University of Massachusetts-Amherst Top Questions

Out of my college experience I have learned to take advantage of every opportunity on campus to increase my chances of success while creating good relationships with new friends and professors. Because the global market is becoming increasingly more competitive, taking the most beneficial courses relating to my major. College education is important since it provides me with the tools and skills that will help give me a better chance for a well-paying job. Attending college supplies students with the experience and knowledge that they are unable to obtain from a secondary school. In addition, with a higher education, I can pay off my debts much sooner, especially if I earn a Masters or Doctorates in Architecture. Although some courses can be exhausting and even tedious, if I continue to pay attention and work hard, eventually I will get a great output than my input.

In my college experience, I have reached personal goals and expanded my own horizons, along with getting a better job! For example, I have learned a language, studied arts, nature and science. I have met friends and developed relationships, not only with other students, but with professors who work in my field and in my community. This has given me a network of resources to fall back on, and a variety of skills to give me the confidence to apply for a job I wouldn't have thought possible. Most of all, my college experience has given me the desire to continue learning. I know now that I can do whatever I want if I try hard enough. I can see the progress I have made so far, and it helps me to see what a better future I can have with some hard work. It has been valuable for me to attend college because it has improved my quality of life and my prospects for the future.

Umass Amherst has provided me with so many opportunities to suceed both academically and personally it is hard to sum up in 200 words. The talented faculty and motivated students on campus have helped me to learn in so many different directions. I have become a better writer, a better worker, a better student, a better friend, and a better person. By going to college I have gained new skills and gone through new experiences which have allowed me to grow into my own person and begin to see a new and bright future on the horizon.

I can honestly say that every day I have in some way paused to be immensely grateful for my college experience: both the good and the bad. For the first two years of college, I attended Clark University where I grew tremendously, both academically and emotionally. I dealt with crippling depression and anxiety, fell in love for the first time, and in spite of all this, managed to succeed academically and find my true passion: sociology. After my sophomore year, I knew I needed to make a change in my life so I transferred to UMass Amherst. I am now so happy I made that decision! There are a wide variety of classes taught by passionate professors who are dedicated to helping the student learn. I also reconnected with nature, started singing again, joined the Habitat for Humanity club, and made some lifelong friendships. When I think of who I was in high school and how much stronger, more capable, independent, cultured, compassionate, and mature I am now, I know college is the invaluable experience that has made me grow and learn so much. Not a day goes by where I don’t pause and appreciate this incredible blessing.

I met my husband at college, so it was the best experience possible!

And education and a wider perspective on the world.

I am a college freshman at a community college right now. I was stereotipical about community college at first , and I think they are not as valueble as other Univeristies. However, my instructors of my current community college helped me a lot to go through my first few months of college. And now, my total viewpoint towards my community college has changed dramatically. My community college tries to keep each class as small as possible, so that every one can get taken care of in the classroom. Also, our coummunity college provides free tutoring in our library everyday after school. Moreover, the teachers are very responsible on students; they try to help us solve oour problems as soon as possible. For me, being a student at my community college gave me a chance to understand the material in the classroom better, helped me to work on my homework effectively aftrer school, and felt like being taken care of in the campus. I think it's definitely worth to attend a community college because it will give you a chance to learn the knowledge more specificly and to understand the material more deeply.

Attending the University of Massachusetts has given me a different perspective on life. Before coming here I was very shy and didn't know the potential that I had. Being a music major at such a prestegious department made me nervous, but upon entering I found that not only was I able to meet the expectations of my professors, but also exceed them. Being at this University gave me a taste of reality, an idea of what it was going to be like in the real world. With meeting deadlines and being on my own I was given choices. Just like in the real world I was given simple choices, "Will I finish this paper, or will I go and play Xbox 360?" "Will I practice for one more hour, or will I just surf the net?" I was and am still given simple choices like these that can make the difference between a successful entrepeneur or a cashier at McDonalds. Seeing the drive of my fellow peers at this university have continued to inspire me to make the right choices so that when I'm in the real world I will be prepared to face all of its challenges.

I am sincerely proud to be a University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni. Being able to thrive in today’s ever changing global economy requires fluency in foreign languages, international experience, and cross-cultural understanding. It was the diverse network of peers, wonderful study abroad opportunities and community background which I found to be my greatest asset and one that I earned by being a part of the UMASS family. The college experience at this school is whatever you make it. The variety of clubs and groups offered are limitless, hundreds if not thousands support our athetics and nearly 1 out of 3 people on campus are wearing their school name proudly on their sweatshirt. Incorporating my personal and educational background with experiences has been a proven success formula both from my previous and current journeys. I gained valuable knowledge of not only independence and course work, but peer relationships, possabilities and goal setting. I wouldn't change my choice of further education for anything.

So far I have been working to obtain my Associates Degree in General Studies with an emphasis on social and behavioral sciences at Palomar Community College. This is important to me because I find it vital to recieve a general education in order to have a successful job. However, in order to have a successful career that I am passionate about, I must continue schooling else where in a major that interests me. That is why I have chosen to attend the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA next fall of 2011 as a photography major. I find it important in one's life to pursue a career in which he or she is passionate about, in order to achieve an above average, happy, and successful life. Too many Americans have settled for the "average," where they are stuck in a profession they have no interest in. This lifestyle is not for me. That is why I believe a college education in a major that makes one happy is of great importance to the overall value of that person's life.

From my college experience, I have obtained a healthy curiosity. An odd thing to say, I'm sure, but that's how I feel. When anything strikes me as interesting or odd, I like to prod and understand. When my professor says that hedging on an inside straight in Poker is a beginner's trap, I'd like to know why. If there is a physical phenomenon that is unituitive, I want to try to understand the mechanics behind polarized film and how light is blocked out. My curiosity also applies to the social aspect of campus life. Many denominations tend to gather on campus, many either preaching the beliefs of their religions or simply vendoring information. I like to ask those people sometimes where their faith comes from because I am interested on how they think and where they come from. I remember a woman named Catherine who was a good Christian woman who's only wish was to save everyone she could. I also met a set of Mormons who were more interested in their lady friends than in teaching me their faith, even when I asked them for guidance. Strange world...

There are a lot of great people to meet, awesome professors and a great variety of majors. People push you to do what's best for you and you really feel accepted.

My college experience has been amazing so far; I love every aspect of it. It makes me cringe when people say, "you're half way done", because I would honestly stay forever. I have made great friends and met diverse people. All types of personalities are welcome, including Harry Potter! Seriously though, there is an active Quidditch club team on campus, complete with brooms between their legs! Living in Amherst is a great change of scenery for me, as I’m used to life in the Boston suburbs. College has opened me to new experiences. I am now a proud member of the UMASS Women's Club Rugby team. I had never considered playing nor heard much of the sport, but it has become one of my favorite activities. It is a nonstop, 80 minute game full of contact and intensity. It has tested my mental and physical abilities more than ever. We practice Monday-Friday, with games every Saturday. This serious commitment has forced me to keep my life in order socially and academically. If anything, I would say that being in college has taught me time management, and to welcome new people and experiences.

The most valuable things I have gotten out of my college experience would be my knowledge, many credits out of the way for cheap, and life long lessons. I am attending a local community college and living at home. As much as I wanted to have fun at a big university, I am thankful I stayed home and saved money. By taking these two years at a community college I have gained many credits for a much cheaper price. These classes will all be able to transfer to wherever I decide to go in the future. Within the past year and a half I have decided on a career and major. I have realized that there is a huge world out there and you will have to be active in going after your dreams.

I never thought that I would attend just a public state school for college. I have learned after 2 years at the university that this school offers you anything you want. I have learned how to live on my own using the transition that the university provides its students. It has taught me valuable life lessons and ways to compose myself in all situations in life. I feel ready for the real world and am excited to see what is to come this upcoming semester.

One of the most important things I have gotten from my college experience thus far is the relationships that result as being a student here. Given the size of the university, you have to put a large amount of effort into not forming a friendship with someone that you can connect with on several levels. Such an esteemed university attracts these different types of people, giving students the option to get to know one another and learn from each other. Other than the fact that your fellow students can become good friends, they also are fantastic resources. The people you meet here can be very helpful, whether it be in reference to a class or subject or where to find the best ice cream in town!

I started college over 30 years ago and was not able to complete my education due to life circumstances. Going back to school as an older adult was the most rewarding, exciting, challenging, and fulfilling experience since the birth of my children. Actually, I could liken the experience to my pregnancies. The expectations of the experience, the anxieties of whether or not I would be able to really finish the process and be good at it, the labors of the day to day, the unknown of what will be once I finished, were all part of the experience. Now that it is done, I am left elated and saddened at the same time, for I miss the whole process. The journey to finish my schooling was really the education. It was so much more than academics. It was getting to know myself better. It was getting reacquainted with my younger self and saying, I remember you. It was stepping into a world that seemed tailored just for me, welcoming yet challenging. The experience helped me grow not just academically, it also bolstered my self esteem, my confidence, and my outlook on the world and my place in it.

College, has been a real building block in life helping me really figure out what i want and how to attain my goals.

With my degree I am prepared to find a job right out of college. I have found life-long friends, mentors, and educators that I will help me suceed in my future career.

During the one year of college that I have attended, I have learned many invaluable lessons. The first of which was learning how to take care of myself. Needless to say, getting basic needs wasn?t as simple as asking my parents for them. I had to acquire a job far away from the help and advice of my parents; and when the company that I was employed for shut down, I found other jobs that kept me employed for the remaining year. Also, I learned that hard work is rewarded greatly, and studying well results in superior grades. Some other knowledge I acquired was that heeding authority is more important than doing what you think you should be able to do. During the two semesters I have also been required to dwell among roommates. I learned much about how to relate to individuals, and I also made many friends that I still keep in contact with. Learning to take care of myself aided in the realization of how extensively my parents and those in authority do to ensure my wellbeing, and learning how to coexist with my fellow roommates gave me a much greater appreciation for my four siblings.