By: Abby Morse
The other day, my best friend’s little brother came to visit campus and all of the official tours were booked, so I offered to give him one. As I was planning all of the spots I wanted to show him, I realized that over the past four semesters I’ve spent here I’ve really made this campus my own. As a freshman, I would have loved it if somebody shared their favorite spots with me, so here is a list of just a few of UMass’s most special places to me!
South College
I’ve never had a class in South College, and I honestly can’t remember how I stumbled upon it. Nevertheless, it has to be my favorite place on campus to study. I have spent hours in the comfy green chairs in the main study area grinding out papers and doing readings. I think my favorite thing about South College is the architecture; when expanding the building, the university decided to add on to the remaining bones of the original building. It’s a mix of old brick and shiny glass walls, and it’s the perfect place to sit and get work done.
Campus Pond
This one is basic, I know, but hear me out; you need to invest in a hammock. I bought a hammock from REI last spring semester and it is actually my most prized possession. There is nothing quite like hanging my hammock at the edge of the pond on a sunny day and reading a book. The one thing I will say is that Campus Pond has probably the worst wifi connection on the entire campus, so if you’re trying to do work this might not be the best spot. That being said, it’s one of my favorite places to relax if I want to get out of my room.
Journalism Hub
Last semester, my friends and I all had huge final papers to write before winter break, and we would hole up in the Journalism Hub in the ILC for hours. Not a single one of us is a Journalism major, but we found it was a great place to work; quiet enough to focus but not silent, so we could talk if we wanted to. I think the Journalism Hub is the perfect place to go if you’re trying to romanticize being a college student. It’s bright and modern and it feels very Zoey 101. A bonus is that it’s right by Blue Wall and Harvest, so you can grab lunch to go and come back to keep working.
Orchard Hill
My favorite moments of spring semester are the days when my friends and I make the trek from Southwest up to O-Hill to watch the sunset. We grab dinner from Blue Wall or Frank or even Antonio’s, and we have a little picnic on the slope. It’s definitely a hike but it’s so worth it. You get one of the best views on campus and the vibes up there are just great. Bring a speaker for some music and a hoodie because it gets cold after the sun goes down, and I swear you can stay up there for hours on end.
Sweets and More
Sweets is so underrated. I swear people in Southwest just don’t know about it because I had never been until fall semester of sophomore year. It’s only open late at night on certain weekdays, but if you make the time to go and wait in the long line it’s such a gem. The shop is so cute (the walls are bright pink) and it’s completely student run. The best part is, you can use dining dollars. They have ice cream, milk shakes, floats, baked goods, and more savory stuff like pizza bagels. My twin sister showed me Sweets and I will never be able to thank her enough!
Design Building Roof
I wouldn’t have known this if some of my friends didn’t have classes there, but the design building on North Pleasant has the cutest little rooftop garden where you can sit outside. It’s great during the daytime, but it’s extra cool if you have a friend who is a BCT, Architecture, or some other design major who can swipe you into the building after hours. The stars are great from up there and it’s the perfect place to enjoy a Frank ice cream cone.
UMass truly has so many incredible spots and I have so many more to share, but this is just a compilation of some of my favorites. My biggest tip for you is to make the most of this campus while you’re on it. It’s huge and you will never run out of places to discover. Make the most of your time here!