Quinnipiac University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Economics
Minor: None, but I’m considering a Spanish minor
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Male

Summary

Economics and Finance Club and Greek life

Background

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

High School Experience: Private all-boys high school in New Jersey with a graduating class of about 200 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Economics
Minor: None, but I’m considering a Spanish minor

Extracurricular Activities: Economics and Finance Club and Greek life
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Both of them have. Through Economic and Finance Club I’ve become close to a bunch of professors in my department and they’ve gotten me into certain things. Greek life has expanded my social network. I’ve made more friends and had better social opportunities.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I do a lot of online problem sets regarding different topics depending on what we’re learning that week.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think they do a great job of preparing you for exams. They give you a lot of complicated homework equations and problems that really make you think. Something they do poorly is there are professors you want and don’t want. Sometimes you want a certain professor and they actually set you up with the one you don’t want.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It depends on the professor. I’ve had multiple professors that are very group work oriented and I’ve had other ones where it’s just if you answer questions in class you get participation points.
Favorite class in your major?
Principles of Macroeconomics
Least favorite class in your major?
Advanced Applied Statistics
How accessible are your professors?
They’re very accessible. Office hours are offered three times a week, depending on the professor. You can email them and they’ll respond as quickly as possible. I’ve never had a problem with that.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I picked it because I took an economics class that I really liked. I’m happy with my choice so far.

Reasons to Attend

1) The people. Everybody I’ve met is really kind.
2) Even though I said the social scene can be a little dull, you’re always going to have a good time with your friends. You’ll be bored some nights, but you’ll always find a way to have a good time.
3) The professors are very accommodating and willing to help and do what they can to make sure you succeed.
4) Since it’s a small school you have smaller classes and you can get to know your professors.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) It gets very cold and windy.
2) The food on campus is not great.
3) Public safety can be very strict. [In the 2017-2018 academic year, Quinnipiac campus safety experienced an increase in liquor violations.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Mountainview, which is freshman only. I was in a suite of four doubles, so there were eight of us total.
Sophomore: Sahlin in a suite of three doubles.
What is your favorite living situation?
Mountainview because it’s much newer and there are a bunch of other suites on our floor so it was easier to meet new people.
How was transitioning from your hometown in New Jersey to Hamden, CT in terms of location?
The town of Hamden is kind of boring depending on what you’re in to. It’s kind of like my hometown, but my hometown was about 15-minutes away from Manhattan, so I could always go there. Hamden is also pretty close to New Haven, so they’re kind of the same, but Hamden’s a little more boring for me.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It’s pretty safe. Public safety is everywhere. They’re always patrolling the main campus road and there are blue lights located on campus as well. There are also public safety officers at every entrance. I never feel unsafe.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Eli’s on Whitney
What is your favorite place to go off campus?
I like to go to Toad’s Place in New Haven. It’s an 18+ club.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in?
I like to go to bars around campus or go to bars or clubs in New Haven.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
Friday and Saturday, and some Thursdays. We don’t typically go out on Thursdays, but when we do, we go to a place in New Haven. On Fridays we typically go to bars in Hamden, and then Saturday we’ll go into New Haven.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Quinnipiac? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I think it’d be fun to have more options to go out during the week depending on how much work you had. Other than that, nothing else.
What have been some of your favorite times at Quinnipiac?
Sometimes my roommates and I will go out and play football, that’s a lot of fun. Also, I had a lot of fun times at a bar called The Clubhouse on Whitney.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my best friend at orientation and then he was my roommate freshman year. I met others through my fraternity.
How did joining a fraternity impact your social life?
I made a lot more friends and you are definitely forced to put yourself out there more, otherwise you’re not going to have a good time. Then around campus people see you wearing your letters and will notice that you’re in a certain fraternity, so then later they might recognize you more.
How would you describe the social scene?
I think the social scene is really strong. People love going out. Greek life is kind of big when it comes to nightlife depending on what sorority or fraternity you’re in. I think Greek life expands your boundaries and introduces you to new people.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix on campus?
There are people of different races who go out, and everybody hangs out and cooperates with each other normally. Regarding sexual orientation, I’m not really sure because I don’t know if someone’s gay or not by looking at them.
How would you describe the student body?
I think the students are preppy and athletic generally.
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Quinnipiac by senior year? Do you think people love Quinnipiac?
Yeah, I would say that. Everyone who I’ve met who is older than me all say they’ve had a great time. A bunch of seniors from my fraternity last year were really sad to leave.
How has the size of your school influenced your social experience? [There are about 7,300 undergraduate students.]
It’s helped because it’s not too big and not too small, so you have your friends but you’re always able to meet new people.

Careers

Have you learned any computer programs through your coursework that will be helpful to you professionally?
No, not yet.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating were they to your needs?
Yes. They’ve been helpful. When I was accepted we went to the financial aid office and spoke with them and they were very accommodating.