When I began to settle in at Middlebury College, I was worried about keeping busy – the college enrols only 2800 students, and the town has a population of 9000. It was quite a big adjustment from the magnitude of UoN. But I grew to love the sense of connection and community that comes from a small college. There is no anonymity. Because of smaller class sizes, the teachers know you (and I genuinely believe they want to know you). You also bump into your friends randomly. All the time. Whether that’s on route to classes, in the dining halls or at campus events. It’s very easy to make friends during orientation (of which there are two for international students, so pace yourself for that!) and keep in touch with them. My experience of a small liberal arts college has been unexpectedly exciting. So, after my year abroad, I want to share some of the wonderful activities and experiences available to a Middlebury College student.

On campus:

Firstly, there is pretty much always something happening on campus. I’ve attended poetry readings, screenings, and one of my teachers even hosted a night of live bluegrass. Every Wednesday there is live music by students with crepes. I was an organiser for a nighttime arts festival on campus. We attended the Winter Ball, and a huge eclipse event on one of the greens. There are parties hosted by social houses every weekend for anyone to attend (no scary frats at Middlebury). At the end of the spring semester, Flo Rida did a gig on campus?? So random but it was also very funny and FREE.

You are bound to meet someone (or someone who knows someone) in one of the many plays and shows at the end of the semester. I saw my orientation leader as Elle Woods in Legally blonde, and my roommate in The Threepenny Opera. The latter was entirely in German which made it slightly harder to follow, but a group of us went to support her and it was a great time.

The international services team also hosts lots of events for international students that are great to get involved in. My buddies and I went to an apple farm (you must try apple cider donuts), a lamb farm and out for a meal with staff! We also went to an event where ISSS staff brought their dogs into the office, which is great if you’re missing pets at home.

In town:

Town is just a short walk away from campus, so no worries if you won’t have access to a car. In town, there is a big supermarket if you fancy using one of the accommodation kitchens, a coffee shop great for studying, and a cinema with rows of sofas akin to a giant living room. My recommendation for food would be Noonies – honestly the best BLT I have ever had in my life and its bigger than the average human head.

I took up two volunteering positions in Middlebury. At Homeward Bound animal shelter, I played with cats for an hour once a week, and at the Henry Sheldon Museum I got to work behind the scenes organising many years’ worth of accession logs and helping preparation for their summer opening. You could probably get away with never leaving campus, but for me it was beneficial to get out and do something completely different, meeting new people and connecting with the wider community.

Host family:

The Friends of International Students scheme is also a great thing to get involved in as you get paired with a compatible host family in the local area based off a questionnaire. My host family were supportive and incredible – they took me to museum events, we went out for coffee, and they generously shared many meals with me in their home (with their huge dog!!!!). I suffered from homesickness on and off, so I really valued the opportunity to spend time in a family environment a few times a month.

Outside of Middlebury:

Public transport is pretty good (and free) in Middlebury, so you can get around relatively independently. However, it is also useful to have friends with cars because there are a lot of fun things to do all throughout Vermont. I visited nearby towns such as Bristol and Vergennes for meals, went on swimming trips to waterfalls in the mountains and of course explored the Ben & Jerry’s factory.

Middlebury College has a gear room that offers anything from tents, hiking boots, bear cans and sleds to rent for free. So, we went on a hiking and camping trip in Silver Lake in October. Autumn was approaching, the leaves were changing colour, and the walks were stunning. I even saw a chipmunk.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can go on weekend trips. Montreal is only a 4–5-hour public transport journey away. New York is a bit further, 7 hours by train (or 11 by bus if you don’t want to pay Amtrak fees like me). However, I got to go on a trip fully funded by the History of Art department in January. Trips like this are available all the time, just make sure you are signed up to department emailing lists.

The last I should mention is skiing. Middlebury College owns a mountain for skiing, so you get reduced fees for passes and can rent gear for a good price. There is a free shuttle from campus during the winter months, and its rarely busy – I don’t think I ever queued for the chair lift. However, if you’re a beginner like me, I strongly suggest getting lessons or you will embarrassingly get collected by ski patrol for a broken ankle on a green run. You could also just make a snow angel on campus instead.

Emily studied Politics and American studies at Middlebury College in 2023/2024 academic year.