Trinity University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Computer Science
Minor: Spanish
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial: African-American and Middle Eastern Bisexual

Summary

I’m on the Club Basketball team, I’m in the Chess Club and the Black Student Union.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial: African-American and Middle Eastern
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

High School Experience: Private high school in Dallas, TX with a graduating class of 9 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Spanish

Extracurricular Activities: I’m on the Club Basketball team, I’m in the Chess Club and the Black Student Union.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
I’ve made the majority of my friends through Club Basketball and the Chess Club. I’ve made good connections through other clubs as well.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Computer Science usually consists of coding projects. Projects and exams make up the bulk of the grades, depending on the course.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
In terms of especially well, the professors are always in their office. When they don’t have office hours, they’ll have open doors and are willing to answer any questions you may have. Some of them are less accessible than others and they all have different teaching styles. If one’s [a quieter person] they may communicate quietly, which is the only issue I’ve had in the department.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s pretty collaborative. People have a sense of individuality and doing your own work, but they’re always willing to help you even if they’re not working as a tutor. People will take their time to help you if you don’t understand something.
How accessible are your professors?
They are extremely accessible. They hold three to four hours of office hours a week, and some professors won’t leave until the students are completely done with questions.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I choose it because I wasn’t planning on going to graduate school so I thought it’d be good for getting a job after graduation. I also thought it’d be an interesting field to go into. I wish I choose something different, but I’m finishing it.
What has been your favorite part of Trinity academically?
The professors are really cool and extremely smart. They’re easy to talk to and seem passionate about the information they’re teaching. It makes for a good combination.

Reasons to Attend

1) We have some of the best professors and they’re open to talking to you.
2) I found it easy to stay in shape here. It’s a community that has similar interests as me, such as fitness, but also are geeks about certain things like video games. The people are well-rounded.
3) There are a ton of resources here, you just have to be willing to use them.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) It’s too small, and a bit too cliquey.
It’s a [predominantly White institution], so I wish it were more diverse in every sense.

Around Campus

How was transitioning from your Dallas to San Antonio, TX in terms of location?
It’s not that different. It seems like it’s just another part of Dallas.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It’s pretty safe for the most part. You see reports in your email about carjackings and things like that, but I’ve never experienced it first-hand and it seems rare.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Usually just hanging out with friends, clubbing in San Antonio, athletic activities, or working out. I mostly hang out in small groups. Usually, the Trinity Diversity Connection (TDC) hosts good events. You’ll learn a thing or two. The performative art groups are fun to watch.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Trinity? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
It doesn’t have anything to do with the social life, but because the school is so small the Greek life parties aren’t that fun for most people besides the Greek organizations on campus.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I was in the Entrepreneurship Hall and I met some of them in my dorm. It was very tight-knit so I made friends through there. I also made friends through basketball, clubs, and some through my classes.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Trinity?
It’s very cliquey I’d say. People in their majors tend to hang out with people in the same major, or people in certain sports teams only hang out with the people on that team.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
For the most part, because the school is majority liberal-oriented, I’d say the mixing is probably fine. [The undergraduate population is 56% White, 4% Black, 6% Asian, and 18% Hispanic.]
How would you describe the Black community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s extremely small and lacks a voice on campus. The majority of Black students at Trinity are athletes, which I don’t really like.
How would you describe the LGBTQ community on campus? How strong is it?
I’m not heavily involved in the community so I don’t know.
How do you like the size of Trinity in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 2,500 students at Trinity.]
I have mixed feelings about it because I came from an extremely small high school. Even a school of 2,500 students is a big change for me, but for some it may make them unhappy because they went to a high school larger than Trinity. For me, it gets old seeing the same people every day. You feel like there are more social barriers because you see the same people every day and people probably have some memory of who you are but you aren’t sure they know you or not. It also takes away from the diversity, and there are fewer niches.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I’ve met with a few successful alumni and have gotten solid advice, but it hasn’t helped get me an internship.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I’ve used them to speak with the STEM career advisor for finding an internship. I’ll be speaking with them about interview preparation. Besides that, they put me in contact with some alumni. I contacted them on LinkedIn and it didn’t turn out to be very successful.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
C++, Scala, Python, SQL, Linux, Pascal, and regular C.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
They’re fairly responsive. I haven’t had many problems with the financial aid administration, they do a pretty good job responding.