One of the biggest fears as an incoming UMass freshman is feeling as though there is no way to stand out – to be thought of as a student instead of a number. Everyone says that the lectures are massive, the professors won’t know your name, and by the end of the year, you still won’t know half of the people living in your building. These rumors made going to UMass intimidating. Truthfully, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find people that would accept me, or that I would feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of students in attendance at UMass. I knew 60 people from my high school alone would be going to this university. I was already one out of 60, going on to become one out of 20,000. The odds were ominous.
When I arrived at school, however, I was surprised to discover that everyone was not only eager to make friends, but they were also accepting and kind. The students at UMass come from all over, some from Connecticut, some from Maryland, and even some from California. The diversity provided on campus by so many out of state students allows the other students insight into different places lives – something I hadn’t expected to find.
It wasn’t until I was living on campus that I realized how small this school has been. What seemed so daunting on the college map was actually close in reality. As I became comfortable in my new surroundings, I became more familiar with the buildings and the community that was now a part of my everyday commute.
As I spent more time with people in my classes and in my building, I began to realize that I was not alone. Walking around campus I began to see familiar faces everywhere I went, and many people were even calling out my name. All of this made me question the rumors I had previously been told. It was only four weeks into my college career and already I felt like I was residing at a home away from home.
As for the classes and the professors, I found those rumors also to be false. Yes, some UMass classes offered are large, but some classes offered are also small. There exists a range of classes similar to the wide range of people. If you are the kind of person that needs one on one class time, then you probably should refrain from taking a lecture that has 500 students in it. If you don’t like volunteering your thoughts, then you probably shouldn’t enroll in a class that consists of only 20 students. Even if you are stuck having to take a class in which you do feel lost in the crowd, every professor has office hours, and they are always willing to talk to you.
The thing about a large school like UMass is that there are opportunities to be found that you do not have at a smaller school. Many would say that the up side to picking a small school would be the class sizes and the close relationships with professors. I find that everything a smaller college offers, a larger school offers even more. UMass is what you make it. Every person I have talked to, whether it is a transfer student or senior, have all said that UMass was the best decision they ever made. As Amanda Dennis said in last week’s paper, “UMass wasn’t my first choice, but now that I’m here, I could never go anywhere else, UMass has become my home.”
Emma Anthony is a Collegian columnist. She can be reached at [email protected].
