What Students Really Say About Farmington


Why did you choose to major in Secondary/Middle Education?
So I can teach high school math to kids. I chose it because I liked math a lot in high school, and I was always good at helping my friends with it. So, it was a pretty straight forward choice.

What are some of the classes that you take in your major?
Well, you take a lot of calculus here — actually pretty much all the math courses on campus, and the basic Education requirements and also a bunch of general education classes.

Have you had a favorite class or a favorite experience in class?
I really liked my professor in calculus. That was my favorite class so far. But honestly, I haven’t had a bad class here at Farmington.

Are there any other classes within your major that you have really enjoyed?
I'm doing my practicum this semester and it’s a lot of work, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun. You learn a lot in that class.

What are some of the strengths of Farmington’s Secondary/Middle Education program?
You get a broad range of math classes. I mean, you’re required to take them, but it’s still a very broad range, so you get a good mix of everything. I'd say the real-world experiences they give you and the experience of the professors really stands out. Some kids at from other schools have told me that their professors haven’t spent that long teaching, so they don’t have the experience. I think that's important and here at Farmington we've got really experienced, outstanding professors, not grad students teaching the classes.

Are there any classes that have changed your view on anything?
My teaching practicum introduced a lot of new ideas, which is nice. And I really liked being in the school classroom.

So are you working in a school classroom right now?
Yeah, practicum gets you right into the classroom, working with kids. I’m doing that now. It’s broken into three weeks periods — three weeks in the school, three weeks back here on campus doing coursework. The coursework is pretty intensive but it isn’t too bad if you stay on top of it. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.

Have any other classes have stood out?
I really liked the science course I took last year — it was Physics. The professor really made it fun and interesting, and it was never a boring class. I liked that.

Are you looking forward to student teaching?
Yes, definitely. You observe more in practicum and with student teaching you actually get to teach every day. I’ll be teaching at the high school level, sophomores through seniors. I wouldn’t mind trying middle school education, just to get the experience, but I'd like to teach in a high school better.
 
Where you want to do your student teaching?
Preferably Mount Blue High School in Farmington, just because it's a short distance from campus. It would be kind of nice to not have to drive anywhere too far.

How’s the workload? Are your professors too hard or too easy?
I wouldn’t say it’s ever too hard. I can get it all done, and I'm never overwhelmed and end up saying, “Oh man, I just can’t get this done.” But it’s never easy. I'm never thinking, “Oh, I can get an easy ‘A’ in this without getting the work done.”

Have you had any professors that have really stood out?
Dr. Nic Koban [Asst. Professor of Mathematics] my calculus professor, I really liked him a lot. He makes the work hard, the courses are really challenging. But I do like him — he's a really funny guy and I just like the way he teaches. I guess I understand the material better the way he teaches it — his teaching methods and stuff.

So, what makes a good professor?
Somebody who realizes that college isn’t just about you getting a good grade. Someone who wants you to actually understand the material. I’ve talked to some of my friends at [a big state university in New England] and they say they think the professors there don’t really care if you learn. They just care if you can pass the exams.

Where do you go when you need help or advice with your classes?
I usually try to hit the professor during office hours. That has always worked for me. Dr. Grace Ward [Asst. Professor of Secondary/Middle Education] my advisor — she definitely helps me.

Is there anything that you would have liked to have known before you came to Farmington?
Maybe a little bit more about the resources on campus, like the Computer Center. I really didn’t know much about what the place does until my computer broke for the first time. They took care of it right away — the people there were great.

What does having a Liberal Arts education mean to you?
That I'll be able to get a job when I get out of college. To me, that's what I'm here for. I just wanted to be at Farmington because I knew that it’s a good teaching school. The Liberal Arts thing really didn’t matter to me.

What can somebody do with your major?
Go into teaching. Anywhere from seventh grade to senior year in high school is covered under secondary education degrees.

What are your plans after you graduate?
I’d like to teach back near Corinth, back home. But it depends where I can get a job. I wouldn’t mind staying in the Farmington area. I like it here.

Are you considering graduate school?
I’d definitely like to get my Master's in education at some point.

What are some things that Farmington does well?
It gets you ready to go out into the work force. My education classes have been great in that way. Also they make you feel comfortable here really quickly. I think it was only the first week of my freshman year before I settled right in.

How did you decide to come to Farmington?
I wanted to be a teacher, and I knew that Farmington is a great teaching school. Also I really liked the small town idea. I come from a small high school and I didn’t want to go to [a big state university] where there’s like 10,000 other students.

What were your first impressions of Farmington?
I grew up close to Orono, so I'm familiar with that campus and how big it is. Farmington is maybe half the size of that! That was the thing that maybe stuck out the most to me. Farmington was nice and small. I really liked that.

Do you think Farmington has been an overall positive experience?
Oh yeah.

Do you live in the dorms?
I live in Lockwood Hall now. I used to live in Scott Hall my freshman year but now I'm in Lockwood with a bunch of my buddies from the rugby team.

Do you like living in the dorms?
I don’t mind the dorms at all. I never really thought I needed an apartment. Besides, I know myself too well and I think it's wise for me to stay on campus because of all my scholarships. I think I might lose some of them if I moved to an off-campus apartment. [laughs]

What do you like to do around Farmington for fun?
Well, I play on the men's rugby team. That’s my favorite thing to do here. In the off-season, I go to the Fitness Center quite a bit.

So how did you get involved with the rugby club?
I had heard about the team before I even came to Farmington — I read about their team in a newspaper. I thought it was kind of interesting. And when I came to campus, the team had a recruiting table set up at the Student Center and they asked me if I'd be interested in playing. I went down and practiced and I’ve been going ever since. It's the best.

What do you think of the Farmington community?
I like it. It’s nice and small. You can’t get lost in the crowd.

Is UMF preparing you well?
Oh, definitely.

Do you have a work-study job?
Yes, I work for the Athletics Department. They had the job fair here the first couple of weeks of school in my freshman year and that’s the job I signed up for. I have office hours during the week and then I go to varsity sporting events and keep stats at basketball games and help pick up at other sporting events.

Biggest surprise?
Just how quickly I got to like it here. Just how quickly the school grew on me.

Do you have any advice for an incoming student or somebody looking at Farmington?
Definitely, come visit it, see it and get a feel for it. It helped me in my senior year, when I was able to come and see the school and know where I was headed.

Would you recommend UMF to a brother, sister or friend?
Yes. Definitely.