At UMass, I am in an interesting position of being a part of two very different colleges. One is CNS for my biology major, and the other is HFA for my Spanish major. Beyond the obvious differences within the classes and material, over the past three years I have been able to observe some wild differences between the advisors and professors. In CNS, it can be very difficult to make a connection with my teachers, as in the majority of my classes, I am one of two hundred students sitting in a lecture hall. When I first came to UMass, I had not yet declared a Spanish major, and was unable to enroll in any classes before all the seats were taken by upperclassmen. For this reason, all of my first experiences with my professors were within CNS and therefore extremely distant. Once I began taking classes within the Spanish and Portuguese department, I was shocked at how willing some of the professors and advisors are to help you find what you truly love. Within this department, there are truly genuine people who want you to succeed and will help to get you to your goals. Continue reading →