Marist College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Business Administration
Minor: Criminal Justice
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Male

Summary

On campus job

Background

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

High School Experience: Public high school in Montgomery, New Jersey with about 1,000 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Criminal Justice

Extracurricular Activities: On campus job
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
The job has given me some extra cash, which is really nice.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
It depends on the teacher you get, but it’s usually a mix of assignments. A typical layout is four to five quizzes throughout the year, with maybe three tests.
Is there anything that you feel your major’s department does especially well or especially poorly?
Overall, it’s a really good environment. I’m learning, getting good grades, and the teachers are available if you want to talk to one.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s definitely more collaborative. Everyone tries to help each other out and encourages you to be your best.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
If you go to their office hours, they will sit down and talk with you for however long you want. [The student-faculty ratio is 16:1.]
What has been your favorite class so far?
I love all of the Criminal Justice classes I’ve been taking.
What has been your least favorite class so far?
I’m not a huge fan of Accounting.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I am happy with my choice. I picked it so I could have flexible options for jobs after graduation.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a good school academic wise, and they challenge you.
2) You get to walk around in a city environment.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) It’s cold

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Leo Hall with 1 roommate.
Sophomore: Foy Townhouses with 10 people total but only 1 roommate.
What was your favorite living situation?
The Foy Townhouses. You don’t pick your roommates your freshman year, so having that freedom your sophomore year is nice.
How was transitioning from your hometown in New Jersey to Poughkeepsie, NY?
It’s only two hours away from me, so it’s been a pretty easy transition.
Can you describe the level of safety on and around campus?
There is security everywhere, to the point where it almost gets annoying. It’s extremely safe.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
I’d have to say Red Fox Eatery.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
I don’t really go into the cities, but there is a lot of hiking and things to do around campus.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There is a big bar scene. The good thing about Marist’s social scene is it’s not like a heavy Greek life scene and you don’t need to be established or know people to get into parties. You can go out to bars and hang out with people anytime you want. I think we are more comfortable now than freshman year, but socially have stayed at the same level. I typically go out on the weekends, but there will be some stuff happening during the week on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There are movie theaters around, and Marist offers good student discounts at local places.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Marist? If you could change anything, what would you change?
I’m extremely happy and wouldn’t change anything.

Campus Culture

How would you describe the overall social scene at Marist?
It’s really good actually. My friends who visit always say everyone is super nice, and you don’t need to know anyone to have a good time.
What have been your favorite times at Marist so far?
Getting a new group of friends was really nice. I haven’t heard of anyone not finding their group to hang out with. There are a couple of big parties the whole school will go to, but there aren’t really any traditions.
How did you meet your closest friends?
By accident almost. I made them by just talking to people in my classes.
How has the size of your school influenced your social experience? [Marist has 5,037 undergraduate students.]
I like the size. It’s perfect because you will know a good amount of people you see on campus, but it’s big enough that you won’t see the same people all the time.
Do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I haven’t noticed anything, so I suppose it’s good. My friend group is a mixture of races, but is predominately one race. [About 23% of students are of color at Marist.]
How would you describe the student body?
Everyone is friendly to everyone. There are no cliques.
Do people generally seem happy with their college choice by senior year? Do people love your school?
Absolutely.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They have been very helpful, and they like what they do. They put on field trips to get you exposed to the workforce. These have included trips to New York City and Madison Square Garden where they talked about their internship programs.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that have been or will be especially helpful professionally?
I have not, but there are tons of class options for this subject. Marist has a great Computer Science department.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs? Were they responsive to your questions?
Yes, and the office has been pretty accommodating.