Beloit College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Business Economics
Minor: Spanish
Student Self Identifies as: Black Heterosexual Male

Summary

I currently [have a leadership position] in the African Caribbean Society, Black Students United (BSU), I’m a member of a fraternity, and I’m a resident assistant.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Private school in the Bahamas with a graduating class of about 250 students. There was a culture of going to college abroad.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Business Economics
Minor: Spanish

Extracurricular Activities: I currently [have a leadership position] in the African Caribbean Society, Black Students United (BSU), I’m a member of a fraternity, and I’m a resident assistant.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being a resident assistant has opened my eyes to meeting new people and experiencing things. It’s made me more accepting, understanding, and inclusive of other people.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I’m in three Economics classes right now and we have an exam about every week and a half. For my money and banking class, we only have exams, and I have an economics class that is more theory-based and about applying formulas to theories and reading a lot of case studies. The exams make up the bulk of the grade for all of my classes.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I feel like they do a good job preparing us for what comes in the real workforce outside of college.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s definitely competitive. The classes are very math-based where you have to think critically. It’s competitive in the sense that people are working really hard to do the best for themselves, not to beat others.
How accessible are your professors?
They are pretty accessible. They have office hours and some will set up appointments.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m happy with my choice. As a freshman coming into Beloit, I originally wanted to be a computer science major, then I took a class wasn’t good at it and my advisor asked what else I would be good at. I took an economics class and was good at it, so I decided to be a Business Economics major. For my minor, I chose Spanish because I think it’s important to learn a second language.

Reasons to Attend

1) Beloit is very prestigious.
2) The professors and the school work with you to be great.
3) If you’re open to meeting tons of new people from places you’ve never thought of, come to Beloit. It’s made me accepting of new kinds of people.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The food and dorms could be a lot better.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Brannon Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Fraternity house, I then applied to be an RA so I moved to Aldrich Hall in a single
Junior: RA in Bushnell Hall
How was transitioning from the Bahamas to Beloit, WI in terms of location?
It’s cold and it took me a lot to adjust. When it’s summertime I’m happy as ever, but when it’s winter it’s hard for me to get out of bed. There were other cultures shocks too. A lot of people say I have an accent, so sometimes it’s hard to understand me and I have to repeat a few things. Just little things like that.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
Walking downtown, I don’t know the area that well so I don’t walk by myself. I’ll either bring someone with me or find a ride. But, I don’t feel like it’s unsafe or I’m going to be mugged necessarily.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like playing video games. This week I have a [sports meet]. When I’m in season, I’m hanging out with my friends. I don’t go to as many parties as I did freshman year. Now I’m more of a homebody. Even if I go to a party, I’m there for maybe 45-minutes and then I leave. If I go to a party it might be at a friend’s apartment or another fraternity.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
I’d say it’s pretty impactful. The biggest parties at the college are in Greek organizations. There’s also a female sorority that’ll also have parties sometimes. They won’t make or break your night. You can still hang out with friends in your room and do whatever you want. You don’t have to depend on the events happening to have a good time. [About 15% of women join sororities and 16% of men join fraternities.]
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m fine with the weekend options.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met one in Spanish class. We were the only two Black people in the class and we clicked right away. I met two others in Brannon Hall freshman year
How would you describe the overall social scene at Beloit?
It’s not that good, honestly. I hardly see people sometimes. With it being winter and having finals, people aren’t really willing to go out and socialize too much. Everyone wants to be cozy in their room.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
A good amount. It’s common to see diverse groups of friends around campus. Beloit is the type of school where everyone is accepted. [The student population is about 7% Black, 11% Hispanic, 52% White, and 4% Asian.]
How would you describe the Black community on campus? How strong is it?
It has gotten better from my freshman year to now. Because there are so few Black people at a predominantly White institution, if there’s a disagreement between the Black people, the groups become smaller and people don’t want to speak with each other. As I’ve gotten older, I think the community has gotten stronger.
To what extent do you feel international students mix with domestic students?
Not that much. Some international students only want to hang out with other international students. The Americans and international students don’t have much to bond over. I want to meet new people and broaden my horizons. [About 18% of students are international.]
Were there parts of your college, or American college as a whole, that surprised you?
American universities are more problematic than I expected. There’s always a social or political difference.
How do you like the size of Beloit in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 1,250] students?
I like it because it gives professors a better opportunity to connect closer to students. They know you by your first name and know a decent amount about you.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful are they?
I feel like the career options aren’t advertised well. You have to go digging to find a good option. With that being said, in the economics department, a lot of the internship and career opportunities are more geared toward American but not international students. It’s more difficult for an international student to get a job because of visa issues.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned Java, Excel, and C++.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy are they to work with and how responsive are they?
The office works well. They try to help the students as much as they can, so I appreciate that.