Chapman University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Screenwriting
Minors: Spanish and History double major
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Female

Summary

I do different charity and environmentally focused activities but not with a specific organization on campus.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public high school in Bay Area, CA with a graduating class of about 450 students. There was a culture of going to college
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Screenwriting
Minors: Spanish and History double major

Extracurricular Activities: I like to write and act. I do different charity and environmentally focused activities but not with a specific organization on campus.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Yeah, I really love the charity and doing environmental stuff. I’m planning on rushing, so that’ll impact what sorority I’m interested in depending on their philanthropy. Writing and acting is a big part of who I am, and it’s a big part of my major. My extracurricular stuff usually ties into my academics.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Our homework is pretty much all a writing project. My screenwriting intensive class has usually a script every other week. For my short film analysis and film aesthetics classes, which are two other screenwriting classes, it’s mostly essays and a little bit of reading.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
My department is very good at getting us in touch with the professors who are part of the industry. The class sizes are pretty small, so we get to work closely with our professor. It’s helpful in receiving feedback. [The average class size is about 23 students.]
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
Everyone in your classes has a similar interest, and everyone is just as motivated as you. In high school, there’s the top of the class who’s very motivated and others aren’t as motivated, but here every one is goal-oriented and has similar interests. It’s a healthy competition. No one is vindictive or mean.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re very accessible. I had one screenwriting professor who required us to go to office hours with him. All you had to do was talk to him in class or email him and he’d respond quickly.
How was transitioning as a first-generation college student? Were there any resources in place that helped you adapt?
It wasn’t too difficult. I was expecting an intense workload so I mentally prepared myself for that. The only thing I’d say is there are periods where you don’t have any work, but then midterms and finals you have everything at once which is when it got difficult to manage.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always loved writing and telling stories and films. I wrote plays for my high school and then realized that I had a knack for it and I loved doing it. It was a moment where I thought I’d be happy doing this for the rest of my life. I’m very happy with my choice. It’s something I’ve been very passionate about my entire life.

Reasons to Attend

1) It has a lot of great opportunities for your professional and academic career. Your professors offer internships, and the connections Chapman has will allow you to be set for whatever career you’re going into if you take advantage of the opportunities it provides.
2) The area is beautiful. I love Orange County. Southern California is warm and sunny. Things are happening, but it’s not crazy crowded like Los Angeles can be. It’s nice being near LA, but not in the heart of it.
3) Everyone I’ve met has been very kind and welcoming.
4) The campus itself is very beautiful. I’m never bored with what I see walking through campus.
5) The student body has a very communal sense. There are always events hosted by students for students.

Reasons Not to Attend

If you’re looking for a bigger school, or a very sports heavy school. Our sports teams are very good, but no one on campus cares too much about the sports. There isn’t much school pride.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Pralle-Sodaro Hall with two roommates.
How was transitioning from the Bay Area to Orange, CA in terms of location?
It wasn’t that different. My hometown is pretty similar to Orange County. It’s a small city but has a big area. It’s residential and suburban, but also has a city aspect to it. It wasn’t that hard to adjust, it’s just hotter in Southern California.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel totally safe. I took night classes that ended at 9:45 PM, so I had to walk two blocks then through campus to my dorm at night. I never felt unsafe.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like going to the beach and going to dinner at The Circle. Going up to Los Angeles for a night or a weekend is nice too. It has a much bigger nightlife then Orange County does, and the same with Huntington Beach. I mostly just hang out with friends in our dorms then go out to parties in the residential areas. There isn’t a Greek row, but there is an off-campus house in Orange that we go to. It’s either a walk away or a 10-minute Uber drive.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
Fridays and Saturdays are the nights they host the most parties.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife at Chapman?
I haven’t rushed yet, but for fraternities, several of them are hosting parties so you have several options. The fraternities and sports teams kind of dictate the party scene most of the time. A lot of my friends are in a fraternity and they’re always going to different meetings or event nights. From my experience, girls can pretty much get into anything, but the fraternities have a good policy with guys where only brothers and good friends of the brothers who’ve been cleared can get in. That avoids incidences with strange or not great guys getting in. [About 25% of men join fraternities and 48% of women are in sororities.]
How happy are you with the weekend options at Chapman? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I’m really happy. I like going out to different places and cities, but most of my friends stay in Orange. I’m one of the only people in my group with a car. If you have a car, you’re more likely to have a wide variety of options. I always run into people from class and around parties. It’s fun seeing your friends everywhere.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met two of my closest friends in the orientation group. They divide you up by major. I met their roommates and suitemates, and then there were six guys across the hall who we started hanging out with. We formed a group from there. You’ll meet people through your major and by living around each other.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Chapman?
Chapman has a pretty friendly and welcoming social scene. I never felt out of place, even if I was in a place where I didn’t know a bunch of people I never felt unwelcomed. From day one, I’ve always met people who are eager to meet others and make new friends.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I haven’t witnessed any discrimination. I have friends of all different races and sexual orientations. It’s part of who we are, but it doesn’t define us. Again, Chapman is a very welcoming and accepting community. It has a bunch of clubs and groups for people of marginalized orientations. We all mix and meet. It’s a very eclectic group. [The undergraduate population is about 51% White, 15% Hispanic, 1.7% Black, 13% Asian, and 4% international.]
How would you describe the student body at Chapman?
Everyone has a unique personality. Everyone is from the top of their class, and everyone has multiple interests that make them unique. Everyone is very friendly, welcoming, and pretty funny. A lot of people here are focused on getting to know people and have a good time. People are happy, excited, and motivated to be here because it’s people who want to have fun and let loose, but they also care about their academics.
How do you like the size of Chapman in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 7,300 students at Chapman.]
I enjoy the size. It’s a fairly smaller school, which makes the class sizes smaller. You get a lot of one-on-one communication with your professor and it makes learning a lot easier when it’s up close. My Spanish class was very interactive and it felt like a little family by the end of the semester. We’re able to do presentations or collaborative things in class with each other because the professor was able to easily communicate with us. I’d much prefer a small class than a giant lecture hall. Every day I see both new and familiar faces. [The average class size at Chapman is 23 students.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
I haven’t rushed yet, but what I’ve seen it seems pretty communal. People in a chapter will live together, but it’s not isolated. People in different chapters are friends, and people both in Greek life and not in Greek life still live together. It’s more party and philanthropy based, and not as ritualistic.

Careers

Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I went to the Chapman summer program and I learned Avid there. They do a Dodge College Summer Film Academy. They teach you how to use the cameras and edit on Avid.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
I got a scholarship, but I haven’t had to communicate with them. That’s more so my parents doing. They keep in touch with you if you have upcoming dues, and they email us frequently.