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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:08/02/2007 8:20 PM |
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A question and answer thread for everything about college!! Tests, applying and visiting to dorm life, roommates and college courses.
I'm starting at UMass Amherst next month, so I can answer questions about applying and, soon, about the college experience. I also took some courses at a community college in my senior year of high school.
My experience with applying was an average one, I think. I applied to 5 schools and got into 3. What is a little unusual is that I ended up going to my safety school. But Umass is a great school, for a great value. What makes it even more attractive is the Living and learning communities they offer for first year, which I didn't even know about until after I was accepted. That really influenced my decision to go to Umass. The other good thing about Umass is that it has everything, because it's so big: so many great classes and activities to choose from!
Please feel free to ask or discuss whatever is on your mind concerning college! 
Edited By : LizzyBennet
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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trishshaughnessy
Posts:18
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Posted:12/07/2007 4:51 PM |
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Are there more younger students at UMASS this year, b/c ive been thinking of applying there.
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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:01/26/2008 5:20 AM |
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I'm not sure what you mean by younger students, but I'm pretty sure the class size each year gets bigger. I think my class (of 2011) is the record. Does this answer your question?
By the way, my first semester at UMass was great! I had some fantastic teachers, and learned that the most important thing in college is SLEEP, and as much as you can get. Having fun at umass is really easy, but sometimes sleep is much preferable 
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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pageturner12
Posts:184
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Posted:06/14/2008 9:28 PM |
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When do you think is a good time to start college searches and how did you decide on your major?
And thanks for offering to answer questions; it is really helpful since getting into college is such a stressful time
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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:07/20/2008 4:06 AM |
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Hey, sorry I didn't reply sooner!!  silly me sort of forgot I was still moderator here. Oops! 
But yeah, as I remember, application deadlines are somewhere in the middle of senior year (like December or January). Early Decisions deadlines are around November. It's best to leave plenty of time to research, visit schools and make decisions, not to mention putting together the applications. I think a good time to start thinking about it and asking around is Junior year. That way you can have time for visits during the summer before senior year.
How early you start thinking about college also kind of depends on you, though. Some people know exactly where they want to go and choose not to do too much beforehand, but to just apply to that school early decision and maybe a few others as safety schools.
And some people (like me) have no idea where they want to go, and spend months and months doing extensive research and visiting. 
About majors, It's always best to go with something you like doing, obviously. In High School my best subject was English. I thought I wanted to be a writer, so I went into College as an English Major.
But another very important thing about majors is not to feel rushed, or like you HAVE to have a major right away. For instance, Even though I went into college thinking I'd major in English, I happened to take a Philosophy course my first semester and realized that that was what I really loved. So now I want to major in Philosophy, possible doubling with English (cause that's still cool, too )
Moral of story: it never hurts to be a little adventurous when you choose classes during your first year of college. You might find something amazing that you never new existed!
You're welcome for the help--I just hope it is in fact helpful!
Ask more!
Edited By : LizzyBennet
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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pageturner12
Posts:184
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Posted:07/21/2008 5:48 PM |
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Thanks, that is really helpful. Are there any books or advice you found helpful when deciding a college? What was the deciding factor, when you just knew that college was the one you wanted to go to?
What are the living and learning communities?
Edited By : pageturner12
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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:07/21/2008 7:56 PM |
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There was one book that a friend lent me that was very helpful. It was called "Campus: Confidential (the complete guide to the college experience by students for students)" It goes through everything college from deciding where to go to getting along with your roommate.
My own advice for deciding where to go: Visits are very important and can really give you a feel for what it would be like to go to school there. When you go on visits, talk to the students there are much as possible to see what their individual experiences have been like.
Also, if you are interested in a specific subject, make sure the schools you are looking at are strong in that field. Later down the line when you start connecting with professors in your field, doing research projects or senior projects or whatnot, this becomes important. If the college has a strong program in your field (great professors, lots of resources), it is much to your benefit.
I think that going to UMass Amherst has biased me a little towards larger universities. I find it a wonderful feeling to know that there are so many resources at my fingertips, and pretty much whatever I want to do, there is probably already a class in it, a club for it, or an organization for it, etc. etc.
Although I am now a big UMass fan, back when I was deciding where to go I thought that I really wanted to go to Bennington college, a small private school with a well-known English program. The final decision had to do with how much financial aid I got. UMass gave me a great package that would make it very easy for me. In the end I decided that UMass offered just as good of an education, without all the extra loans I would have needed for Bennington. And I think that I was right. The education at UMass is top-notch. The only difference from Bennington is the environment you find yourself in: the size of the school, the diversity of people you meet, etc.
Living and learning communities at UMass are something that few people know about, actually. It is a fairly new program where they have groups of students with the same major or interest live together on the same floor of a dorm building, while taking one or two classes together in their subject of interest. These are mainly for first year students, because it creates an environment where you can become very close to the people you live with and take classes with. It creates a smaller, closer community within the large university. As corny as that sounds, it actually works incredibly well.
There are two types of first year living and learning communities: TAPs (Talent advancement programs), which you have to be invited to based on skill, and RAPs (Residential Academic Programs), which you can get into if there is room and you are interested in or majoring in that subject.
Last year I was in the English TAP, which was 24 people who entered the university majoring in English, and who were invited to the TAP based on talent. It was a really awesome thing to have a roommate and everyone on my floor be interested in what I was interested in, and for us all to take classes together. We ended up editing and checking each other's papers a lot, and discussing books we were reading in class, and just being overall really good friends. 
Anyways, this is getting to be a very long post so I should probably stop rambling now. 
Hope that helped.
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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pageturner12
Posts:184
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Posted:07/21/2008 9:39 PM |
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That definitely helped. Those living and learning communities sound great!!! I ordered that book from the library and am sure that will help. How are your freshman dorms? I know I ask a ton of questions, but I am the oldest and have not had older siblings to go through.
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Bookworm
Posts:1964
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Posted:07/21/2008 11:47 PM |
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Don't worry about asking too many questions. That's what this topic is for!
Anyway, I have a question too. I know Umass Amherst is part of the five-college program, along with Amherst College, Hampshire College, etc. Do you take any classes at any of the other four colleges? What do you think of that program?
"I think you live in a different world than the rest of us." --one of my teachers
I love being weird! ^_^
"You earned 3 happy smile points." --Kirby Superstar |
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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:07/31/2008 7:34 PM |
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I'm glad that I helped, pageturner.
Freshman dorms are some of the best, actually. Lots of the first year living and learning programs are in Orchard Hill and Central, respectively the nicest and most convenient dorm areas, in my opinion. Orchard hill has some of the biggest rooms and Central is really close to everything. UMass is nice to their freshman.
Bookworm, I have not yet taken advantage of the 5 college program, but I know people who have and they love it. There is a free bus service between the 5 schools so it is easy to get around, and I hear it's a great experience to take classes at the other schools. Also, for us at UMass some "regular" classes at other schools (like Amehrst College) can count as honors courses, which is awesome! I'm planning to take a class at Amherst or Mt.Holyoke either next semester or next year.
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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pageturner12
Posts:184
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Posted:07/31/2008 10:02 PM |
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Thanks again for more informative answers.
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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:08/04/2008 3:47 AM |
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You're welcome! Don't be afraid to ask as many as you want!
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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pageturner12
Posts:184
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Posted:08/04/2008 1:31 PM |
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How are roommates and are you allowed cars on campus?
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LizzyBennet
Posts:127
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Posted:08/07/2008 5:51 PM |
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Roommates are the luck of the draw, really. I was very lucky to get an awesome roommate who was very respectful, neat, clean, and a cool person at that. But if you don't request a roommate you really can't know what you're going to get. In a First Year Program, though, you can at least know that your roommate is interested in the field you are interested in (hopefully).
Cars are allowed on campus and some parking is provided, depending on where you live. I believe that parking is plentiful in some areas and harder to come by in others.
~Lizzy Bennet
www.ilkcardgame.com <---awesomeness. check out. :) |
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pageturner12
Posts:184
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Posted:08/09/2008 2:33 PM |
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Thanks again!
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