University of Massachusetts - AmherstFacilities Summary

Written by Leah Kahan

To a new student, the sheer number and range of facilities at UMass is impressive and a little intimidating. The general feeling is that UMass facilities are well maintained and offer everything a student needs and most of what they want. Some buildings could use a face lift, but the University has been slowing updating campus where needed. The library is 26 stories and offers everything a student could ever need. Despite numerous campus legends about the library being built incorrectly (it's said that the architect didn't take into account the weight of the books when designing the building, so now it's sinking), it is an extremely popular place to study. Need some peace and quiet? Take the speedy elevator to an upper level. Doing a group project? Head downstairs to the newly expanded Learning Commons. If you get tired, grab a coffee on the ground level where you can also check out your books. The University's most recent improvement is the new Recreation Center. Students previously had to work out and play indoor sports at either of the two old gymnasiums or buy a membership to the smaller gyms inside four of the dorms. Now, they can head to the Rec Center, which boasts three levels and 120,000 square feet of anything anyone could ever want out of a gym, plus a juice bar courtesy of the Class of 2009. The pulse of UMass is at the Campus Center, where vendors and student organizations compete for attention. This complex, which connects to the Student Union by means of a long, heavily traversed tunnel, accommodates everything from cafeterias to the University store. If you're looking for something to do on campus, the Campus Center has it all.