Clark University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Economics
Minors: Entrepreneurship and Marketing double minor
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Male
Summary
Varsity athlete
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private school in Cambridge, MA with a graduating class of about 90 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Economics
Minors: Entrepreneurship and Marketing double minor
Extracurricular Activities: Varsity athlete
What impact has your sport had on your experience?
When you commit to doing a sport, it’s a lot of what you do. It takes a lot of your time and it also is who you hang out with. It doesn’t take over everything, but it’s going to be a big part
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for Economics?
It’s mostly problem sets, and a lot of it is making and preparing for presentations. The other part is creative and analytical thinking.
Is there anything you feel the Economics department does especially well or poorly?
I think the department is only ever going to be as good as the teachers are. For Clark University, the teachers are very knowledgeable and they do a particularly good job of teaching. The don’t just give you the problems and teach out of the textbook, they know Economics and have a passion for it outside of teaching it. They’re very passionate about it and that translates to the classroom experience.
What is your favorite class you’ve taken for your major?
History of the Global Economy, which talks about globalization and why it was so good. What was interesting is that there is the trade war going on between the U.S. and China, so this class helped you learn the ins and outs of the global economy.
What is your least favorite class you’ve taken?
The core curriculum requirements. I’m going to have to take a language class this upcoming semester that’s going to be a huge waste of time and not provide any value.
How accessible have your professors been?
Extremely accessible.
Why did you pick Economics? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m very happy with my choice. The reason I picked Economics is because you can get some strong critical and analytical skills. Economics helps me learn to look at the facts and make my own opinion on things. I’m also kind of interested in business, and I think Economics gives me some support for that. Economics also helps you be a well-rounded job candidate.
How is managing both your sport and coursework?
It’s been very manageable. I don’t think I get better grades during the season, but it’s very manageable being an athlete at Clark. It helps you manage your time because being busy is good and exercising is good, and you’re also surrounded by people who are in the same boat as you. Your teammates are there to help carry each other over the finish line for [both sports and academics.]
Reasons to Attend
1) The strong academics.
2) The friendships you can build here.
3) The merit aid can be very generous. [85% of Clark students receive either merit-based or need-based financial aid.]
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The campus is kind of ugly.
I think that if you research well enough into Clark you will see if you don’t want to go there. For me, Clark delivered on everything they promised on.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Wright Hall with 1 roommate in a double, but my roommate never showed up so I had the room to myself.
Sophomore: Maywood Street Hall in a suite with 5 of my teammates composed of three double bedrooms.
Junior: House off-campus with four people.
What was your favorite living situation?
Maywood, but living off-campus is awesome too, so I don’t really know.
How was transitioning from Cambridge, MA to Worcester, MA?
Worcester sucks. Very rarely would I say that students go to the downtown area of Worcester. You can very easily go down there, but most students opt not to just because the scene is more on-campus.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
If 10 is the safest and never having to worry, I’d say it’s an 8.5. The reason it’s not a 9 or 10 is that there are drug addicts around Clark and there are bad neighborhoods. That doesn’t bother me, but if you’re someone who’s going to flinch at someone who does not like people asking you for change that will bother you. That never spills on to campus, the Clark community is completely different.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
The city of Boston. Whenever you need to get out you can take an hour and a half train to Boston. I go to Red Sox games a lot. I also like going to the movie theater, it’s about a 15-minute drive away from campus.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in at Clark?
I go to bars, parties, and will sometimes have nights in with my friends. In general, if you want to go to a party school, don’t go to a small liberal arts school. With that being said, the party scene at Clark isn’t that bad. You’ll see a lot of the same people wherever you go. There are athlete houses, more artsy houses, and international houses. I go to all three, they are all fun, it just depends on who you want to hang out with that night. There’s also a bar scene, and it’s super cheap which is nice. You get tired of it, but I think that’s true for every school.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
During the season, just Saturday. Off-season, it can be Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and sometimes a Wednesday.
What’s an alternative to going to a bar or party you like for a night out?
If I don’t want to go out, I’ll go to the movie theater or just chill with my friends. There are actually a lot of options at Clark for that, though. There’s a big improv comedy and stand-up scene at Clark and that’s probably the go-to for most students.
How happy are you with the nightlife? Is there anything you would change if you could?
Being an athlete, it means you’re going to have to give up partying time. That’s something you really have to consider. But overall, I’m very happy, I’m like an 8.7 out of 10.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
My team.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Clark?
I don’t think there’s a lot of intermingling between the artsy kids and the athletes, and that’s because athletes generally have similar interests and artsy students have similar interests. I think the fact they don’t always mix isn’t necessarily a bad thing because then people are doing what they want to do.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
They mix 100%.
Do you think people are happy with their choice of Clark by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Clark?
I think love is too strong of a word. I think people very much like it. I can’t speak on what everyone else says, but I personally like it. Clark wasn’t the top choice on my list, but I made a great financial decision coming here, so it was the smartest choice on my list. I think the average person loves it.
How has the size of Clark influenced your social experience? [Clark has an undergraduate population of 2,204.]
The size is an important factor. If I were to do it again with money not being an issue, I think going to a medium-sized school would be perfect. At a smaller school there are much stronger cliques, and [emphasizes the divide] between the artsy students and athletes. It has a big impact overall.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
The alumni network is getting a lot better. They have a new website called ClarkConnect which helps you get in touch with alumni. I haven’t used the Clark network yet, I’ve used my own network.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful are they?
I’ve used it and they were actually really helpful. I went in and they gave me very good advice on how to get a job and the smaller things of what to do.
Have you learned any computer programs that will be helpful to you professionally?
No, not at Clark.