What Students Really Say About Farmington



Tell me a bit about the International Studies major at Farmington.
The International Studies major allows you to combine six different disciplines and you pick two to focus on — mine are History and Spanish. I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish and I was good at History. With an International Studies major I can combine the two.

Did you come in to UMF with that major?
No, I was an Undeclared major for about two years.

What’s been your favorite class so far?
I’ve loved all my Spanish classes. I like the professor and I like learning the language. Right now I’m taking The International System, a political science class, and I find it fascinating studying international policies and how they affect everything. I liked other classes because of the professor rather than the particular topic.

Have you studied abroad?
Yes, I studied in Seville, Spain for three months. I loved Spain and the culture and that UMF was able to give me the opportunity to study there. And best of all, I could do it fairly inexpensively.

Was coming back difficult to Farmington after studying in Spain?
Sure — I’d much rather still be in Spain. I don’t feel I was there long enough. My Spanish professor here is wonderful, but it’s not quite the same as actually living in Spain. UMF is a very nice place to come back to, though.

Have you taken any classes at UMF that changed your views?
I took a Biotechnology class that was about all of the advances in cloning. We started off reading Frankenstein and the very first instances of messing with human life. We went through contemporary novels and scientific research. That was fascinating and very eye-opening to see what they can do now and all the ethical questions it raises. There are no clear answers.

What did you like about Farmington?
Just how close everything is — how integrated the town and campus are. There’s no clear distinction between campus and town. You’re very much a part of the Farmington community. I like that.

What’s your favorite thing about UMF?
I like being able to talk to my professors — going to see them pretty much any time I want to talk to them about anything and staying with them as long as I want. I also like the size, how small the school is. And I like how I know all the professors on a first name basis and that I can go into their offices and talk for a half an hour or two hours and they’re perfectly happy to do that. You don’t even need to schedule an appointment.

Do you participate in theater?
Yes. I was also in International Club for a while but theater takes up all my time. I’m also working full-time.

Have you ever had a job on campus?
I worked at the Alumni Theater for two and a half years. For the most part it was a positive experience. It was a work-study job, so I could be more flexible with my hours and also be right on campus, whereas having a job at The Granary [a Farmington restaurant a short walk from campus] you have to come in at a specific time and it doesn’t matter if you have a paper due tomorrow. It’s a life totally unrelated to school.

What does a Liberal Arts education mean to you?
It means you get to learn a little bit of everything instead of focusing solely on one subject. You take math classes, science classes, and a bit of everything. It definitely makes you more well-rounded.

Was UMF what you expected it to be?
I liked it more than I thought I would. I’m from Fort Kent, Maine, which is a very small town, so I didn’t think I’d enjoy being in a small town. But this campus feels like the size of the entire town of Fort Kent so there are many more opportunities here than I imagined.

What does UMF do really well?
They do a very good job integrating freshmen and helping them transition into college life — and little things they do in the residence halls to help you meet people. There’s a lot of inter-major mingling here, meaning it’s not such a giant place that you only make friends with people in your major.

Anything on campus you would like to change?
I think there needs to be more encouragement for students to branch out and try different things instead of always following the same pattern — maybe create more awareness of the opportunities available to students.

Is there anything you wish you knew about UMF before you came?
I wish I’d known a little more about the International Studies program because I probably would’ve declared it as my major earlier.

What do you plan on doing after graduation?
I’d like to go into the Peace Corps or some type of program like that. I’d like to do more hands-on field work before pursuing something narrow.

Would you recommend UMF to a friend?
It depends on what they’re looking for. Farmington is definitely not for everyone. If you’re looking for a close-knit community, then you’ll love it. If you want to go to a big party school where you’re just a number, then you don’t want to come here. But if you want to make connections with your professors and know almost everyone on campus, then you should definitely come here.