Why did you choose to attend UM?
When trying to decide whether or not to attend UM, I thought a lot about the location and layout of the campus. UM is almost perfectly situated in the middle of Oxford, which is really convenient for finding housing close to campus. The layout of UM makes it super easy for students to walk from class to class. UM has a wide variety of departments and majors for students to pick and participant in.
What would you tell a high school student about your major? What is most important for them to know if they are interested in pursuing that field of study?
The first thing most people think of when they hear cclassics is Percy Jackson, but Classics is so much more than just the mythology. With cclassics, you get to study language, literature, culture, and history of ancient civilizations. If you choose classics as your major, you gain more freedom over the classes you want to take. This means that there are many classes that you can take to fill a requirement, and you get to pick the ones that you are most interested in.
Why is your department a special place?
So far, as a cclassics student, I have seen how the professors interact with one another and students. The department as a whole feels like a close-knit family. A lot of the professor will go out of their way to help you in any way they can.
What class or professor has had the most impact on you?
A professor who has had a huge impact on my college experience thus far would have to be Dr. Ajootian. She is currently helping me research and discover the topic of my honors thesis. However, before that, she was my Latin professor, and she was so incredibley patient and kind to all students. Dr. Ajootian took the time to explain concepts and small details so that every student understood. She would even schedule study sessions outside of class time or her office hours.
What do you hope to do after graduation? What are your career goals/plans?
I hope to be a college professor teaching cclassics to some degree, while also participating in field research and archaeological digs. I want to be able to spread the joy and knowledge surrounding these ancient civilizations.
What is one thing you wish you knew as an incoming freshman that you'd tell your past self (about the general college experience)?
I would tell myself to allow for more room to grow and change as a person. Coming into college, I felt like I needed to know exactly what I wanted to do or what majors I wanted to take. However, after getting to explore different classes and topics, I discovered what truly interested me. At first, changing my majors felt intimidating and permanent; however, once I finally did, I felt more comfortable and motivated with my studies.
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