Meet Communication Senior Emaan Tariq

By Nusrah Azeez and Christine Souaiden

Tell us who you are and why you transferred to UMass

My name is Emaan Tariq, I am a senior Communication major and Business minor. I grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. I come from a Pakistani and Muslim background. I feel like that is always important to include because it is a very big part of my identity and it is the way I want to portray myself. I transferred to UMass in my sophomore year because I wanted to find a better campus community.

What do you love most about UMass?

Honestly, the thing I love the most about UMass is the people. I feel the school is so welcoming and I had such an easy transition. Being a transfer student is very hard. Usually, students transfer because something went wrong at their previous institution and they are taking a risk to readjust to a new school. It was really worrisome coming into UMass to start over but I immediately adjusted to campus life because there were so many people willing to help with school work or maybe just hang out for dinner. This was such a huge contrast to my previous institution. Transferring to UMass was also positive in my academic experience.

What do you think about the Communication department?

I think the Comm department at UMass is so great because there are a lot of resources and people to reach out to for help in the department. A huge thing for me was being a Peer Advisor in the department, I was in direct contact with all the advisors and that made me realize that there are people here to help me and I can be that help for other people. I love that there is always someone to provide support, that is what I really appreciate about the department.

How do you feel about being back on campus as opposed to having fully remote classes?

Everyone’s answer to this question would be: “Yes! I am so excited,” but I have been very overwhelmed. I am the type of person that thrives when I am surrounded by people, but it has been a big change all at once. Even going to the dining hall is a lot, constantly surrounded by so many people and standing in line. It can be overwhelming at times, but at the same time I am very excited to be back to the normal college experience that everybody always talks about. As a transfer, my sophomore year felt like another freshman year and now I am a senior, so I am really trying to make the most of and take advantage of all the opportunities that I missed out on while being remote. Even though I was making the most out of being remote, being a peer advisor, being in person allowed me to expand my interests. I am on two e-boards now, I am also an RA. I am definitely participating in a lot, but it is what I want to do because it is my senior year at UMass and I want to make the most out of it. Being on campus means being surrounded by people all the time, so my main goal right now is finding time for myself, for self-care and for my responsibilities.

What are your Involvements on campus? 

I am an RA (Resident Assistant) in Melville, SouthWest. It is a freshman dorm so I was slightly worried that it was going to be chaotic and hectic, but it has been pretty good. It is a cool experience taking responsibility for a lot of people and being in a leadership position. I have a strong team of other RAs and my RD (Residence Director) who are always there to provide support. I am the President of the Pakistani Student Organization (PSO) and on the e-board for the Muslim Students Association (MSA). It has been a lot, being the President of PSO, the student union has new management and new rules so we’ve been learning alongside the people in charge. It has been difficult because a lot of our plans had to be cancelled, but it’s all coming into play now and I am looking forward to all the events. 

What are your takeaways from assuming roles of responsibility on campus?

I have assumed roles of responsibility since high school, I feel like that is my inclination. I highly enjoy being a part of the community. In high school, I was also a peer advisor, I would check in with freshmen to make sure they are having a smooth transition. I feel as though it is a mimic of my residential assistant role as well as my previous peer advisor role because you are always pointing people to resources and helping them out with anything they may need help with. I have grown a lot through these roles because you hold responsibility for more than just yourself. Nobody is necessarily supervising you, so there is freedom in speaking to the students as a student yourself. That also results in more care and caution because you do not want to point the students in the wrong direction and you actually want them to resolve their problems as you are representing a larger department. All these experiences allowed me to differentiate when I am making decisions just for myself as an individual and when I am responsible for other people and a part of something bigger. 

What advice would you give students trying to get involved on campus?

I would say, sign up for everything and anything but not to the point where you overwhelm yourself. I remember my first time on campus, I went to the activity expo and signed up for everything that looked interesting. I even signed up for the belly dancing club. Signing up for different things gives you some confidence and motivation to try new activities outside your comfort zone, you can then weed out what you do not like. Being an active member in the clubs or organizations you choose opens you up for leadership roles. It is also a good mimic of potential jobs and building yourself up. I think being a part of one or two communities that can be your support system is so important in such a huge campus.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself as a freshman?

I wish I explored and asked more questions about the different programs offered here at UMass, in regards to double majoring, minors and certificate programs. This is common sense to anyone going into college, however I always thought that these things were very difficult to do when in reality they are very doable. Had I come into my freshman year knowing about them, I would have balanced my degree with my interests. With trial and error, I would have seen what programs went well together and what did not. I do not regret the decisions I made that brought me to where I am now, however had I known all this information, it would have made my life a little easier and it also would have given me clarity in terms of what exactly I would have wanted to go into. Hearing that someone is a double major can be intimidating, but the actual work is not as scary as it seems, it can be achieved easily if someone is on top of their work.

What do you hope to take away from your senior year? 

I know it might sound vague and cliche, but what I hope to take away are my experiences. I do not want college to be a distant memory, I want to take what I learn and apply it to whatever I am doing in the future. I am at a stage where I am not really sure what I want to do after college and that has been freaking me out a little bit, but if I decide to go to grad school, take a gap year or go straight into a job, I want to be able to apply my college experience.

What are your plans after graduation?

As a first semester senior I do not yet have solid plans after graduation. I am still figuring it out, I am more oriented towards taking a gap year before pursuing a graduate degree. My plan is to search and secure a job for the next year. I feel as though having work experience might give me a better idea of what I would like to further pursue in terms of studying. It is all still up in the air, I could end up going to graduate school after undergrad, I am using my experiences throughout my senior year to determine what the next year is going to look like

What are your most memorable moments at UMass?

The random moments are very memorable for me. Like going to get boba or Insomnia with friends. I remember the day before we were sent home because of covid cases, I went to Stop & Shop with friends at 11:30pm and we had a baking show on Snapchat. Those are the moments that I think I am going to remember more than anything else.