Maya Delmont ’25

Describe your major for someone who has never heard of your field before. 
Being a French major is like growing up all over again but on 2x speed, except this time in French. You start with the basics, learning how to say hello, memorizing colors and nouns—and then all of a sudden you are capable of writing long, complex research papers. It’s also about rewiring the way you think and see; you get the chance to take a step back and re-experience language and the world through that language! 

Did you ever have trouble deciding on a major? What, ultimately, helped you decide? 
Coming to Smith undecided was a deliberate choice I made! I took serious advantage of the open curriculum to take classes from as many different departments as possible as a first year, and it was through that that I realized that I enjoyed French and CS the most, so I stuck with them. No regrets! 

What is one preconception about your major that people often get wrong? 
That all we do is take French lessons and talk about France! The French classes at Smith tend to operate similarly if not the same as most literature and history courses, they just happen to be in French, and relate to the francophone world, not just France! For example, I’m currently taking a wonderful seminar on literature in the Antilles. Being able to read things in their original language just makes you one step closer to truly understanding it, and gives you a new context and perspective through which you can analyze it! 

What advice would you give another Smithie? 
Try everything, especially languages. Obviously, I’m partial to French, but I really think Smith gives you the unique opportunity to give a lot of different disciplines a try, and allows you to make time for things outside of your focus(es) of study. Language is the vessel through which we connect with people; take the priceless opportunity to expand the ways in which you are able to do so. It’s super rewarding and opens up a lot of study-abroad doors :) 

Who was your favorite professor and what did you most like about their style of teaching? 
One of the perks of being a French major is the fantastic faculty in the French department. All of the French professors I’ve had have been incredibly engaging and care about the students' experience of their classes and what they get out of it. So if you get a chance to take a class with Christiane Métral, Mehammed Mack, or Dawn Fulton, I highly recommend you do it! 

What was most interesting or unique about your house and what will you miss about it? 
I’m a notorious house hopper!!! I lived in Emerson my first year, Haynes my second, was abroad for junior year, and now I’m finishing off living in Scales. I think I’m going to miss my room the most; it gets beautiful light, is super spacious, and has a wonderful view of the quad. 

If you could tell an incoming first-year anything about Smith, what would it be? 
To take a language class. No, seriously, do it! It’ll open (extra) doors for studying abroad, and possibly for your life after college. Just give it a try! Which also reminds me of my second piece of advice I wish I knew as a first year, which is that you can pass/fail classes, audit them, or even drop them as long as it's before their deadlines. All of these things should encourage you to take a little risk every now and then and take classes outside of your comfort zone or field of study. Take advantage of your time here and take as many classes you are interested in as possible, for credit or not!