What Students Really Say About Farmington


Why Farmington?
I really like the small campus and the personal atmosphere. Here, you really get to know your professors and it's easy to make new friends.

How did you decide on Farmington?
A family member took a class here and really liked the professors and what Farmington had to offer. I liked the smaller-sized classes and the personal attention. I didn’t want a school that did lectures in an auditorium with 300 other students.

What was your first impression of Farmington?
It was a good one. I thought it was really small, but actually Farmington is bigger than I thought it was going to be. It’s a good campus and it’s a fun place to work.

Did you come to Farmington knowing what you wanted?
No.  I knew Farmington was known as a great teaching school, but I wasn't interested in becoming a teacher. Marketing has always kind of been something I wanted to do, so I looked into the Business Economics program here and now I’m to taking a lot of Business classes.

What’s your favorite class?
Surprisingly, it was a Women’s and Gender Studies class. It was set up as a discussion class and I like hearing other people’s opinions and different topics discussed. I’ve always been the type to be able to speak out in class, but I think that the professors’ excitement to generate discussion has really helped me. I like that Farmington does that for students.

What are some interesting classes taken in your major?
Well, right now I'm taking Business and Society and we talk a lot about business ethics. It’s also about marketing skills and how they affect other people. It just helps you make better choices in the real world

What is the Business Economics program at Farmington like?
Well, so far I've taken Accounting Principles, Principles of Management and Business and Society. In Business and Society, my professor presents case studies involving hard and life-changing business decisions that really do affect people’s lives. We can relate to the real-life circumstances in those case studies. It’s all about decision-making skills, and I think those are really important.

Have any classes at Farmington changed your views or perspective?
Again, the Women’s and Gender Studies class I took. It made me realize the stereotypes people have about others and gender roles. also and English Comp class I took. Both gave me an opportunity to talk about what's really important to me and what I believe in.

Do you feel Farmington is preparing you well?
Oh yes!

Have you done any outside-of-the-classroom projects?
In my Women’s and Gender Studies class, we were given the opportunity to help out a Nicaraguan community by holding a yard sale to raise money for their medical needs. There are a lot of community service projects to be done here at Farmington. In another class we raised money for a abused women’s advocacy project here at Farmington. Farmington gives the students an opportunity to give back to the community a little bit. I think people would be surprised by just how many community service projects we all do here. As a student, it just becomes second-nature to us.

Do you get a lot of work here at Farmington?
Well, yes — it’s college [laughs] You'd better get quite a bit of work to do! But so far, it's nothing I can't handle.

Have any professors stood out?
Three of them have stood out. Marilyn Wegner, an awesome English instructor, she's very creative and inspirational. Ken Sawyer — my Math instructor, he gives me so much confidence in math.  I struggle with math a lot, and the confidence and support Ken gives me is great. There’s also Tiffany Maiuri with her openness and understanding, she’s so kind. All three are just awesome.

What makes a professor a good one?
Not sticking rigidly to the rules. Helping a student in areas when they struggle. The professors at Farmington really help students do well in their classes and that is very important.

Who do you go to for academic help?
I talk to everybody, but Marilyn Wegner and my friends in the UMF Bridge Program. They've a big support system there.

What does a Liberal Arts education mean to you?
To me it means getting a little bit of every subject to have a better understanding of a bunch of different areas so you can either chose a field you want to focus on or have a variety of information. Well-rounded.

When you applied to come here, did you know what Liberal Arts meant?
Not really. [laughs]

What do you like about Farmington now that you’ve been here awhile?
I like the closeness you have with the professors. You can drop them an email saying that you can’t make it to class or you’re having trouble with a certain paper topic. I like the one-on-one. I like the quiet atmosphere. There is not too much partying going on.

What is unique about Farmington?
I can’t stress it enough — the closeness you have with your professors and your peers. It’s really nice to walk into a room and not feel like a number. To have your professor see you walking down the street and stop and say, “Hey Lesley, how are you?” is great.

Has Farmington been an overall positive experience?
Of course.

Any major surprises?
No major surprises, if there any, they are good ones. It’s a very nice school and I like it a lot.

Did you take a tour when you first decided to come here?
Yes, and now I’m a tour guide for the Admission Office. When I was looking to come here I took an official campus tour and it was good, really informative. Now being a tour guide, myself, it's fun.

What do you like about the campus?
It’s really pretty in the fall. It’s really clean and really open. It’s a small campus without any clutter.

Do you live on campus?
I don't live on campus anymore but I did last year. I actually requested to live in the Wellness Community of Stone Hall so I could be with my best friend. The Wellness Community is an alcohol, drugs, and tobacco-free zone. It's also a very quiet environment — but it isn’t boring! It's just a lot quieter than some of the other residence halls and I really wanted to focus on my studies when I first got here.

Do you ski or hike?
I like to ski, but that wasn’t the most crucial factors when I decided to come to Farmington. I’ve been to Sugarloaf, but I didn’t really have a lot of time last year to do that kind of thing. But my friends who love to ski and snowboard absolutely love Sugarloaf. They can’t get enough.

What is your favorite part of Farmington?
I just feel at home here. A nice place to go to school, it gives you ambition.

What do you think of community?
I think the community members in Farmington are nice to the college students. I’ve never noticed anything bad coming from the community — they seem really nice.

Do you have a favorite Farmington memory?
Mostly meeting new people and having fun with them. Oh, they have these little carnival events in the Student Center. They serve great food in the dining hall and vendors come in with jewelry and clothes and crafts. Sometimes, you get free stuff. It’s just a lot of fun checking it out with your friends, trying to figure out what necklace you want.

What do you want to do after graduation?
I want to work for a company doing advertising and I think I might go for my M.B.A. with a focus in marketing.

What does Farmington do well?
I think most students would agree with me, Farmington focuses on each individual student. You walk into a classroom and there aren’t a hundred other kids there. They really focus on making sure you understand the material and give you the resources to do so.

What’s your favorite part of being at Farmington?
The positive atmosphere. It keeps me going.

Do you feel Farmington is preparing you well?
Yes!

Any sage advice for incoming freshmen?
Go to class. Keep a positive attitude. Be open with your professors and they will help you all along the way.