It’s already mid-September and everyone at UMass Lowell has mostly settled into their routines. For freshmen, time management ranging from daily homework to catching the bus and arriving to class on has been quickly integrated into their daily schedules. The social opportunities that come with living with so many other students can easily become overwhelming, however.
Warren Potts, a freshman majoring in sound recording technology, voices his experience with balancing classes and social time. He says, “I enjoy my classes for the most part. The work is –my music classes especially– are weird but I get it, I guess. But overall the whole college campus vibe has been very good for me. I just go around and I talk to people.”
Warren also feels he is still adjusting to his schedule: “I was 15 minutes late to my classes today. I’ve waited 30 minutes for buses before. One time I waited because I was going on a date and I waited by Fox for like literally 30 minutes waiting for the Yellow line to come by and it never came. But that’s because during the day they don’t go by there so…”
Aidan Keating, also a freshman majoring in SRT, also has reservations about his relationship with the bus system. “I had an 8 AM on North Campus. I got out for the bus stop like 25 minutes before it and right when I was getting out the bus was pulling away so I couldn’t get it. So it took like another 20 minutes for another bus or the same bus I don’t even remember to come out so I ended up being like 15 minutes late to that class,” Aidan says.
Both freshman voiced their excitement over being able to meet so many new people. Aidan lives in the musician’s LLC in Sheehy Hall, Living Allegro, and feels at home there. “I’ve been managing my time well and I have time to hang out with my friends and do homework and just chill out a little bit,” he says.
For returning students, managing the bus system is just another day in Lowell. Still, the stressful change of moving back into school causes any student to have a variety of thoughts. This is especially due to the tuition increase this year. Reid Davis, a sophomore civil engineering student, says, “I’m pretty concerned about trying to pay for college right now.”
Chelsea Gray, a graphic arts sophomore student, wishes there was a fashion program. Still, she says, “I feel like UMass Lowell is improving with what it has to offer everyone. I’m excited to be working toward my future here. Also, I’m vegan.”
UMass Lowell’s students, old and new, have a variety of positives and negatives that come with the start of Fall semester. However, it seems that students are adjusting to changes and feeling pretty comfortable on campus already.
