Should I Go To University of Massachusetts

Should I Go To University of Massachusetts The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Joseph is a New York City tutor specializing in a variety of foreign languages including German tutoring, Latin tutoring, and Spanish tutoring. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2011 with a B.M. in Music Performance. Check out his review of his school: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Joseph: I attended UMass Amherst from 2007-2011 and still have the fondest memories of the school. From the moment I walked onto the campus for the first time, I felt right at home and knew that it was the place where I should be. UMass is situated in Western Massachusetts in an area that is not too far from Boston or New York, but still far enough from both that the hustle of the city seems like a distant world. With 25,000 students, though, UMass feels like a town of its own, situated in the middle of rural Massachusetts. While I had a car when I was there, the public transportation system is more than adequate, and serves not only the campus of the UMass area but the whole Pioneer Valley area. You could reasonably take a bus from UMass to Springfield, Northampton, or any other area you desired to go to in the area. As far as safety goes, UMass is perfectly safe, with police stationed on weekend nights, and more importantly, a general air of positivity and no tolerance for violence that makes attempts at theft, assault, etc. very rare. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Joseph: The professors at UMass truly love what they do. Even in my general education classes with 400 students, I never had to wait long to get a response from my professors about questions from the class, exams, finals etc. Even more available were the TAs who ran study sessions for their sections, and in some classes, even did Friday labs where we would go over the information presented in class in a smaller setting to make sure every person comprehended the information and had all the tools possible to succeed in the class. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Joseph: Dorm life was actually the best thing that I took away from UMass. I met my best friends there, and even now, 6 years later, I live with 2 of my fellow dorm-mates in New York. I will press the fact that I praise UMass so much, not because everything about it is perfect, but because it has endless choices. If you look, you will find a dormitory that fits you perfectly. Are you social and love being around people? You can live in the residence areas of Central or Southwest (where there are plenty of dorms) and socialize. If youre more studious, you can live in Orchard Hill. If youre an introvert, you can live in Sylvan, away from the campus traffic. Dining options are also endless, with 4 huge dining commons on the campus and award-winning dining. There is still many a night when I wish I could swipe my card into the dining services and eat to my hearts desire. As far as opportunities with other students go, if you have a pulse, you will make friends. With 25,000 kids, you are bound to find someone with similar interests with whom you will make a true bond of friendship. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Joseph: The majors that are best represented and supported at UMass would have to be any of the majors that fall under the Isenberg School of Business. As one of the foremost business schools in the country, it was definitely a main priority for the UMass administration to both publicize and fund. I myself was a Music major, which was not particularly highly-funded by the university, but it gave just adequate funding (common universally for Music) that allowed us to take part in trips around the USA, as well as new lockers, etc. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Joseph: As already stated, if you have a pulse, you will make friends. Between your dorms, new classes, the plethora of social events at the beginning of the year sponsored by the campus, etc., theres no way youre going to be eating alone after the first day. Greek life has a small but present role in the campus social life. 5% of the undergraduate population is in a fraternity or sorority, and many of them are geared toward community service. As the UMass website says Fraternities and sororities are about friendships, scholarship, community service, philanthropy, brotherhood, sisterhood and leadership. I think this sums up the role that Greek life plays on the campus of UMass. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Joseph: The Career Center at UMass has career fair after career fair, with each day carved out for a specific major. Many of my friends started paid internships through UMass that have progressed into paid full-time jobs. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Joseph: UMass has plenty of quiet areas to study, the foremost one being the library. Being the 2nd tallest library in the world, there is plenty of space for you to study, both in peace on any of the floors, or with a friend on one of the slightly louder floors toward the bottom. The student union center is a little too active to study in, but the dorm lounges are spacious, available 24/7, and extremely comfortable. If one of those locations doesnt suit you, you could always find a secluded area outside near the lake or on Orchard Hill. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Joseph: Amherst is one of the most fun towns Ive ever been to in my life. It is full of amazing restaurants, clubs, bars, etc. Students go there not only every weekend, but more often every night, since its only a 5-minute walk away from the center of campus. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Joseph: The student body is pretty big, and I realize that might not be good for everyone. With 25,000 students, there certainly are many people walking around, but I would like to stress that it never felt frenetic or crowded. In the general education classes, the number of students was larger; it could be anywhere from 40 to 400 students. In the classes more geared to my major, there were probably anywhere from 12-40 students. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Joseph: The most memorable professor I had was definitely Professor Anthony Tuck, the Classics teacher. He was the coolest guy; I really loved going to his class. I remember one time, he brought his son into class (a newborn baby) and one of the girls said that he was cute. He let the girl hold the baby. It was entertaining and reinforced my belief that Professor Tuck was the most awesome man ever. Check out Josephs tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Should I Go To University of Missouri

Should I Go To University of Missouri The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Megan is a Kansas City tutor specializing in ACT prep tutoring, Anatomy tutoring, Reading tutoring, and much more. She graduated from University of Missouri in 2009 with a degree in Secondary Education. See what she had to say about her alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Megan: The campus is found in the middle of Columbia, which is a very nicely developing college town. The transportation options are plentiful; there are shuttles and buses to many locations all over town. Living on campus is an option, and there are shuttles that transport many students to off-campus housing as well. Columbia also has wonderful hiking, running, and bike trails that connect in a system all over town, eliminating the need for a car or bus. The campus is very safe. There are blue lights, the emergency call system, located everywhere. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Megan: As for availability, it depends on the class and the teacher. However, every professor and T.A. that I encountered at Mizzou strove to help students learn in any way possible. My advisors were and are some of the most important people in my life. I worked in a science laboratory as an undergraduate, and the connections I made to my professors and advisors through that lab experience are still strong. As a graduate student at Mizzou, my advisors were amazingly helpful and provided guidance for me that I could not have gotten elsewhere. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Megan: The dorms were wonderful. Mizzou has been working on renovating most of its on-campus housing to be suite style. I lived in dorms for two years as an undergraduate, all in suite-style housing. The rooms were very spacious and nice, with 4 people sharing 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a common living room. When I was a freshman, I was in a program meant to help ease the transition from high school to college, socially and academically. I was placed in a dorm with other students who had declared the same interests, so socialization opportunities were always present. We of course also ate on campus when I lived in the dorms. The food was wonderful, at Mizzou they are known for the Mizzou 22, not the freshman 15. That supposed weight gain, however, does not happen if you walk all over campus to class and stay active. The campus itself is about 15-20 minutes across walking, so there is plenty of opportunity for exercise. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Megan: Honestly, I cant say which majors/programs are best represented at Mizzou. There are a ton of majors, with several different colleges, just in the Columbia university system. I myself studied Secondary Science Education. This meant that my time was mainly split between Science and Education classes. I was supported very well in my area of study. As you know, Education students are placed in student teaching positions, and I received a ton of support as I went through that process. I also was a part of the Fellows Masters program. It is an intensive year-long program during which you receive your Masters in exchange for working full-time as a teacher in a partnering school, while going to graduate classes all at the same time. During this very stressful time, I received an amazing amount of help from the university. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Megan: It was very easy for me to make friends as a freshman due to the FIG, or Freshman Interest Group, that I was a part of. When it comes to Greek life, one can be as involved or not involved as one desires. Mizzou has a Greek town on the west side of the campus, and many guys and girls are involved in rush, homecoming, service projects, and other activities. If you are not Greek, you can still participate in all activities. I would say that the Greek community is as significant or insignificant as necessary. It is a huge campus and there are many things going on, both Greek and non. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Megan: Honestly, I never used any of the Career Center resources. Students support services are around when needed, and they will always answer any questions. I was part of an Education major, so I did not pay attention to any companies recruiting on campus. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Megan: I loved Mizzou for its study areas. The libraries and other public work areas were always open late. The student union recently got remodeled and is amazing inside. It is a great place to eat and hang out during the day. There are many places on campus to hide away and study or work if you need a quiet area. I never found any of the student areas over-crowded. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Megan: Columbia is an amazing college town. There is a wonderful downtown area located just to the north of campus. There are many restaurants, bars and shops located there. Students head downtown often, catching lunch between classes and hanging out downtown on weekends. Columbia also has a mall right off the highway. There are several brewpubs and original/one-of-a-kind restaurants scattered throughout town. There is so much more that Columbia has to offer, however. In town, there are many parks and bike trails. Those lead to out of town, where there is plenty of outdoor recreation, hiking, and camping. I loved living in the town of Columbia after I moved off campus, because it has so much to offer that has nothing to do with the university. The schools and hospitals are also some of the best around. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Megan: Class size has never really affected my performance, so I was never upset about that. I liked large classes because my professor didnt know my name, and I liked small classes because the professor did know my name. The student body at Mizzou is huge; it is a state school, after all. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Megan: I had a professor who was running to class because he was always a little bit behind, even though he delivered content in a most excellent manner. He was running down the stairs of the classroom, and tripped and fell. The result of the spill was a broken arm. In the following lectures, he would get so excited talking and gesturing that his sling would slide off! This man was dedicated to transferring his knowledge to us, that is for sure. Check out Megans tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.