Swarthmore College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Majors: Math and Economics double major
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Indian Heterosexual Male
Summary
I’m part of 180 Degrees Consulting Club, the International Students Club called I-20, and occasionally I play Club Soccer.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Indian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private school in Mumbai, India with a graduating class of about 75 students. About 50% of graduates went to college in the United States.
First-Generation College Student: No
Majors: Math and Economics double major
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of 180 Degrees Consulting Club, the International Students Club called I-20, and occasionally I play Club Soccer.
Have any of your extracurriculars had a particularly big impact on your experience?
Joining clubs is one of the most important things at Swarthmore. It’s a really good way to meet new people. In 180 Degrees Consulting, we’ve done interview and networking workshops. I’m trying to get into finance, and that has really prepared me for the interview process.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your majors?
For the classes, you can more or less get by taking one math and one economics class a semester. Typically, you have a class for 50 minutes three times a week, or 75 minutes twice a week. The workload isn’t bad, and the student supporters are really good. We have professors who have office hours and always answer questions. I don’t think any of the classes here are tough unless you don’t put any work into it. The major graded assignments are exams.
Is there anything you feel either of your majors’ departments do especially well or poorly?
What’s amazing in the Economics department is that we have first-year seminars just for the freshman. It’s normally capped at 12 students, and the professors go into depth about one specific topic, such as world economics. Those classes are the most interesting classes I’ve had. The Math department doesn’t have the smallest class sizes, but student support is really good.
Is there a specific academic resource that’s been especially helpful?
Students who’ve taken the class before hold math clinics every day of the week except Friday and Saturday. You can go and ask them questions for two hours if you want, or do your homework with them.
How accessible are your professors?
Very much. They’re always available before and after class, and they hold office hours a few times a week.
How was transitioning from the high school education system in India to college education? Are there systems in place to help international students adapt?
I’d say Swarthmore is very reading heavy outside of class. This is something you have to adjust to. One of the things Swarthmore offers is a class called Transition to College Writing. They teach you how to skim and maximize your efficiency when you read. It’s a very useful class when transferring from high school to college.
Why did you choose your combination of majors? Are you happy with your choice?
Initially, I was going to major in Computer Science, but after taking a few classes, I thought math and economics were better for me. One thing is Swarthmore doesn’t offer an Economics minor, only the major. Because you’re not allowed to double major and minor, I dropped my Computer Science minor. There is no major that is too heavy to where you can’t explore other classes.
Reasons to Attend
1) The academics here are very strong.
2) The class sizes are really small. [About 40% of classes have between 10-19 students.]
3) The campus is really busy, and we have a forest on the foot of campus. You can go for walks and runs in there.
4) It’s pretty close to Philadelphia, so you have a big city next to you.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The workload can be very heavy.
2) If you’re from a big city like I am, sometimes it’s hard to adjust to a small place.
3) The students are very liberal and quirky, so if you’re used to a bit more of a party life, it’s hard to adjust when the whole campus doesn’t work that way.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Dana Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: Danawell Hall with one roommate.
Junior: Worth Hall in a single and three suitemates.
What was your favorite living situation?
My second year. It was a new building with air conditioning and hardwood floors. The one I’m staying in this year is very social, and a lot of juniors and seniors live here. It’s more of a party dorm.
How was transitioning from your Mumbai to Swarthmore, PA?
Mumbai is a big city, and I’m used to sleeping in a lot later. I like city life more, where there are more food options. It that regard, Swarthmore is a really small and suburban town. I’ve gotten used to it.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I think I’m very safe. I’ve never locked my door. We have a lot of public safety that sends out emails, even if it’s someone stealing from a store many miles away.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There are two fraternities at Swarthmore, and we have parties every Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. That’s more or less the only thing to do on campus on the weekends, and the parties are open to everybody. Going to Philadelphia isn’t that bad if you go in a big group. It’s a good option because it isn’t that far and they have good restaurants.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
You can hang out with friends around campus. All the classrooms are open at night so you can watch a movie in them. All the dorms have student lounges where you can just hang out.
How happy have you been with the weekend options at Swarthmore? Is there anything you would change if you could?
The weekend is honestly the worst part of Swarthmore. I’d give it a 5/10. I wish there were more options like in a city, but that’s mostly because I grew up in one.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
A lot of my closest friends are international students. I knew them because we had orientation together, and I met a lot of them playing poker. A lot of the sports teams are close to each other. I had a couple of friends on the Golf team, and now I know almost everybody on that team.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Swarthmore?
I’d say it’s quirky here, but there’s a whole range of people you can meet. No matter where you come from or what you’re interested in, you’ll always find a good group. The best part about being small is you see the same faces every day, that way you get very close to your friends.
How would you describe the student body?
A bit different than what I’m used to. Not everybody is into partying and sports. A lot of people are interested in Star Wars and a whole different range of stuff. Everyone is interesting.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Very much. One of the main things is inclusivity and togetherness. Every group you see has a whole mix of races and sexualities. [About 8% of the student population is Black and 39% of the population is White.]
To what extent do you feel international students mix with domestic students?
Very much. My friend group is a good mix. I’m international, and I’ve always had good luck with that.
How would you describe the Indian community on campus? How strong is it?
The East Asian students are very tied to each other. I know of all the Indians who’ve come from India, and everyone has their own group.
How do you like the size of Swarthmore in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [Swarthmore has about 1,650 undergraduate students.]
It’s perfect. It’s nice and small. All of my classes are small, and you get time with the professor. You also get to see people again and again, but it’s not so small that it’s like high school. Everybody knows everybody, and you don’t feel lost.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
People within the frats are closest to each other. They do mix to a decent extent, and [there are athletes from different sports] in each group.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
The alumni network is very helpful. There are regular events to get students involved.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They are helpful with your resume, connecting you with alumni, planning your classes, and general career advice.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages that will be helpful to you professionally?
I started with a lot of computer science courses, so I learned Python, C, C++, and R.