University of Southern Maine
I really like the Portland area. I didn't feel the need to go away to college, so to speak, and USM offers exactly what I wanted in the media studies program.
My professors really know exactly what they're talking about, and they care about their students. The video production part of the program is really where it's at for me.
Dr. Dan Panici is a very challenging professor. He makes you think independently, forcing you to make connections between the text and what talking we're about in class. He's a great motivator and has an awesome teaching style. (Classics professor) Jeannine Uzzi is probably the best teacher I've ever had. She knows her field inside and out, but she talks to you like she's your friend, not some looming authority figure.
If you're coming into college not knowing exactly what you want to do, then take classes in a bunch of different fields. Don't be afraid to take some classes even though you're not familiar with subject matter. You could find them really interesting.
One thing I love about USM is the span of ages among students. I figure I could have gone to any college and talk to 20-year-olds exactly like me. I'm in the honors program, and I've had the opportunity to be in classes with people who have come back to school after 10 to maybe 30 years. Talking with them has been really one of the most enriching things about my college experience so far.
I like to try food from different cultures, and there are a lot of different restaurants in Portland.
I really like choral music, and there are lots of groups around Portland. There's one group, Renaissance Voices, that I really like. I can get in free to their shows with my student ID. There are a lot of really good local bands.
I've been yo-yoing since third grade. A yo-yo demonstrator came to my school and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I picked it up from there. It's quite relaxing. I always have a yo-yo wherever I go. Whenever you're in a boring situation, you just bust it out and you won't be bored anymore. You can find videos of my yo-yoing on You Tube. Just type in my name.
One of my biggest hobbies is watch collecting. Swiss Time on Exchange Street has some really fine timepieces. Watch geek that I am, that's my dream store.
I'd love to get a job at a TV station editing newscasts. I've also thought about going to watch-making school in Switzerland.
