My Transition: High School to UMass

By: Lara Pereira 

College is greatly different from high school. As a first-generation college student, everything is a new experience. I did not know what to expect when coming to UMass, but the transition has been much better than I expected. In High School, the schedule is laid out for you. We attend class, lunch, club meetings, and sports practices at the same time every day. We are stuck in a schedule that is made for us using a standardized system. College on the other hand is the complete opposite of this.

I did not expect to have as much free time as I do. It is almost shocking how much time I have every day to do what I’d like, yet somehow it still feels so short. In High School, the days dragged, but in college, the time flies and you don’t even realize how much time has passed until you notice. Luckily, my schedule is spread out enough that I have had the opportunity to take time to myself. I even developed a workout schedule, which is something I did not do in High School. I also have time for clubs and time to study after class so I can enjoy the night to relax or hang out with friends.

The workload was also a major transition. High School seemed to be a lot of work, but it is drastically different from college. College is very fast-paced, so you have no option but to keep up with the pace and not fall behind. Luckily, I have been managing my time well. I was always a big planner in High School, so I have been adopting my organizational skills from there.

Socializing is also very different than before, specifically in classes. In High School, I knew everyone in my classes for the most part, but not everyone in my school because it was a very big high school. But now, I am on a large campus where I have very little connections with my classmates. However, I have been able to make new friends at clubs and around where I live. College is overall a never-ending camp where I get to see my friends everyday, but instead of following a schedule, I make my own.

Coming to college is a major transformation and a big routine changer. But with the right people, mindset, and goals, it is conquerable and everything begins to fall into place. There have been bumps here and there (mental breakdowns, Google Maps not loading, not finding a table at Berk, etc.) but they are part of the growing and learning process which luckily never ends. I am grateful to be part of clubs and a living community where I can relate to others and be able to share my voice.

The Best Fall Activities: Amherst Edition

By Callie MacPherson

It’s officially spooky season out here in Amherst! Everyone has their favorite fall activity at home, whether it be apple picking with friends or hiking through the fall foliage. I am here to help you make the most of your fall season here on campus with all of the best activities to do around Amherst.

Amherst can be absolutely breath-taking, and now is the prime time to experience all of the fall foliage. If you want to feel one with nature, I recommend renting bikes with a group of friends--valley share electric bikes are so much fun--or taking a nice jog through the bike trail in Amherst. It surprises me how many people are unaware of this beautiful path! This is a great way to stay active on the weekends and experience the crisp fall air. The bike trail is about one mile from campus, right past the plaza with CVS and the Big Y. If you want to immerse yourself even more in nature this fall, grab some friends and head over to Mount Holyoke State park. It is only about a 10-15 minute drive from campus and a great hiking experience. You will not want to miss out on the view of campus surrounded by all the fall foliage.

If hiking and biking isn’t your ideal “fun fall day”, I have some more suggestions! You could take a drive to one of the many pick your own apple orchards in the area. I suggest doing your research beforehand because only a few orchards offer the warm and delicious apple cider donuts--I suggest Apex orchards in Shelbourne. You could also walk downtown to Glazed Doughnut Shop for some of the best apple cider donuts only 5 minutes from campus. Pro tip: ask for them warmed up! 

If you and a couple friends want to switch up your usual weekend routines, take a drive or a Peter Pan bus to Six Flags! Fright Fest is the best way to get into the spooky spirit, also while going on some of the best rides in New England. 

I definitely recommend making an effort to get off campus and enjoy the fall season before it’s too late. Sooner than later, we will be snowed in for the long winter months!

Pushing Through those Mid-Semester Blues

By: Payton Wright

Every college student has fallen victim to a case of the Sunday Scaries at some point, most more than once. Once the initial back-to-campus excitement and energy settles down it can be difficult to stay motivated. Exams are starting, assignment deadlines are coming up faster than you can keep track of, you’re stressed, tired, and probably starting to get home sick. With Columbus Day right around the corner, I am here to give you some tips to reenergize and refocus, so you can get back on track to ace this semester.

The first step I always take to “getting my life together” is sitting down in a quiet, comfortable place.  Whether it’s your bed, desk, favorite floor of DuBois or the Isenberg Hub – just make sure the distractions are minimal. Take out your planner, update/add assignments, quizzes, and exams. Then, prioritize, so you have a better idea of what needs to be done immediately, and what you can worry about later. Visually seeing what needs to be done can help simplify the information and pinpoint your focus on the top priority.

I’ll admit, that step can make you feel even more overwhelmed than before when you see all the upcoming assignments you have to complete. That’s okay. Step away from the planner. Get some fresh air, a good workout in, watch an episode of your favorite show, or talk to a friend.  Whatever you need to do to come back with a clear mind. 

Now how the next step goes is up to you, you can allow yourself to become overwhelmed and welcome the negative thoughts of “it’s impossible” or “I’ll never get all this done” to take over OR you can make the conscious decision to turn those thoughts into positive, attainable affirmations. You are more than capable of whatever equation, writing prompt, or study guide is staring back at you. It is all a matter of initiative, focus, and maybe a little will power.

Personally, I have begun to try and find the excitement in everything I do to fuel my motivation to keep working. Right now, I find myself using my eagerness to find an internship I am truly passionate about to push myself to keep working hard. Finding a purpose to be proud of the work you are putting in will make school much more enjoyable than simply passing in assignments to get by.

The stress will pass, as it always does, and soon enough that to-do list will be all checked off. The real trick is being able to identify when you are allowing that list to take over you, and then realizing that you are the only person who can control how it is handled. It can be easy to get buried in schoolwork. Taking the time to take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and appreciate the work it took to get where you are will not only validate all of the work you have done but will motivate you to keep it up!

“So many people wait to feel ‘motivated’ before they do anything. Here’s a newsflash: happy productive people do not wait for motivation, they just get on with it'' 

- Marie Forleo

School-Life Balance

A current trend in the workplace is maintaining a healthy “Work-Life Balance.” In order to achieve this, companies have been focusing on improving their work culture and truly valuing the well-being of their employees. The idea of “School-Life Balance” is equally important for college students as it is for employees in the workplace. Whether it is in an office or in a classroom, people perform at their optimum levels when placed in a healthy environment with a happy well-being.

How does a college student maintain a healthy “School-Life Balance?” This question can be difficult to answer when we are responsible for many different tasks at once. College students juggle classes five days per week, shifts at work, hours of homework and exams, and sometimes extracurricular activities such as academic clubs and sports. How do we find “me time”? When can we focus on doing things we love, such as spending time with friends, working out, or simply reading a book? Below are a few tips to keep in mind when trying to maintain a healthy “School-Life Balance” as a college student.

1.     Dedicate time outside of your dorm/room: Sometimes it is easy to feel trapped in your dorm room working on assignments that seem to never end. To get out of this headspace, dedicate an hour of each day to leaving this environment. This could be going for a run, grabbing something to eat, or simply enjoying the fresh air. Facetime a friend! Anything you can do to take a step back.

2.     Plan weekend activities: You may be thinking “I have so much work to do this weekend.” If this is the case, pick one or two nights of the weekend to do something enjoyable with your friends after a full day of doing work. This could be a Friday night movie night with popcorn. Be creative, just make sure you find this time to spend time with the people you love most.

3.     Call your family: As a college student, you are most likely away from home and your family. Our busy lives sometimes prevent us from keeping in touch with our family. For me, calling my sisters and my mom always puts me in a cheerful mood. Calling your family may be just the thing you need to get you through a stressful week.

4.     Organize your priorities: Keeping a calendar and writing out your “things to do” list helps you prioritize what you have to do for the week. This way you are able to complete the things of high importance and cut some tasks out that you may not need to complete right away. You could also cut something out of your schedule completely! It is okay to step back if you feel as if you’re balancing too much.

These are just a few things college students can do to help manage a healthy “School-Life Balance.” As a heavily involved student, I keep these in mind when I am trying to balance my own. Maintaining classes, work, and clubs is difficult at times, but doing things that make me happy while living a generally healthy lifestyle all contribute to keeping a good “School-Life Balance.”

Internships 101

Below are three different examples of Boss Lady internships that members of our WIB E-Board experienced this past summer. Find out what the female working business world is like!

1. Haley Chupka- Senior Operations & Information Management Major

This past summer, I had the pleasure of interning on the Military Engines Spare Parts Team for the Materials Management & Logistics (MM&L) Internship at Pratt & Whitney. It was an incredible experience where I was able to learn a lot about the company, make connections, and develop my skill set. My work mainly consisted of coordinating inventory movements for individual part numbers that were in danger of going "cold", or inactive, meaning the part has not been received by a Pratt & Whitney plant from a supplier in two years. When a part goes cold, about $25,000 in reboot costs go towards reactivating the part––mainly through inspections that must be conducted as well as major tooling. I worked in multiple programs to move scheduled inventory receipts to earlier dates to avoid these reboot costs, and was able to save the company over $3 million in doing this. I had other smaller projects that mainly focused on increasing efficiency and productivity in different work groups throughout my organization.

What drew me to Pratt & Whitney was their incredible culture and sustainability initiatives. As an aerospace engineering company, they have a significant impact on the environment. They have specific goals that they have advertised to be met by 2020, such as reduction of greenhouse gasses, hazardous waste, and water consumption by 2-5%, and to recycle 90% of industrial process waste. This was important to me because I am passionate about sustainability, and I was looking for a company that shares similar values to mine. In regards to their culture––a company can boast about having a great culture all they want, but, at Pratt, they really do have one. They value collaboration, communication, knowledge sharing, standardization, and developing/taking care of their people. Pratt immediately felt like home to me, and I took advantage of all of the opportunities that came my way. As an intern, you are "at the bottom of the totem pole," but this is a great thing because you have a fresh start and a new opportunity to establish yourself in a new environment. Interns are provided with all of the resources needed in order to succeed, but it is up to them to decide what they will make of their time and themselves during their time there. 

I am ecstatic to be returning to Pratt & Whitney full-time after graduation as a Materials Management Development Program (MMDP) Associate. During this program, I will rotate through three different areas of materials: Supply Planning, Delivery Execution, and Demand Management. This program is two years long, consisting of four rotations through each of the areas previously mentioned. I can't wait to further develop myself and my career at this company!

2. Maria Jara- Junior Marketing Major

This past summer I was a buying intern at The TJX Companies at their global headquarters in Framingham, MA. I applied for their Merchandising Development Program in the fall of my sophomore year. I had always been interested in fashion and have always wanted to work in retail, so I felt like it was worth a shot to apply for an internship that encompasses both of those things! 

Needless to say, I was so excited when I was offered the internship! On my first day at the company, I was inspired and amazed by the friendly culture, the drive to succeed, and the overall fun that everyone seemed to be having. During my summer with TJX, I worked on a team of seven buyers who worked in the men’s division with hats, wallets, belts, tech and family gifts. I was exposed to such diverse aspects of the company and I absolutely loved how the work I was given was meaningful and had an actual impact on daily business. I was able to develop hard skills like using various buying software and reading ladder plans, but I was also able to develop many soft skills like adjusting to work life balance and public speaking! I’m pleased to say that I will be returning to TJX next summer as a Planning and Allocation intern! 

3. Julia Gleim- Sophomore Marketing Major

This past summer I interned at Applause, where I was a member of the Community Management Team. I remember talking to sophomores who had internships after their freshman year and being amazed that freshmen could even get these opportunities. I was determined to put myself out there in hopes that I could also get an internship and begin my journey to a career in the business world! 

A little background on the company I worked for, Applause is a software company that has its own platform called uTest. UTest is a software testing company that other companies post job opportunities to test new technologies before them launching it. When a company is unable to acquire enough testers that fit their needs, they contact my department, Community Management. As a member of the Community Management team, I am tasked to recruit these specific types of “testers,” whether that be based on their accent for voice testing, location for on-site testing, or interests such as football for specific types of testing. It was my responsibility to post facebook ads, contact people directly, and create job boards in order to recruit these different types of “testers”.  After completing my summer internship I was asked to work remotely at school and I could not pass up this offer! When I got to school I quickly realized that working and doing my school work was too much for me, so I requested to receive credits for my work so I could drop a class. My request was approved and the process was very easy. I have loved every aspect of working for Applause, and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow while working there! 

As you can see, the opportunities out there are endless! Feel free to reach out to Haley, Maria, or Julia with any questions about their experiences.