Amherst College Campus

Lily discusses the role of Val Quad (freshman quad) on-campus. At the time of the video, senior ball was set to take place that night and the quad was occupied with a large white tent. Other events that happen here are spring and fall festival, where the college invites many street food vendors.

Amherst's pool has special, somewhat restrictive hours for public swimming, so be sure to work your schedule out. It also has a skating rink with a handful of public skating days each year.

Frost Library offers not only study resources but also is the site of a cafe. Students gather here for exhibitions, meetings, and academic events. There are 3 above-ground floors and 3 below-ground floors. The below-ground floors are generally used for intense and silent study.

During the day, most of the Campus Center traffic is due to Grab n' Go (where students can get a quick, portable lunch) and the mail room. The Campus Center doesn't really feel like a hub of activity, but there are often club meetings here and people do go to Schwemm's at night for comfort food (the grab n' go area turns into a grille at night). Schwemm's will actually be renovated in Fall 2018 to become a college bar.

Amherst professors truly care about their students and will help them fix their bikes! Bikes are not necessary at Amherst, but can be nice to have since the bus routes can be slow. We also recently got a bike share system I forgot to mention, which is really helpful. There is a nice bike path that is about 20 miles long and will run all the way to Smith College, one of the other schools in the Five College Consortium that Amherst is part of. At these other schools, we can take classes and partner with their organizations.

Amherst cons: 1. fickle weather 2. more rural location 3. academic pressure Amherst pros: 1. open curriculum 2. faculty relationships 3. buffet-style dining 4. spacious dorms/culture houses 5. study abroad resources 6. free music lessons for students on financial aid who have taken a music course

Converse is the building that houses the Office of Financial Aid, along with other important offices like the Fellowships Office and the registrar. You may also have classes or attend special events there. Several transportation services also stop in front of the hall.

Hui and I chat about her experience as an international student, especially the resources in place that Amherst has for students staying on-campus over breaks. We also discuss our experiences in the math department, which is known for a strong sense of collaboration amongst students.

Another view of the freshman quad and the mental health awareness event happening at the time of the video.

Memorial Hill is arguably the most gorgeous and iconic part of campus. From the hill, you can see a distant blue mountain range that is a 20 min bus ride away, a great destination for hiking. Students flock to this hill for sunbathing and relaxing during the warm weather. Also a good spot for sledding in the snow.

Amherst's pool has special, somewhat restrictive hours for public swimming, so be sure to work your schedule out. It also has a skating rink with a handful of public skating days each year.

Hear why Josh chose Amherst. He graduated in the fall and stayed on-campus to do research. We discuss his experience at Amherst, with notable points being the orchestra and academic atmosphere. Josh lives off-campus since he's graduated, but most enrolled students live on-campus all four years.

Amherst is transitioning to a new, multi-million dollar science center in Summer 2018. There is currently a lot of construction on-campus as a result. It's unclear what the old science center will be used for after the move to the new one.

Amherst's gym is pretty small, but it has everything you might need--treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, weight machines, etc. The gym is open throughout the day and is usually busiest in late afternoons. The training/athletic rehab center is also in the gym, and they not only help college athletes but also recreational athletes.

During the day, most of the Campus Center traffic is due to Grab n' Go (where students can get a quick, portable lunch) and the mail room. The Campus Center doesn't really feel like a hub of activity, but there are often club meetings here and people do go to Schwemm's at night for comfort food (the grab n' go area turns into a grille at night). Schwemm's will actually be renovated in Fall 2018 to become a college bar.

Amherst's campus center holds several resource centers, such as the study abroad office and women's and gender center. This is also the spot to go for grab n' go lunch and student mail. It doesn't, however, feel like a hub for student activity; it's not the go-to spot to hang out.

A chat with Larissa, a German TA from Germany. Primary points include the academic pressure at Amherst as well as the strong sense of trust and security. Students often pressure themselves to achieve as much as possible, which can sometimes lead to feelings of inadequacy at a school with many talented people. In terms of safety, students can leave their belongings in the library for hours unattended without being worried about theft.

The freshman quad is the heart of campus; all the freshman dorms are located around it, as well as Johnson Chapel (used for ceremonies like convocation) and the main library. When the weather is nice, the quad is home to lawn chairs, groups of friends tossing frisbees, and special events like the mental health walk in the video.