Amherst College
- Facilities

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As is the situation with the computer labs, at first glance, the sole coffeehouse, the lone theater, and the single gym may seem a bit slim to satisfy a whole college. Still, for the relatively small number of students at Amherst, the variety of things you can do and places you can do them in is overwhelming, and students regularly complain that they’ve missed out on some event or show because they just didn’t have time. The gym is state-of-the-art and has become a campus-wide hangout. Tennis, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming, basketball, and Frisbee (a big hit here) are all viable options provided by the well-developed intramural and club system and the copious courts and fields. Arms Music Center (the music building) has practice rooms equipped with (very expensive) pianos, and there is also a recording studio in the building. Students have complained that the practice rooms are always full and that the walls are not satisfactorily soundproofed. In order to fully take advantage of these rooms, the best time to access them is early in the morning before classes, but this can often prove to be a bit of a drag since not many college students are early-risers.

The architecture here is quaint and Victorian. During the winter season, particularly after the first snowfall, the scenic view is astonishingly breathtaking. This picturesque atmosphere can definitely be considered a trademark of a small New England college. It is pleasant to walk outside and enjoy the simple beauty of the buildings. After a few months here, you’ll realize that considering the small student population, the sheer numbers of treadmills, tennis courts, performance venues, pianos, sofas, DVDs, and foosball tables are much more than enough to satisfy just about any student’s needs.

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Facilities at Amherst College

wk15

Political Science and Government '15

4.2

A-

Some Great, Some Need Work

Overall, Amherst looks like what a small, old, prestigious New England college ought to look like. The vistas of the Holyoke Range you get when looking out over the War Memorial are unparalleled. Most buildings, particularly those on the freshman quad, are very quaint and charming. As a rule, the facilities here are great, but I'll mention a few exceptions:

Keefe, the campus center is poorly designed--no one really uses it, other than to check their mail. When I visited friends at schools, their student centers seemed much more vibrant and vital (Columbia really stuck out in this regard).

The library is pretty bad 1950s architecture, as is the current science center, though it's about to be replaced by something a lot better.

All the athletic facilities are nice and well-maintained, though the weight room is really too small for a school with so many athletes. It gets really crowded at around 5 p.m.

Val (short for Valentine), our dining hall, has improved recently, but still gets really crowded at certain times of day, and has odd hours (dinner is served from 4:30-7:30; doesn't really make sense for college students).

Oct 14, 2011

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Facilities at Amherst College

emmawoodhouse

Computer Science '12

3.8

B+

Lovely Indeed

Robert Frost library is great for studying, alone or in groups. The mountain views are always appreciated, as well.

Only one dining hall, which is a bit inconvenient. Needs more modern performance spaces, especially theaters.

Mar 25, 2011

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Facilities at Amherst College

AmhNF

Biological Sciences '12

In general, the facilities are in...

In general, the facilities are in great shape. Any that aren't are either in the process of being renovated or will be soon. The gym is large, free, and convenient. The student center could use some new arcade games, but it's still functional, and the dining hall is well kept. No big complaints here.

Feb 17, 2009

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Photos of Amherst College's Facilities

Main Quad

Photo by Dsem

Main Quad

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Photo by Dsem under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 | Source

Johnson Chapel

Photo by AWBridges

Johnson Chapel

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Photo by AWBridges under Public Domain | Source

Johnson Chapel

Photo by AWBridges

Johnson Chapel

Link to this photo

Photo by AWBridges under Public Domain | Source

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