Customize Your Weekly Pathways Content As new (or returning students), we spend much of our time in our dorms and in class, and often find ourselves feeling like we’re in a bubble; stuck in the school world, and stuck on campus. The routine of going from class to the dining hall, then back to the dorm, can feel repetitive and boring, which emphasizes the importance of trying new things and going out of your comfort
zone. Western Mass and the areas around the UMass campus have so much beauty to explore, and once you get the chance to look around, they can make your college experience feel so much more substantial and extend beyond just the classes you take.
With so many students and opportunities, there is no lack of things to do on and around campus; it’s just a matter of finding these things and actually doing them. My favorite few discoveries that have made me feel more at home in Amherst have been the Norwottuck Rail Trail, which you can access near the Amherst College track, as well as Downtown Northampton and Downtown Amherst, which you can walk or take the bus to.
Spending time outside is a great way to disconnect from your school work and stay active, but I never really knew where to go. I came across the Rail Trail, which you can enter through Hazel
Street near downtown, and extends 11 miles through Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst. The trail is paved, which is perfect for walking, running, or biking, and is lined by marshland, pine
forests, and cornfields, which makes for a really enjoyable and secluded area to get some fresh air. If you ever need an outdoors escape, the rail trail is perfect (and even partially plowed in the
winter when it snows)!
For more full-day entertainment, I highly recommend checking out downtown Amherst and Northampton, both accessible by bus. Surrounded by college students and families, each town
has plenty of coffee shops and restaurants to test out, as well as fun shops to check out! Try Amherst Coffee for a maple latte or Coronation Cafe for cinnamon buns- both come highly regarded. Saturday mornings, both towns have amazing farmers’ markets with local treats and all sorts of fun vendors, and they just have a great small-town feel that makes the college towns feel so much more homey.
As a now Sophomore here at UMass, I have already felt a huge change in how I perceive the school community, simply because I have learned not only how to take advantage of what there
is to do here, but also how important it is to do so. Feeling confident in the ways you spend your time and getting to know a new place can feel incredibly rewarding and will, in turn, make you
more well-rounded as a student. College can feel all-consuming, so it is important to take time doing the things you enjoy. Challenge yourself to try one new thing each weekend to give yourself something to look forward to- you never know what you might come across!
