Residential First Year Experience

Welcome to UMass Amherst and the Residential First Year Experience. The Residential First Year Experience is a unique living experience that will give you an edge to help you make the most of your time here at UMass Amherst. From the moment you arrive on campus in September, you will be part of a welcoming community of first year students, staff, instructors and faculty members. Your learning won’t just happen in the classrooms of academic buildings, it will also be a big part of your time in the residence hall. You have the opportunity to choose a residence hall based on a special interest area or theme. You will live amongst other students who share an interest in this topic but will most likely approach the topic from a different perspective. The staff in your hall will be available to provide academic and personal support and special activities and events that will allow you to learn more about your interest area. You have the option to further your learning experience within your interest area by joining a Residential Academic Program (RAP) within your first year hall as well. Depending on the program you choose, you may even have classes taught right inside your hall. No matter which program you choose, you will find that living in the Residential First Year Experience makes your learning one of our top priorities!

Your time in college is also about fun. In addition to all of the support toward your academic sucess, you’ll see that living in a community of other first year students is really fun! When it is time to put the books away, there will be lots of programs, events, and trips to keep you busy and having a great time.

Housed in 3 different residential areas, the Residential First Year Experience offers a variety of programmatic and academic focus areas. Take some time to explore the many options for your Residential First Year Experience. We look forward to meeting and working with you!