20 Hacks To Make Your Life Easier At UMass Amherst

There are so many great life hacks at UMass Amherst. From the UMass app, to laundry tracker, follow these tips for a great freshman year!

1. Stay ahead of your syllabus.

This will eliminate stress when assignments start to pile up on top of each other. Also, it helps to plan out in an agenda when all your assignments are due for each class so you don’t miss anything.

2. Download the UMass bus tracker app to stay ahead of the bus schedules and locate the nearest bus stop to you.

3. Join the UMass Amherst Ride Share group on Facebook to save money on expensive bus tickets home and get a ride with someone going the same place as you.

On the contrary, if you drive home, you can post where you are going and get gas money and a companion for your trip!

4. Build up your GPA as an underclassman by taking easier gen-eds and doing well in them so that when classes get harder, you already have a solid foundation.

5. Need a chaser?

Fill up your water bottle with soda or juice from a dining hall rather than buying them. You can do the same and fill the bottle with milk that you can use to make cereal and coffee in your dorm.

6. Use washi tape to decorate your pictures without ruining the wall.

7. Chew gum while studying and chew the same flavor while taking the test.

This will trigger your memory and allow you to recall more information.

8. Download the “UMass Dining” app to find out the menus of the dining halls, see which one is the busiest, and even get notifications for your favorite foods!

9. When registering for classes, look up teachers on Rate My Professor.

However, remember that some reviews are biased from students who were angry that they didn’t do well in the class.

10. Set your schedule with the time, building, and room number as your lock screen for the first week of classes.

11. If you’re a new student or have a class in a building you’ve never been to, use the campus map PDF that can be found online to locate your classes.

12. Download “Living at UMass” for notifications, information about emergency procedures, student life calendars, and other helpful tidbits about UMass.

13. Search for free PDFs of the textbooks you need. Just Google the name of your textbook with “pdf” after it.

Many textbooks that are used for large introductory courses can be found through a simple online search. Also, check UMass Facebook pages to find out about students selling textbooks that you might need.

14. Take advantage of UMass’s de-stress events around midterms and finals.

They often bring in therapy dogs, massage therapists, acupuncture, yoga, and meditation classes.

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15. Put a note or white board on your door reminding you to make sure that you have your UCard and room key.

This could save you from having to go to the RSD and pay for a new key or bother your roommate if they aren’t around!

16. Put your phone in a ziploc bag to take it into the shower and easily answer important texts or change the song.

17. If you don’t know anyone in your hall or just moved into a new building, keep your door open during the first couple weeks of the semester to easily make friends.

Also, knocking on someone’s door to introduce yourself never hurt.

18. Use the UMass laundry tracker in order to check which washers and dryers are open.

This can save you trips back and forth to the basement or wherever your laundry machines are located. The laundry tracker can be found here.

19. Look for work study jobs before the semester starts so you can apply to the more competitive and rewarding jobs.

Also, if you don’t get a job, make sure to keep checking the job website throughout the semester because there are people who quit, new openings, etc.

20. Make a friend in each class.

If you don’t know anyone in a class, Introduce yourself to someone and exchange phone numbers. If you have questions about assignments or need a study buddy, you can have each other as that resource.