University of Vermont

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Majors: Double major in Geography and Political Science
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Female

Summary

My main extracurricular activity is the debate team.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White

High School Experience: Public high school in Rhode Island with a graduating class of about 190 people. It was not a great high school. It’s now closed. I’m probably one of ten people in my class who got out of Rhode Island. Going to UVM, I’m going to one of the best schools that people went to from my high school. There was definitely not a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: Yes
Majors: Double major in Geography and Political Science
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: My main extracurricular activity is the debate team. I volunteer work at a local women’s prison and juvenile detention center. In addition, I’m part of the International Feminist Collective Club and I do research with a professor.

Academic Experience

How easy was it to get involved in the research you participate in?
It was a little bit of a process, honestly. I found out about it because I was in the Integrated Social Sciences Program and then my professor announced it in one of my Geography classes. Then there was an interview process. It was a pretty selective thing.
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your majors?
It’s pretty varied because my two majors are pretty different. For Political Science, my homework consists pretty much entirely of reading. For Geography, it is also a lot of reading, but depending on the class that I’m taking, whether it’s more science or physical geography versus human or urban geography, it is a lot of problem sets and lab work and that sort of thing.
Is there anything you feel your majors’ departments do especially well or poorly?
The Geography department at UVM is pretty amazing just because it is so small. It takes up only half of a hallway. There are maybe 10 professors, and, in my year, I think there are 12 Geography majors, so it’s really hands-on. The professors know everybody by name and they give you so many opportunities. They’re just very hands-on and you can go to them for anything. I think that’s probably what they do best.
In terms of Political Science, I’m not as familiar honestly. I started out as Political Science major and got pretty far in it before realizing I didn’t really like it, so I’m just kind of finishing it. I don’t really interact with the department as much. The thing that I noticed is that it’s more theory-heavy, and, as somebody who’s more interested in hands-on stuff, like public policy or international relations, that’s really lacking in our department. That’s my one complaint, but I don’t have too much experience because I don’t tend to focus on that major as much.
What have been your favorite classes you’ve taken for your majors?
One of them was my Intro to GIS, which focuses on Geographic Information Systems. You focus on learning the mapping software. That was one of my favorite classes because I never thought I could be technologically savvy, and that class was really influential because I had really good professors and I learned very cool and valuable skills.
In terms of fun, Geography of the Middle East was really cool and interesting. All of the essays made you think really outside of the box. The readings were all contemporary and sometimes gave a feminist perspective, and that was really cool.
What has been your least favorite class you’ve taken for your major?
I had to take an Economics class that was not fun at all.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think that the Geography learning environment is very collaborative because it is so small. I have the same people in every single one of my classes, so it’s a very nice community. We help each other and you can always find us together in the library. It’s very cool because UVM is like 16,000 people but we have this tiny bubble.
The Political Science department is a little bit more competitive just because it’s bigger, and in the realm of Political Science there are not that many jobs. It’s a very hard field to get a job in. It makes it very competitive to get the best internships. Everybody’s trying to be an intern for Bernie Sanders and everybody’s trying to work for Elizabeth Warren, and you have so many Political Science majors. Then you also have a lot of people applying to law school. So, I think Political Science is a lot more competitive than Geography is.
How accessible are your professors?
Pretty accessible, honestly. As I said, the perk of Geography is that it’s so small, so you have a lot of contact with the professors. I always can make an appointment with my professors during office hours. They just want you to succeed. I’ve never been told no or denied anything.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
The professors are always entertaining opposite schools of thought. I think that in every discussion the professor has been very unbiased and very welcome of other people. My one pretty big critique of UVM in general, and I’m very liberal, is I think it can be a bit of an echo-chamber. I think a lot of the times it’s a liberal bubble. It’s the home Bernie Sanders, you know, it’s very hippy. It’s a very nice, welcoming environment, but if you want political diversity, it might not be the best place for you because most people do have the same outlook on things. I don’t think you would get death threats or the professor would shut you down if you gave a pro-[conservative] presentation, but I do think you would face a lot of backlash and critique when it was time for questions.
Why did you choose your majors? Are you happy with your choice?
It was a big journey. I applied originally as a Computer Science major because I was interested in tech. But, when I got to orientation I switched to an Economics and Global Studies double major. I kind of hated Economics, so I just did Global Studies, which is a hodgepodge of different things. Then I picked up a French major because I had always taken French. Then I dropped both those things and picked up Political Science, which I kept because it’s fine enough and interesting. But then I took a Geography class because of the Integrated Social Sciences Program, and I never would have taken a Geography class. I took a class called Global Cities with one of my favorite professors and it opened my eyes to how cool Geography is. I also took a GIS class that opened my eyes to the tech side of it. I was like, “Wow, this is what I’ve always wanted to do. I always wanted to work with computers and this is now the coolest theory that I’m interested in.” I really wish I had stuck with Computer Science, but it isn’t too strong of a regret because I get to do a lot of computer stuff for my Geography major and I met such a cool community of students and professors that I don’t think I would have gotten in Computer Science.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s an excellent student town.
2) There are so many resources and opportunities. We have great research facilities, a greenhouse, great dance studios, etc.
3) How much the professors care about you. They really are invested in your individual success. I can only speak to the liberal arts side, but every professor that I’ve had has really cared about how I feel and will ask you about your weekend and stuff.

Reasons Not to Attend

The fact it is a bubble. I’m a huge believer in diversity. It’s is majority white, and majority affluent. I really think that education comes from competing and diverse opinions and having people who have different experiences and backgrounds as you do, and I don’t think you can find that easily. [About 82% of students are White. The median family income is $121,500.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
As I said, I was in the integrated social sciences program my freshman year. We have Program Housing and the Living Learning Housing. I lived with people also in the Social Sciences program, so we all took the same classes and we all lived in suites. Those suites were 6 or 7 people in apartment-style living in four or five rooms and we shared a kitchen downstairs. I lived in Living Learning Building B. I actually got a single which was really cool. If there are freshmen who really don’t like sharing their space, I would suggest going into Program housing because I was able to get a single. I had five other girls in the suite.
I really liked that, so I chose to do it again my sophomore year. I applied to live in the French House. I chose that because I can speak French and I really liked the culture and I had a single again. I had six other girls in the suite.
Then my junior year and senior year I lived off-campus in an apartment. I like living off campus. The independence is nice and you can participate in downtown life. I lived with three other girls.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It’s pretty safe. There are blue lights everywhere and campus security is constantly patrolling and making sure everything is safe. It’s a very clear presence. I’ve never felt unsafe, even walking at 3:00 AM from downtown to my Living and Learning building.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Probably KKD’s, so Kountry Kart Deli.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
Probably the waterfront. There are all these mountains and you have a giant lake. It’s the best place.

Social Opportunities

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
My two closest friends I lived with in separate years. One of my best friends I lived with freshman year and then the other was one of my roommates in the French house. So, it was circumstantial, but not really because we all have the same interests and we complement each other really well. I think program housing is a really good way to meet people.
How was it blending in as a first-generation college student?
It was hard, I’m not going to lie. It is very easy to blend in because I’m part of the majority here since it is a majority white school. I don’t see a lot of the oppression that other students face on campus, but I’m lucky I don’t have to face the kind of prejudice and bias some other people do. Being first-generation and low-income can be hard because a lot of things are really expensive. UVM is a very affluent school, but you may not notice it because people dress kind of crunchy. Most people I know have their parents pay their rent, give them groceries, buy their textbooks, and have given them a car to use. It’s the little things, like, no one has given me the sort of things that people with a long history of going to college or are high income have. Having said that, there are really good resources for students like me on campus. But, I do think there is a noticeable difference between low-income students and others. [About 82% of students are White. The median family income is $121,500.]
How would you describe the social scene at UVM?
I think everybody is really friendly. You can talk to anybody, compliment their outfit, say “Hi” and smile and they will say “Hi” and smile back. You can ask anyone for help and they will probably help you. I think it’s a very open place to be. Then again, it is a big school. So, I think you find your friends and you stick with your friends. It’s not cliquey, but you stick with your friends because it’s huge.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
This kind of harkens back about how White UVM is. I personally can’t speak of acts of prejudice against myself because I am not a student a color. There have been some incidents of people posting offensive posters, but there were protests against that and work by students the try and fix those things that are seen as prejudice. Black Student Alliance has a pretty good presence and the LGBTQ Center has a pretty good presence as well and is heavily utilized. There are resources for those minority groups. I don’t think it’s the worst place to be if you are [a person of color or LGBTQ], but I can see how it would be isolating if you were the only person with brown curly hair or something. We’re constantly doing work to be more welcoming.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
The alumni network has a lot of events for the networking process. I have never attended one.
To what extent have you used the career office? How helpful have they been?
I’ve used it a couple of times. I think I’m going to use it more now that I’m applying to get my master’s and am trying to solidify my resume. I’ve used it when applying to fellowships. I know a lot of students have used to for help with their resume, cover letters, and applying for scholarships, so I know it is useful. I just haven’t used it yet.

Financial Aid

How accommodating has the financial aid office been to your needs?
I think they’re accommodating. I had a little bit of trouble with them when I was trying to figure out my study abroad. They’ve always been helpful to me. I’ve never been given too little financial aid. They try to give you as much as they can and they help break down everything. Being a student who really relies on financial aid to pay rent and buy textbooks, they’ve been a really good resource for me.