Quinnipiac University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Biology
Minors: Chemistry and Psychology double minor
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Male
Summary
I was in the Pre-Health Professions Society and the Biological Honors Society
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private school in Portland, ME with a graduating class of about 120 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Biology
Minors: Chemistry and Psychology double minor
Extracurricular Activities: I was in the Pre-Health Professions Society and the Biological Honors Society, but nothing really goes on with those other than me being in them.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I usually have a few hours of work for each week every few days. That’s usually lab work, homework problems, and then reviewing my notes and organizing them so it’s easier for me to study later on. I have to thoroughly prepare for tests, so I usually give myself four to seven days before the test to study for them.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The Biology department is awesome and my advisor is awesome. The department is very on top of things in terms of letting me know what I need to take and when I need to take it. They make sure that I’m on track to graduate on time.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
In the science world, it’s definitely collaborative because the work is not easy. You find people in your class who you know and all work together. It’s collaborative but still competitive because you’re all trying to go to some type of graduate program and there are only so many spots.
How accessible are your professors?
I think my professors are pretty accessible. They usually have office hours every week and even if you send them an email they’re usually pretty good about meeting you outside of those if you can’t make their office hours.
What has been your favorite class you’ve taken for your major?
Probably Anatomy 1 and 2. I had the same professor for both the lecture and lab for both classes. I thought the material itself was interesting and the professor also explained it in a way that allowed me to learn it better.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
Now that I’m going into nursing, I wish I had chosen a program like Nursing. But, if you’re on the pre-med track or a graduate program track where you need a science degree, Biology is definitely the way to go.
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s a nice campus to be on. It’s beautiful
2) I like the class sizes. It’s very nice to be able to know the professors and not just be a name on the roster. [The student to faculty ratio is 16 to 1.]
3) The housing situations, regardless of where you are, are pretty awesome.
4) Our sports teams are pretty cool. The hockey team is really good.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) You’re in Hamden, Connecticut and there’s not a lot to do, but there is still stuff in the surrounding areas.
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. It was awesome, we had a common room and a kitchen in our suite and then a common room outside of our suite with suites around us.
Sophomore: Perlroth in a suite of four doubles with a common room and bathroom.
Junior: Townhouse on the York Hill campus. It is three double rooms, two bathrooms, a common room, and a kitchen.
Senior: Off-campus house with four other roommates.
What is your favorite living situation?
Moutainview was definitely the best.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Maine to Hamden, CT in terms of location?
It’s like a three and a half drive, so it’s not too far and they are pretty similar. There’s a different way of life, but it really wasn’t that hard of a transition.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
We have a lot of public safety that are always roaming around and have gated entrances. We’ve never had a situation where security had to do much, so I think it’s pretty secure.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in?
I like to go to bars and clubs in New Haven. There is one 18+ place that we go to in New Haven that everybody goes to on Saturday nights. I’m also a competitive powerlifter so I belong to a gym off campus and do that during the weekends too. I usually only go out on Fridays, Saturdays, and sometimes Thursdays. There are
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
You have to be in a frat to go to house parties because they’re the only ones that throw parties so if you’re not in that frat they won’t let you in. I guess I’m missing out on some stuff, but it won’t ruin your experience if you’re not in a frat.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Quinnipiac? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I personally enjoy being able to go to bars and club instead of house parties because I find them more entertaining and fun than being in a hot basement.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
They were all my roommates freshman year and we’re still roommates now. We were all random, so that’s how we met.
How would you describe the social scene?
It’s pretty friendly. There are a lot of people, but everybody gets along with everybody. I don’t know of too many people that have many social problems. Even if you don’t know somebody, they’re still friendly to you.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix on campus?
Pretty well I think. I know some members of the African-American community have their own frat and there are definitely different ways they promote diversity and there are outlets for mixing to happen. There are no limits because of your race or sexual orientation and there are also groups that support them.
How would you describe the student body?
I think it’s a strong student body. A lot of people are happy that they’re here and like to support Quinnipiac.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
The Greek life people will hang out with their fraternity and sorority, but they still have their friends outside of that. Like, all of my roommates are in fraternities and I’m the only one who’s not. I still hang out with all of their friends in Greek life and they like me, so even if you’re not in Greek life you can still mix in.
How has the size of your school influenced your social experience? [There are about 7,300 undergraduate students.]
That was actually a big factor of why I came here because I wanted to be able to know my professor and have them know me.
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Quinnipiac by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Quinnipiac?
Yeah. My parents are both graduates from Quinnipiac and they loved it and still talk about their experiences and have good friends from Quinnipiac that we see occasionally. I feel like a lot of my friends are happy with their choice. I also had a few friends come here and hate it and left, so I feel like if you haven’t left yet you probably love it.
Careers
Have you learned any computer programs through your coursework that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned a little Excel.