With just a few weeks left until summer comes to an end and students begin moving back into college, I started feeling really nostalgic about being at university. So I decided to ask 37 people what their favorite part of college was. The answers ranged from the campus to the sports games to the food to the friends, and everything in between. No answer is exactly the same, just like no experience is exactly the same. I can't wait to go back to UMass Amherst and enjoy all of these amazing things myself.
1. The diversity. - Brianna
2. Meeting lots of different and interest people, both professors and students. - Grace
3. Not having to consult with a parent or family member about where you will be or what you will be doing. - Matt
4. That college is its own bubble and feels separate from the rest of the world. - Chris
5. The potential for it to be anything I want to make it. My college experience is for me, my path, and my future, and I can shape it any way I want. Society makes it so important to define yourself by what you major in or where you go to school, but I prefer to see it as a chance to better myself and explore what is most interesting to me. It gives me the power to become whoever I want to be. - Dana
6. There's always someone new to meet, and they can be from anywhere in the U.S. or the world; it's awesome to branch out unlike in high school. - Hanna
7. The atmosphere and the people! The people I've met the past two years are so supportive and caring. - Emilee
8. My friends and the experiences I've had with them. I wouldn't exchange that for anything in the world. - Omer
9. Getting to choose my classes and what I wanted to study. I was able to specialize in my area of interest and also choose classes outside my major that I found fascinating. - Marisa
10. The wide selection of classes and awesome professors. - Kerrin
12. All the amazing new people I've met. - Kristen
13. Being at the vanguard of studies. It was really exhilarating to be able to deeply study archaeology because there are so many things that haven't yet been solidified in scientific fact. I loved learning about the possibilities and likelihoods of various things. -Joe
14. Constant activity. - Arsanuos
15. Walking around campus when it's nice out. - Richard
16. The feeling of being on your own and the ability to carve out your own destiny by choosing a form of academia that will eventually determine your career. - Eddy
17. Just the people I meet. Plain and simple. - Justin
18. The sense of community, especially that which comes with being a student at such a big school. Of course there are differences between us, and there are certainly people in the world trying to divide us because of them... but at UMass, people can really come together. Going to hockey games was always fun because it was such a fun and inclusive vibe! -Courtney
19. The friends I'm surrounded by, the food, and the freedom. - Cait
20. I keep finding new families to bond with on campus, whether it be clubs or co-workers or music groups. - Jacob
21. You get to take your life in the direction that you want it to go, no longer have your parents breathing down your neck, and you don't have to hang out with people just because they go out to your school. You can take advantage of the unlimited possibilities surrounding you. - Deanna
22. The endless list of things going on on campus. - Kailey
23. The feeling of "Wow, I'm in college!" - Michelle
24. Realizing that the major I picked to study was something I really enjoyed and was talented at. - Kathy
25. My fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega! - Nat
26, So many buddies! - Fitz
27. Being in Delta Kappa Epsilon and experiencing Greek life. Having guys around me who were going through the same things, good or bad, definitely made my college experience something I will always remember. - Tracy
28. Taking classes with people who are just as excited to talk about a subject matter as I am. - Jessica
29. Finally being able to take classes in a subject that I'm really interested in. - Sarah
30. Being in a new environment with people my age from all different backgrounds. You can always find your niche, no matter what it is. - Colin
31. Having the ability to pick classes I really look forwards to. - Liz
32. Watching people jump out of second story windows into giant snowdrifts. - Laura
33. All the wonderful opportunities to choose and make friends. - Matt
34. The schoolwork. - Aliyah
35. A reprieve from toxic friends and family at home. - Maddie
36. Being able to regularly sit 23 stories in the air while doing my homework. - Chad
37. The freedom! - Benjamin
