Texas Christian University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor: Mathematics
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Hispanic Female
Summary
I’m a member of the Society of Women Engineers, I’m in a sorority, and I’m a mentor for the STEM Scholar Program.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Hispanic
High School Experience: Private high school in Dallas, TX with a graduating class of about 200 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor: Mathematics
Extracurricular Activities: I’m a member of the Society of Women Engineers, I’m in a sorority, and I’m a mentor for the STEM Scholar Program.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Joining Greek life has made a big impact because it’s allowed me to find people with similar interests and they have become lifelong friends. The Society of Women Engineers has helped me find some mentors. Then mentoring with the STEM Scholar Program has had an impact because I get to learn from other people that are doing the same majors I am. It’s been helpful with getting through tough times and working through tough professors. I’ve also been able to share what I know with other students.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Freshman and sophomore year, it was a lot of studying for exams and then junior and senior year it moved towards group work, lab work, and projects. We have more work where we work as a team. This semester, the major graded assignments have been more project-based. We have had a lot of final project presentations. But before this year, exams were the bulk of the final grade.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
Engineering at TCU is a pretty small department and professors change a lot. I’ve only had two really steady professors while the others have been new every year, so that’s been kind of difficult. Where they do well is with giving you resources outside of the professors, like students forming study groups and things that like. That’s really helped me.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
That’s one of the things I love about TCU. All of my classes are smaller, so it feels more hands-on with the professor. I feel like if I’m struggling, I’m comfortable talking with a professor or another student because the classes are so small. I can also meet people in the class who are going through the same struggles as I am.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re very accessible. I can go to their office hours and they are willing to give you their contact information so you can organize times to meet.
What has been your favorite part of TCU academically?
My favorite part of the academics is the study groups. I sometimes struggle and it really helps to be able to talk it through with other people. That’s also why I love my major, the people I’ve met in it are hardworking and determined students. We all want to do well.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
It’s been a struggle. I didn’t realize that it would be this difficult, but it’s rewarding and that’s what I love the most about it. I chose it because I was really indecisive and was thinking about studying journalism or business. I chose it because my dad said it would be worth it, so that’s why I chose it. I like that I’ve found people that I’ve worked really well with through my department.
Reasons to Attend
1) The size of the student body as well as the personality of the student body. People are really nice and the school is small enough that you can feel like you’re making a difference and engaging with lots of people.
2) The sports aspect. I love going to football games and the overall community of TCU and Fort Worth with that makes it feel like everybody is rooting for you.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you don’t like small colleges. You do get a feeling that you know a lot of people on campus. That could be something you want or don’t want.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Colby Hall with one roommate. My roommate and I got along really well and I met a lot of people on my hall.
Sophomore: I lived in my sorority house with another roommate
Junior: I moved into an off-campus house with five other girls. It’s really fun.
How was transitioning from your hometown to Fort Worth, TX?
The transition wasn’t that bad. I thought it would be a lot of people from Texas, but there are actually people from all over. Coming from Dallas, it was nice to be close to home but also feel like I’m in a really far away college town with different types of people, so it’s a good mix. [About 49% of students are Texas natives.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never had an issue or concern for my safety on campus. Freshman year when I would study late at night in the library, I would always do it with another person or a study group. If it got too late, TCU has the Froggie Five-O service where other students drive golf carts, and if you call they will come pick you up and take you back to your dorm. We also have the blue light system, but I’ve never felt the need to use that.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
During the fall semester, I love the gamedays because everybody gets really into it and then after everybody goes out to the bars and restaurants on West 7th. I go to the bars on West 7th most weekends. I also like going to concerts and rodeos at Dickies Arena.
How did your nightlife differ when you were a freshman and less socially established?
Freshman year there are a lot of opportunities for on-campus activities, like they have a concert for the students once a year and will have comedians come every once in a while. Freshman year I participated in those a lot those because I lived on campus much closer to the Campus Commons. They would also have random events, like petting zoos and stuff like that.
What have been some of your favorite times at TCU?
They do the Christmas tree lighting every year in December towards the beginning of Christmas season. They bring a huge tree and somebody comes and performs. It’s a huge deal. There’s hot chocolate, music, and they finally count down to the tree lighting and after there are fireworks. I look forward to that every single year. I go with my friends and there’s a good community feeling.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’ve always been really happy with my weekend options at TCU. Sometimes I’m studying, and sometimes there are different things I’m attending like football games or baseball games. There is never a dull moment.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I would definitely say through Greek life. Greek life helped because I met people not just in my sorority, but people in other sororities too. I also became really close with the people in my major.
How would you describe the overall social scene at TCU?
I would say it involves everybody on campus and everyone is friendly and open to having events and involving different people on campus. It’s pretty relaxed, I wouldn’t say it’s a crazy place. There’s any type of activity you would want to do. There aren’t just parties, there are clubs and volunteering. I think it’s a pretty balanced social life.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I would say there’s still some work to be done at TCU. There is a certain type of person who goes to TCU, but if you are looking for a diverse group of people there are a lot of resources to help you find that. There re clubs that are focused on certain groups, there is ethnic Greek life, and those are other parts of TCU. There is still some work to be done on that front, but I think you can find your niche anywhere. [The undergraduate population is about 68% White, 15% Hispanic, 5% Black, and 2% Asian.]
How would you describe the Hispanic community on campus? How strong is it?
I would say it’s really strong. There’s a really big Latino population and they have a lot of social gatherings and clubs on campus. I have met a lot of people through those activities. Maybe it’s because I’m Hispanic, but I feel it’s strong because I always notice Latino clubs on campus promoting volunteering or other events.
How would you describe the student body?
When I was doing my college tours, the main thing I noticed about TCU is that the student body is so friendly and welcoming. That is one of the things that drew me toward TCU. People say hi to you on campus and are really engaging.
How do you like the size of TCU in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 9,500] students?
I think the size is perfect because my class sizes are always around 20 to 30 people which allows me to build better relationships with students and professors. I feel like I’m making a difference on campus as well due to the number of people. It also still has a big school feel because of how big the football and baseball games are. [The average class size is about 27 students.]
How strong is the Christian affiliation at TCU? How has that impacted your experience?
You can make it as big or small as you want it to be. There are so many different types of Christian organizations on campus that if you want it to be a huge part of your experience, you could make it that. But, you don’t have to. There are also lots of other spiritual activities that you can join that aren’t just Christian focused. I tried freshman year to get involved in Christian life on campus because it’s a good way to meet people, but I realized it’s not where I would normally go as a part of my weekly routine. A lot of people do make that part of their weekly routine and a lot of my friends do that, but I chose not to.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
Greek life is a pretty big part of the student population, but I talk with a lot of people not in Greek life through my major because it’s so small and most people in my major aren’t part of Greek life. If you’re part of a sorority or fraternity, you can still go out and have fun and have it not be associated with your Greek organization. At the beginning of [your college career], most people in Greek life stick with each other just because you’re trying to meet new people. But, as your years at college go on, you can meet people not in Greek life through your major, clubs, volunteering, and stuff like that. [About 41% of male and 31% of female undergraduates are part of Greek life.]
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
We host a career fair twice a year and then one that is specific to your major and so many alumni come back to promote jobs. That’s how I found my first interview with somebody. Then you also have so many different resources for you to reach out and talk to people.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
We have our own career advisor for [The College of Science and Engineering] and I go to her to help with my resume and cover letters. I send her emails with questions too, she’s very accessible.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages that will be helpful to you professionally?
There is an Excel class that I took, I had to take two different courses in MATLAB, and I had to learn other engineering-based software programs that I had to take certification exams in this past year.