It’s almost the end of my first year at Amherst! Did everything go the way I expected? Well, not always. In this post, I hope to share some expectations I had of Amherst that ended not the way I thought.
(Note: Since Decision Day was two days ago, I write this post with incoming students in mind. But even if you’re not coming to Amherst this Fall, I believe there are still good things you can take away from my post!)
1) Expectation 1: Now that college app is completely done, I can just have fun!
I used to think that the hardest part about going to a place like Amherst is getting in. Unfortunately, getting in is not the end of the story. I would say that my first year at Amherst was just as stressful (or even more) as my senior year in high school. There have been many nights when I stayed up almost all night at the Science Center — the only building on campus that is open 24/7 — and I’m often not the only one. Given that Amherst provides me with so many opportunities, I tried my best to do everything and might have overcommitted.
Now that the semester is wrapping up, I can say that I survived, but it was not easy. If you’re an incoming student, please take advantage of what Amherst offers but don’t overstretch yourself so much that you end up missing out on college fun!
2) Expectation 2: College classes will be much larger, and professors cannot care about you as much as your high school teachers.
I can’t believe I thought this way when my college is Amherst. Yes, Amherst, the liberal arts college with a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, not UMass Amherst! Thinking about it now, I have to say that my class size is unbelievably small. Here’s a breakdown of (roughly) how many people are in my classes each semester:
Fall 2024:
1. Modern China (FYSE): 15
2. Intro to Psychology: 40
3. Intro to Comp Sci II: 15
4. The Story of the Buddha: 30
5. Beginner Ballet: 10
Spring 2025:
1. Reading, Writing, Teaching: 15
2. Intro to Analysis: 25
3. Data Structures: 40
4. Happy Intro Stats: 25
As you can see, none of my classes have more than 40 people, and the average is about 20 people. That’s like… unbelievable! Not to mention, my professors care about me just as much as my high school teachers. Or even more! Back in high school, my teachers probably had to teach 100 kids per year. However, in college, most professors only teach 1-2 classes with a total of 30 to 90 students. Many of my STEM professors also have graders, allowing them to spend more time answering my questions than grading my assignments. In many ways, the relationships I’ve built with my professors are just as close as the ones I had with my high school teachers.
Not to mention, many of my professors are unbelievably lenient when it comes to extensions. I turned in one of my final papers last semester a few days late without prior notice (which is not to be repeated, please don’t do it), and my professor still accepted it! I guess being a first-year student means that your professors will be understanding and try to give you the support you need to make your transition to college life smoother. Still, don’t slack off! Your professors will treat you like a fellow adult and won’t manage your discipline like your high school teachers.
3) Expectation 3: I’ll have to figure everything out as a college (and international) student
This year is my first time filing taxes as an international college student, and I thought I would have to navigate it all by myself. Luckily, the college arranged free access to Sprintax (a service that guides us international students through the process) and oh my gosh, it made life so much easier!
Not only that, but we also get to stay on campus over the short breaks for free (like Thanksgiving or Spring Break), a luxury that my high school self didn’t have, as well as many of my friends at UMass Amherst. I was very surprised (pleasantly so) because back when I attended a boarding school also in the United States, we basically got kicked out during breaks. Those who wanted to stay were forced to pay 250 dollars per week. It was a very stressful time for me to figure out where to go every break. At first, I thought all colleges were like Amherst, but that’s not true. I have friends at Umass Amherst who also have to pay to stay over the breaks. It made me so much more grateful as an Amherst student.
I guess my post mostly focuses on the positive side of my Amherst experience, unlike what my title seems to suggest. If you come here to read negative things about Amherst, I’m sorry I disappointed you — my first year at Amherst has been THAT good!
When choosing schools, I mostly thought about very big things like “how good is the Computer Science department” or “are there research opportunities for underclassmen,” not realizing that the little things also contribute to my experience a lot. Whether it’s your relationships with professors or resources to navigate being in college, Amherst is to be trusted. If you are coming to Amherst this fall, welcome! I’ll see you very soon!