Yay! You have been assigned to the coolest dorm ever at Umass Amherst. VAN METER! Take it from me, a former Van Meter resident and everybody. Van Meter ranks at the top…literally it’s at the top of a hill. Just like with anywhere you go, there are specific quirks to that area. Here are 5 things you’d only understand if you live in Van Meter at UMass Amherst.
No not the show or the song by the Weeknd. I mean actual hills you will have to walk up. There are two on either side.(psst the right hill is steeper and shorter. The left hill is longer but less steep) Everybody knows the struggle of going up the hills which will make you shout “MY POOR LEGS!” almost everyday. But you will see that occasional fit person going up the hill by bike.
Tip: Take the the bus that drops you off at Butterfield (right across Van Meter), it’s a leg saver. Trust me! I learned the hard way!
You know how sometimes there is a smell that reminds you of home or brings back a certain memory. Like grandma’s apple pie or in my case mama’s oxtails, Van Meter has it’s own smell. That smell is weed. It smells like weed EVERY SINGLE DAY! There is even an area on, you guessed it, for those who smoke. “Stonerhenge” I believe it’s called, but I may be wrong since I don’t smoke.
Tip: For you non smokers like me, buy air freshener for your room and perfume/cologne for your body.
Color coordinating is a helpful tip many people use to stay organized and know where everything is. It’s so helpful that whoever the interior designer of Van Meter was, felt the need for colored stairwells. Yes there are blue, purple, red, orange, yellow, and green stairwells in Van Meter. It’s sooo easy to find your room. If anyone wanted to know where you lived in Van Meter, you would say the floor and stairwell color. For example, the 2nd floor yellow staircase…that’s where I lived in Van Meter.
Tip: Make sure you can tell the difference between the red and orange stairwells, they look oddly similar.
“Wow this is your dorm?” “This is the place is soo cool!” “I wished I lived here!” Just some of the common phrases I would hear as friends of Van Meteorites came to visit them. Secretly down deep people will envy your dorm. So bask in this little yet wonderful victory of having a cool, modern, and creative looking dorm. Also there is a FULL KITCHEN in the basement!
Tip: Take mad snaps of Van Meter at UMass Amherst, so friends at other colleges can see!
Finally the famous Van Meter Basement. Home to squads, Disney viewing parties, gaming tournaments, interesting smells of the kitchen, people doing homework, people not doing work, and friends chilling. Not only is it an awesome lounge but it’s lit (seriously), there’s a pool table and one hall over there is a dance room and piano room. I mean I don’t know many dorms with a dance room, piano, room, and full kitchen. Do you? Safe to say Van Meter has the best basement at Umass Amherst.
Tip: Have fun game nights with friends in the basement. It will get intense:)
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