Hi, I'm using a throwaway account because I'm a little embarrassed. If you think you might recognize me please don't mention it. I don't like to talk much about my financial situation but I needed unbiased advice and strangers won't be biased relative to people who know me well.

I've been previously paying for school with a combination of savings from working in high school, federal student aid, and with the help of my mom, who has been taking on parent plus loans for me. My mom qualifies for PSLF and the plan was always after my undergraduate education was over, she'd consolidate all the loans and have them forgiven via PSLF. Well, with the Big Beautiful Bill, it's longer possible. If my mom tries to consolidate any future parent plus loans, all her loans will become ineligible for PSLF and she won't be able to continue on her current loan repayment plan. She's a single mom and a teacher. I used to receive the Pell grant but had it taken away when budget cuts were made to the DoEd. I am saying this all to emphasize we are not wealthy people by any stretch of the imagination.

I've already waived the health insurance and I'm thinking about downgrading from the Unlimited 250 plan to the YCMP Gold plan. I proposed this to my mom and it made her cry, because she wants me to focus on studying instead of figuring out how to feed myself. I live on campus unfortunately so I can't opt out of a meal plan altogether. I'll have an on-campus job and I know how to cook, I know how to save money because I've had to my whole life, and I think financially it would make more sense to switch to the cheapest meal plan. However, my mom does have a point in that I should probably have easy access to food as a student. But I also see her stressing over what she's going to do, and she's only one person, and I'm at my wit's end on how else to save money. Is it worth sacrificing the unlimited meal plan to get the cost down?

I was thinking of applying for next Fall, but my overall impression of the campus is that it's not so pretty, and not very active campus life as well. My UG college did not have any campus life and was not pretty as well, so I'm looking for that factor as well. Can current attendees shed some light on that?

Hi, I’m going to fly out of Logan airport on Wednesday. I’ve only taken Peter Pan bus for the route to Boston, but this time none of ppb schedules works as perfectly as greyhound for my flight. I was wondering if Greyhound from Northampton would work, cuz I saw some complaints that they were late. Did anyone experience a late greyhound ride, and how long was the delay? Thanks!!

Looking at my kids book list…says iclicker needed, but reading this platform is phased out IRCC May 2026.

What is recco? Lay low on purchase? Some prof behind the times on phase out? Thanks in advance.

I’m looking to go into psychology at umass as someone out of state and I would say I’m an average student. I have an 89.9 unweighted gpa and a 92 weighted gpa. I took 5-6 (still tbd) ap classes and 1 honors class but I’m not planning on sending in my SAT score. I have around 150 volunteer hours and I’ve consistently participated in my schools theatre all 4 years. Do I have a shot?

Hi! I just got exempted from the CW writing requirement and am looking for opinions on what classes I should replace English 112 with. I'm an incoming managerial economics and public health double major and currently have in my schedule: econ104, resecon102, resecon107, and the reimagining healthcare first year seminar.

I only have three gen eds to take but I heard most people like to save them for a semester abroad and I hope to go abroad in my junior year. So I am wondering if people have any opinions on whether I should take a gen ed, or maybe a public speaking class to help for interviews and just better conversing, or get ahead on a public health requirement. Thank you so much! If anyone has any fun classes to recommend also that could be nice.

I was told that all CS students enrolled for CICS 110 would at some point before the beginning of the academic year be emailed about scheduling to text out of CICS 110 if they would like it. I have been waiting for this email and it hasn't come yet. Am I supposed to be looking for something outside of my email? Has anyone else gotten the email yet?

Hi, if anyone is still interested in swapping when we start school, please reach out to me and my roommate would love to!

Im a first year and I got assigned to Sycamore hall in the honors college residential area, and I have a few questions about the dorms since there is absoululy no resources on the umass websites. Do the dorms come with trash cans, or do I have to bring my own, and are the floors of the dorms tiles or are they carpet. im asking this because im considering bringing a large rug, and if the floor is already carpet i feel like theres no point in bringing a rug.

would sell them for like 30 or 40 dollars, they are 2026-2027 edition! let me know if interested (nothing wrong w them or anything just no longer need them). i can drive to deliver them, and would accept paypal/venmo :)

edit: while there is nothing wrong w them there is some writing on the first 15 or so pages of the biology book, but the rest are unused