Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Architecture
Minors: Civil Engineering and Architectural Acoustics double minor
Student Self Identifies as: Black Heterosexual Male

Summary

I am part of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS).

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

I’m in a five-year program
High School Experience: Public school in Poughkeepsie, NY with a graduating class of about 125 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Architecture
Minors: Civil Engineering and Architectural Acoustics double minor

Extracurricular Activities: I am part of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS).
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
NOMAS has helped me gain access to a lot of upperclassmen I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to meet. I got a lot of help and guidance from the upperclassmen as well as connections to students who graduated.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
This year, Monday through Thursday I have class from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, a break from 12:00 – 2:00 PM, and then class until 4:00 PM or sometimes 6:00 PM. I spend a lot of time in the architectural studio which isn’t mandatory but kind of is because you need to do a lot of your work there. Many of my projects are long-term. In studio classes in particular we work towards one project, so both semesters I have been working on a house of two inhabitants. We’re given a medium, so first semester it was a painting and second semester it was a film, and we work on deriving aspects from that media to create a house that is inspired by it. I had to worry about space and how that is formed and I’m given the opportunity to have a landscape of the house too. I do many drawings and then I create a model of it.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or especially poorly?
When it comes to Architecture, compared to other majors in the school, we try to get a lot more meaning out of what we do. The professors put a lot of emphasis on our careers and how the stuff that we’re working on now could affect our futures creatively.
How accessible are your professors?
The professors in Architecture are very accessible. The stereotype of Architecture students is that we don’t get a lot of sleep, and that is very true because we’re constantly working on projects that interest us. During a time where there is a deadline, I could email a professor at one or two in the morning and expect a response in maybe a half-hour. But, I have professors in other departments who if you email them past 8:00 PM you’ll have to wait for a response until the morning.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s very, very collaborative. The entire freshman class in Architecture is on one floor of the Greene Building and all the students work together. We create group chats on different social media platforms so we can all access each other. You can ask pretty much anybody who’s done something before you for guidance. Everyone wants a good grade of course, but it’s not at the cost of another person.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I always had an itch for architecture since I was little. It was the first job I ever thought about doing and I stuck with it, so I’m here now. In high school, I took a couple of architecture classes in high school and loved them. I then went and did a summer architecture program at a college after my junior year of high school, so I just kind of wrapped myself up in architecture and never looked back. I very much like it here, it’s not easy, but I like the challenge. I think it’s interesting and worthwhile.
How was transitioning academically as a freshman? Were there any resources or systems in place that helped you adapt?
When I came into RPI there were many offers for tutoring. I was given a mentor through NOMAS and there’s another program called AIAS that I got a mentor through. Architecture’s a very small major so there are tutors for the bigger majors, like Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering, but they don’t give us tutoring for architecture. It’s also not really a subject you can get tutored in, it’s more something that you learn on your own. With the resources like AIAS you can look up to your peers and also some of the professors will put in a lot of time to help you. But, I mostly look up to my peers and mentors.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a great school with great academics. It’s very challenging but also very rewarding when you do things right.
2) It’s a very nice environment. I know a lot of people who came from more competitive high schools and they were surprised how nice people at RPI are.
3) The campus is very walkable.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The food here isn’t very good. Downtown Troy has good places to eat but that’s out of the way.
2) The winters are harsh and there are icy roads.
3) School is pretty hard and if you’re trying to come in and have things come easily to you, then maybe have a second thought about it. If you put in the work, you’ll be fine.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
First Year: Cary Hall with one roommate. I was part of the Design and Arts Housing.
How was transitioning from Poughkeepsie, NY to Troy, NY in terms of location?
I live an hour south of Troy, so it’s not very different in terms of weather. I think the culture of college coming from high school is definitely different and it took me a while to get used to, as it did for everyone I think.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I haven’t run into any safety issues on campus or off-campus. RPI is pretty transparent with safety issues and when there is one they send an email describing what is going on and the suspects.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
At the DCC they host movie nights. I first started going to those to meet some new people, which was really fun. They have both new and old movies, so I’ve seen The Shining and also the new Spider-Man movie there. They have plays on the weekends as well. Students will also have hangouts. If I have free time on a Saturday night, I’ll just hang out with my friends in the common lounge area. I usually don’t have time to go to parties on campus, I’ve only been to a few.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things with friends?
On Fridays, I like to take time to myself but on Saturday I’ll do things with friends.
What are some of your times at RPI?
My most favorite event that ever happened was during orientation during Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond and we were given the option to take a trip to Woodstock. That’s where I met most of my friends that I’m friends with today. There are a lot of fun events held by clubs and organizations that happen, but my coursework gets in the way of doing things.
How happy are you with the weekend options at RPI? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
When it comes to stuff like that, I think the weekend activities are more fun when they’re not made by the adults who are in charge of RPI, it’s better when it’s a student-run event. So, it’s hard to have suggestions because it’s more of a creative thing for my peers to create. I will say that most weekends I’m working, but when there is a weekend when I’m not working I usually have something to do, so I’m pretty happy with them.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I affiliate with different friend groups. I’m still friends with a lot of the people I met with Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond, which is a common occurrence for people who do [that program]. Also, studio culture in the Architecture major is a big thing. We spend a lot of time together since we work in the studio a lot. With Architecture, you know anyone in your class, you know what their projects are, and how they are as a person [because we spend so much time to]. I’ve met other people just by introducing myself and saying hello.
How would you describe the overall social scene at RPI?
RPI’s social scene is a lot better than what I thought it would be. Before I came, I was afraid because of the high male to female gender ratio and the fact that it is known to be a dull campus. I think it is way more fun than that. Everybody has a kind of nerdy side to them, but I was kind of shocked how regular a lot of people are. Everybody I meet seems to be very intelligent, but there isn’t a snobby vibe. [About 31% of the undergraduate population is female.]
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I am in a dorm where I am the only Black person on my floor, and I don’t know many people on my floor and go hang out with other people. I have friend groups that are more ethnically diverse. I have friend groups that are majority White and also friend groups where there are more minorities where I can meet other minorities. When it comes to the demographics, the school is majority White, so you have to do a little work to find people who aren’t White but it’s not too hard. [The undergraduate population is 4% Black, 14% Asian, 9% Hispanic, and 51% White.]
When it comes to different sexual orientations, I’m straight so I don’t know that experience. From what I’ve seen, people in that community seem to be doing well. I’ve talked to a lot of people who are part of that community and they seem to have found a better experience than what they had in high school.
How would you describe the Black community on campus? How strong is it?
I think it’s very strong. There are a lot of events that are usually hosted by the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. They bring a lot of Black people together, as well as people from the other minority groups on campus because they have very fun events. It’s really nice because you walk around campus and you don’t see a lot of Black faces, but then you go to those events and everyone’s there.
How do you like the size of RPI in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 6,600 undergraduates.]
I think it’s a good size. It’s a small school. The campus is very walkable. It doesn’t feel too big to me and I prefer a small school. I came from a small high school and acclimated to the environment here just fine.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, but not through RPI necessarily. The upperclassmen and graduate students have given me the opportunity to talk to people and also the professors have called in people who have graduated to come in and talk to us about jobs. NOMAS has also hosted events where they bring in firms to talk to students. In the Architecture major, I’ve met a surprising number of students whose parents are architects, so I’ve been able to talk to them about their jobs.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful are they?
I’ve mostly done things through the connections I’ve made. I haven’t done much through RPI as a governing body.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I do use financial aid. I actually had an issue during the first semester where I had gone past my deadline and they threatened to put me on financial leave. I needed to go to the dean of the Architecture school in order to ask for extra help with that but I ended up being able to pay it. Looking back on it, it was partially my fault because they sent me emails and I didn’t respond to them quickly enough. This semester I’ve been more responsible about going through emails and it’s been pretty easy to go through.