Texas A&M University -- College Station
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: International Studies on the International Politics and Diplomacy Track
Minor: Economics
Student Self Identifies as: Latina Bisexual Female
Summary
I’m part of the Student Government Diversity Commission, I’m part of the Political Debate and Discussion Club, and I’m part of a sophomore leadership organization called Sophomores Leading on Promoting Equality (SLOPE).
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Latina
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Public high school outside of Houston, TX with a graduating class of about 560 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: International Studies on the International Politics and Diplomacy Track
Minor: Economics
Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of the Student Government Diversity Commission, I’m part of the Political Debate and Discussion Club, and I’m part of a sophomore leadership organization called Sophomores Leading on Promoting Equality (SLOPE).
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
The Student Government Diversity Commission has had a huge impact because I get to see behind the scenes of what’s being done on campus and can directly have an impact on that and find ways I can help with that. My sophomore leadership organization is a huge thing because it provides a leadership opportunity and a network of friends that you can have. That’s opened up my social circle a lot. Political Discussion and Debate Club has affected my experience greatly because I’ve made a lot of my friends there and get to hear about different perspectives on the issues that I’m studying.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I have lots of readings for my International Studies and Economics courses. I’m also expected to keep up with the coursework outside of class. I have exams about once every two weeks and the occasional paper due for some classes.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
They do a good job of assigning readings with different perspectives that we have to dissect. They make it clear that just because they assign the reading does not mean we have to agree with them. I also like how International Studies requires you to go abroad which prepares us for a globalized world. What I think they need to work on is figuring out how some of the poor students at A&M are going to go abroad. There is financial aid, but sometimes it is not enough. I do like how they make us go abroad, but sometimes I dislike it because a lot of people can’t afford to go because they require 10-weeks and that is a long time and is costly.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think there is a degree of competitiveness but it is mostly collaborative. They encourage us to talk about the readings and study together. In the classes I’m taking right now, there is not much collaboration but I wouldn’t say it’s competitive either.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re fairly accessible. I take [more than the average course load] and also have club commitments, so it gets hard to make their office hours. I have one professor that doesn’t have office hours and requires you to have an appointment, which is inconvenient but what can you do. The other professors have office hours but they aren’t for very long and I have class during that time, so it’s impossible for me to go. If I need help, the first thing I do is go to the GroupMe [group chat] for the class and ask my question there. If that doesn’t work, I’ll reach out to friends who have already taken the class or have a degree related to that class, if they don’t know what to do I’ll ask the TA, and if they don’t know what to do I’ll go ask the professor. They’re my last resort because it can be hard to track them down. I do email them sometimes, but some are iffy about when they reply.
How helpful are your TAs?
I find them to be knowledgeable but I don’t find them to be too accessible. Their office hours are pretty much the same as the professor’s and they’re only available during a time that I have class. But, we do have discussion classes on Fridays where we can ask them.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
No, not everyone. Some professors have their own viewpoints. As far as students, A&M is quite conservative and depending on the class that you take the viewpoint can swing one way or the other. In one of my International Studies classes, the viewpoint is quite liberal and people are willing to listen to each other’s opinions. In one of my Economic Development classes the viewpoint is more conservative, so when people bring up an opposing ideology people can be quick to reject it. I think most students are willing to listen to what people have to say, but there is a loud but small minority of people who are very staunch in their views.
Do you like how there is a representation of both conservative and liberal mindsets?
I do like that there is representation of liberal and conservative mindsets, however, I think the conservative mindset is the overwhelming majority and it’s been that way for a long time. I would like to see more of a balance of different mindsets.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always been interested in international affairs and politics and things of that sort. I chose International Studies because you can mold it into what you want it to be. There are six different tracks and I chose the International Politics and Diplomacy because my passions are suited in working in a global environment, analyzing what’s going on in the world, and responding in the best way possible.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Were there systems in place that helped you transition?
I didn’t seek out the resources because I didn’t feel like I needed them. I did the college application process by myself and did the FAFSA by myself, so I figured if I didn’t need help doing that I wouldn’t need help in college.
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s cheap compared to a lot of other schools so there is a lot of value to the degree you get. [Total costs for in-state students for 2019-2020 is about $28,792.]
2) College Station is a small town and the cost of living is cheap.
3) People are friendly. Even though there are some issues behind closed doors, almost everyone is friendly and willing to help you.
4) We have great traditions.
5) If you’re a minority or part of the LGBTQ population, the demographics won’t change unless you come here.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) There’s not a lot of nightlife.
2) It’s in the middle of nowhere and is far from major cities.
3) The demographics can scare people. If you’re extremely uncomfortable with being a minority then don’t come here as an LGBTQ person or ethnic minority.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman & Sophomore: I live off-campus in an apartment because it’s a lot cheaper than living on campus. It’s within walking distance of campus and everybody who lives there are students. I’m very happy that I chose to live off-campus.
How was transitioning from living outside of Houston, TX to College Station, TX?
I’m a city girl and lived in Houston for almost my entire life. Transitioning from a city with things going on all the time to a place that’s quieter, definitely less diverse, and limited to a demographic of just young people has been an interesting thing for me. In Houston, I don’t feel like as much of a minority, but here I definitely do. I wouldn’t say that I’m uncomfortable with the demographics but it’s definitely been an issue at points. [About 65% of the population of College Station is White.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
On campus I feel pretty safe. Because I live in the Northgate district where all the bars and clubs are, sometimes it can feel a bit sketchy when I’m walking home. I have gotten catcalled and followed by cars before. It’s annoying that I come to a college town that’s supposed to be safer than a big city and that still happens. While driving, I feel on edge because there are many accidents here because people drive drunk or are young and just got their license.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I go to the clubs in the Northgate District a lot since I’m underage and a lot of the bars I can’t get in to. I also go to Downtown Bryan which is pretty vibrant and I’ll go to a gay bar there and watch drag shows. Or, I’ll study during the day on the weekends with friends. I also can host a party on my own which is a benefit of living off-campus. I tend to go out Friday and Saturday and occasionally I’ll go to Latin night at a club in Bryan.
How would you describe the LGBTQ+ nightlife at Texas A&M? How strong is it?
It’s basically almost nonexistent. The only place that is specifically for LGBTQ people is a place in Downtown Bryan called Halo. As far as College Station, there is one bar in Northgate that does drag shows on Wednesday nights but it’s not really well known and not well attended. Other than that, there’s no scene. I would like there to be more of a scene. But, because it is perceived that there are not many queer people here, which is completely wrong, people feel that there’s no need for it.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m a big city girl and I’ve been to really big clubs, but in Northgate there are little rinky-dink clubs that are super small and hard to get into because there are so many people trying to get into them. I think there should be bigger places because it is really hard to get into them and also have more places that are 18+. I also wish there was more variety in terms of music genre.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I actually met a lot of them through Twitter. Aggie social media is extremely powerful. I spend a lot of time on Twitter and you end up following people, chatting with them, thinking they’re cool, and then you all start hanging out. Social media has been how I met about 80% of my friends.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Texas A&M?
It’s kind of hard to do things outside of campus. The number one way people usually meet is through clubs and classes. As far as outside of classes, it’s hard to meet people when you’re out at bars and clubs because it’s so loud and there are not many places that are quieter. If we had more quiet and chill places people could hang out, that would definitely help. It is hard to make friends if you don’t join a club. I’m on Reddit a lot and I see a lot of posts about people struggling to make friends, so I think there is a lack of socialization here if you’re not part of something.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I think people do tend to find their own people. Latinos here definitely stick together and usually a lot of the Latinos I know here know other Latinos that I also know. I do find that people flock to their own group. Especially, a huge trend is White people having friends who are only White. Also, a lot of the clubs in Northgate that are popular are overwhelmingly White. People do interact with each other and over time it’s gotten better, but you can still see people flocking to their own. In terms of different sexual orientations, not a lot of people come out in the first place, but they flock to their own as well. Because there are so few of us, I feel like we have to interact with straight people since it would make no sense for us to just have Queer friends. [The undergraduate population is about 60% White, 3% Black, 24% Hispanic, and 8% Asian.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
Greek life here is a big thing, but it’s very common to see people who are in sororities be friends with people who are not. I have friends that are in sororities and fraternities and they do mix with people outside of their organization. Obviously, they spend a lot of time with their [organization], but it’s not an exclusive thing.
How would you describe the LGBTQ+ population on campus? How strong is it?
We have an LGBTQ+ Center on campus, but, as far as the community, I don’t think it’s very strong. There’s not much nightlife and not much of a social scene for the LGBTQ community in College Station. I think it’s not very strong but it absolutely should be stronger in the future. Hopefully, we’ll move toward something like that.
How do you like the size of Texas A&M in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 54,000] students?
We are one of the biggest universities in the entire United States. I like it because there is a crowd for everybody. It might be a little hard to find, but there is a group you’ll fit in with somewhere. It’s nice to see lots of unfamiliar faces because you don’t have to worry about people seeing you when you look bad or something. You’re also always meeting new people at A&M and I love socializing and meeting new people. The intro classes do get pretty huge, but once you get further into your degree, the classes get a lot smaller.
Careers
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I learned MATLAB when I took a physics class during my freshman year. Now that I’m a liberal arts major, I don’t.