What Students Really Say About Farmington


Why did you choose Rehabilitation Services? Did you come in with that major?
No, I didn’t decide on Rehab Services until the end of my sophomore year. Actually, I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. Then, I started working at the Fitness Center on campus and I loved how teaching fitness really seemed to help people. I was enticed into Rehab Services because it’s very much a helping profession. And it’s a wide open field — there are so many things you can do with it. I could do dance therapy or work in wilderness therapist or as a counselor. That’s what drew me to the program.

Have you had a favorite class at Farmington?
I’m in a class right now, Strategies and Techniques in Rec. Therapy, that I really like. The class exposes you the whole spectrum of active therapy — dance therapy, therapeutic horseback riding, expressive arts therapy, humor therapy, in a hands-on way. It’s great because I love hands-on stuff and I’m not very good at sit-down and lecture type situations. I’m also learning about different populations that certain therapies would be good for and then I actually get to do it. That’s probably the most fun I have had in a class.

Do you have a favorite professor?
My freshman year I took English Composition, with a professor named Elizabeth Cooke [Assistant Professor of Composition] and she’s been my favorite so far. She was a mentor as well as a teacher. Whenever I had questions about papers I’d go to her office and she was just so helpful. And then we would end up talking about other things, like how college was going for me and stresses in my life. She was genuinely interested in how I was doing and I appreciated that as a freshman who was still trying to figure out things and was stressed out about a lot of it. She was really passionate about writing — a very nice lady.

How did you choose to come to Farmington?
I looked at other schools but I decided to come here because I wanted more distance between me and home. And I liked a small school. It felt like more of a community here. I love the college life but I also like that I now know a lot of people in the community, too. I’m very much a nature person, too, so I like that here I can go hiking with ease, go swimming in the river, all the hippy stuff [laughs].

Did you visit Farmington before you enrolled?
Yes, but only once and I fell in love with the place. I had had family that had come to school here, too.

What were your first impressions of UMF?
It was a lot smaller than any of the other schools I had visited. But it felt friendly and like it wouldn’t be as hard a transition, because I went to a small high school, too. I don’t have anything to compare it to because this is the only college I have been to, but the professors here are very friendly and so helpful, willing to help you out in any way they can — and that made it seem just more welcoming.

Do you have a favorite memory about Farmington?
In my sophomore year, a bunch of friends I made here stayed in Farmington over the summer and we went swimming one night in the Sandy River, late, late at night. It was the first time I had done it at night and it was so peaceful and beautiful. It was funny because you knew the university was nearby but you could look up and see the stars so clearly. I remember that first time because we were having such a fun time.

What did you do here over the summer?
I had a job on campus over the summer. I’ve been working at the UMF Fitness and Rec center since my freshman year and I really liked my job during the school year and just wanted to keep working during the summer.

What do you do at your job at the Fitness Center?
Well, I started off as a lifeguard at the pool, and it opened a bunch of different doors for me. Later, I took a class in water safety instruction so I could teach swim lessons for any age. After that I became a lifeguard instructor, where I teach lifeguard classes — which are really fun. This past summer I got certified to be a group fitness instructor, so now I go right from the pool and teach stuff like kick boxing, step aerobics, and strength classes. I just love it.

Do you ski?
I do, sometimes. I’m not a huge skier but I enjoy it and now I’m learning to snowboard. I don’t do it all that often but it’s fun.

What advice would you give to a freshman or somebody who’s looking at the school?
If you like the city life — night life and clubbing — you won’t want to come here. That’s the number one thing I would say. But if you appreciate being in the country and you enjoy natural things around you and skiing, and you like doing active things outdoors, then Farmington is a great place.