Hidden Gems of UMass
By Clair, Esther, and Sonya
Clubs/Extracurriculars
by Clair Hegarty
Although your main priority here as a UMass student is to be a student, it is also important to build a network, get involved, and socialize. There are so many opportunities here at UMass to meet new people and have fun. Greek life has become very popular in recent days and is really a great way to become involved with community service, philanthropy, leadership, and much more. I am a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi and have been since my sophomore year here at UMass. Joining AEPhi is one of the best decisions I have made thus far in my college career. It has opened so many doors for me. Not only have I contributed to great causes, I have met great people along the way and have had the opportunity to hold leadership positions within my chapter. The sororities here at UMass typically hold recruitment within the first two weeks of the Fall semester, while the fraternities typically do both Fall and Spring recruitment. If it is something that interests you, I strongly encourage you to get involved! If it something that doesn’t really interest you, I still recommend that you give it a shot, because you may end up really enjoying it. I am also a member of the FTK Morale Team, which is a national organization that supports children sick children. The UMass FTK team supports Bay State Children’s Hospital and we host a 12 hour long Dance Marathon in the Spring, where students from UMass are encouraged to make a team, raise money, and participate in the Dance Marathon. Being a member of this team has been an incredible experience and it feels great to be part of something larger than myself.
ONSA
ex. Fulbright
There are many national scholarships worth looking into for going abroad after graduation. Make an appointment with people at ONSA to find out what's available and they will help you with your applications!
Career Services
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Don't wait until your senior year to talk to the people at Career Services! They have excellent advice and can help you with your resumé, internships, etc. Career Services for HFA majors is located in South College.
Five College Consortium
Explore Classes on Other Campuses
Take cool classes that can count towards your major on at Amherst Collge, Hampshire College, Smith College, or Mount Holyoke College. The UMass Five College Offices is located in Goodell 511
Benefits of Using Career Services
Since UMass is such a big campus, it is hard to get connected with what is going on at our campus. You might receive emails from HFA about weekly events, but honestly, who really pays attention to those when we are going about our crazy busy days? UMass now uses a new platform called Handshake, where you can search for and apply to internships, jobs, and on campus opportunities. Additionally, you are able to make appointments with your advisor, as well as career advisors. I strongly recommend utilizing these resources because there is so much that UMass has to offer such as career fairs, alumni networking events, and much more. Sometimes these things just seem hidden. At the college level, especially on a large campus such as UMass, the faculty and staff are not here to hold your hand every step of the way. It is on you and your responsibility to reach out, make those connections, and get involved. It is so easy to do so and I promise that it if you take advantage of these resources and opportunities, you will have a successful UMass career and an overall better experience as an undergraduate.
