Bentley University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Undeclared, but I’m thinking about doing Finance
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Female
Summary
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public school in New Jersey with a graduating class of about 280 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Undeclared, but I’m thinking about doing Finance
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: None yet, I’m still looking.
Academic Experience
Favorite class so far?
Calculus
Least favorite class so far?
Accounting & Finance. It was three-quarters accounting I’m terrible at accounting.
Is there anything you feel Bentley has done especially well or poorly so far academically?
They have the ACELAB (Accounting Center for Electronic Learning and Business Management) which is a tutoring center specifically for Accounting classes and they have students who will help you do your homework and study for the tests.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s both. I think it’s collaborative in that people are willing to help you if you need help and will study in groups, but there is a competitive nature as there would be with any school.
How accessible have your professors been?
They’re so accessible. They have regular office hours and if you’re not available during those they’ll meet with you any time as long as you email ahead and ask.
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s a really good business school.
2) Everyone is super friendly. It’s easy to make friends.
3) The professors are great.
4) There’s a lot going on. You can always find something to do.
5) It’s a good size. [There are about 4,200 undergraduates.]
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The food isn’t the best.
2) There’s a lot of stairs, which I hate [laughs].
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Trees Building in Spruce Hallway with one roommate.
How was transitioning from your hometown in New Jersey to Waltham, MA?
It’s not that big of a difference. The people at the school are pretty similar, and since I’m a freshman I don’t have a car so I don’t leave the area that much.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in?
I usually go to frat parties. I’ll definitely go out Fridays, Saturdays, and sometimes Thursdays or if there’s a holiday on a random weeknight. I usually hang out with my friends before and then go out around 9:30 and come back around 1AM.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
For me, it has a heavy impact because I’m friends with a lot of people in fraternities. If you’re not in a fraternity or sorority there are other parties you can go to though. You can walk through a freshman dorm and usually find a party to go to. [About 17% of undergraduates are involved in Greek life.]
What have been your favorite times at Bentley?
A bunch of friends and I went to the World Series parade together. Also, just hanging out with my friends is a lot of fun.
How happy are you with the nightlife options at the Bentley? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with it.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
One of them is my roommate who I knew beforehand. One girl lives across the hall from me. One girl was in my orientation group and I’m friends with her and her roommate.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
There’s a lot going on. There are frat parties. The athletes have houses and have parties there. The South Asian Student Association will have parties. People don’t necessarily stick to the group they’re in and there are things for everybody to do. Like, I have a bunch of White friends who have been to the South Asian Student Association’s parties.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Bentley is predominantly White, there is no doubt about that. There are cultural clubs, like the South Asian Student Association, where [people of a certain race] will all hang out together, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they only hang out with each other. [Just over half of the population of Bentley is White.]
How has the size of Bentley impacted your experience? [Bentley has about 4,200 undergraduates.]
I like the size. It’s not a huge school, so I see people I know all the time. I like being able to go to the dining hall with one friend and run into more people we know and sit down with them. I also like that it’s big enough that there are many people I don’t know.