the moment all the trees around campus start to glow.
Fall doesn’t arrive secretly here at UMass; it paints the entire campus in beautiful shades of red, brown, and gold. Suddenly, 8 a.m. classes don’t feel as bad, as you admire the beauty early in the morning. The same path you walk every day transforms into something softer, warmer, and almost cinematic.
You start noticing the tiny things. How people go from shorts and a top to cute fall hoodies, the conversations at Peet’s as friends get steaming coffees, and the sound of leaves crunching under your sneakers as you make your way to class. UMass in the fall feels alive, not in a chaotic way but in a slow-down and admire kind of way.
There is something deeply grounding about watching the seasons shift while you’re in college. Life moves so fast, classes blur together, as deadlines and exams pile up. But fall demands stillness. It is the start of the year, which makes it easier to slow down. It invites you to sit by the pond for five extra minutes, to take a deep breath and feel the wind. It reminds you that even when everything feels uncertain, the leaves always change.
And fall at UMass wouldn’t be complete without its food. One day, you’re grabbing apple cider from the dining hall, and the next, you go for hot chocolate with marshmallows. There is something so special about eating a warm meal after getting back from class in the cool air.
Fall also brings its own traditions: game days at McGuirk Stadium when the air buzzes with school spirit, trips to Flayvors to get a fudge brownie, and late-night movie marathons with your roommates when the temperature starts to drop. The kind of nights where you wrap yourself in a blanket, talk about everything in the world, and forget how cold it is outside.
Even the everyday routines feel cozier. Studying in the library feels calmer when golden light streams through the windows. A simple walk to class turns into an opportunity to watch the mountains in the distance turn orange. Fall gives UMass this peaceful, cinematic glow that makes even the most stressful weeks a little softer.
But maybe what makes fall here the most special is the way it reminds us of home, even if it is miles away. There is a quiet familiarity in the way the air smells before it rains or how the campus lights reflect on the wet pavement after the drizzle. It is comforting, a reminder that even in the middle of change, you can find peace.
By the time November rolls around, the trees are bare, the wind starts to bite, finals creep closer, everyone is tired, and the campus begins to quiet down. But the comfort of fall doesn’t really leave. It lingers in the memories of warm cider and laughter, sitting on the southwest lawn.
UMass in the fall feels like a deep breath, one you didn’t realize you needed until you took it. It’s a season of slowing down, taking it all in, and realizing that even in the busiest moments, there is beauty right in front of you. And that is the kind of comfort that stays with you long after the last leaf falls.
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