Author Archives: stephaniedas

College Advice from a Busy Upperclassman

Every adult that has gone to college will say that the college years will be the best years of your life. “You will find yourself”, they say. And they’re right: you will, but you have to set clear goals and expectations for yourself in order to not get swept away in the riptide that is called college. Specifically UMass. Being a senior this year, I’ve begun to self-reflect on my experiences here at the Zoo. I’ve made many accomplishments and have made some mistakes. I have worked many campus jobs, and been a part of many campus organizations that have impacted me as a college student and person. There are things I found out this year that I wish I had known or done back in my freshman or sophomore year to save myself stress now in my senior year. But I’m a strong believer of learning lessons and passing on that wisdom to someone else who might find themselves in my shoes. So here is five tips that you might find useful during your time here at UMass: Continue reading

There’s more out there than Studying Abroad

If you’re a Portuguese or Spanish major, you know that a requirement for graduating at UMass is completing your Integrative Experience (IE). Most students complete this requirement by going Abroad their sophomore/junior year of college. But what happens if you can’t study abroad for various reasons?

Well, that happened to me. Coming into UMass, I had no idea what I wanted major in. I was unfamiliar with the “college education system” because I was first-generation American and college student. So my family and I had no idea what college would truly be like. I thought I picked the college I wanted to go to and then I would pick my career path, which for me was education, and that was it. I would study to become a teacher, which isn’t necessarily false now. But I had to pick a new major because UMass doesn’t have an Elementary Education major, only a minor. So after discussing with my support systems (family, friends, and Peer Mentor), I choose to major in Portuguese and be a part of the Spanish & Portuguese Department. It was a really good fit for me because I knew some Portuguese beforehand and wanted to improve upon my language. It’s a small program which allowed me to really connect with the faculty and my classmates. Continue reading