Bryant University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Biology on the Pre-Health Track
Minor: Management
Student Self Identifies as: African descent Straight Female
Summary
I [have a leadership position] in the Pre-Health Club and the Black Women’s Blueprint club. Outside of Bryant, I volunteer with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization, and volunteer at the Hasbro’s Children’s Hospital in Providence.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: African descent
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Public school in Birmingham, England with a graduating class of about 660 students. Students went to universities in the U.S., U.K, and Canada.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Biology on the Pre-Health Track
Minor: Management
Extracurricular Activities: I [have a leadership position] in the Pre-Health Club and the Black Women’s Blueprint club. Outside of Bryant, I volunteer with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization, and volunteer at the Hasbro’s Children’s Hospital in Providence.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
The volunteer programs have because part of the Bryant Pre-Health curriculum makes us do a certain number of volunteer hours. Also, to get into medical school, you have to have community service hours, so Bryant’s Pre-Health department will give you options to choose from where you can shadow doctors or volunteer at different organizations that fit what you want to study in medical school or graduate school.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
For my major, you have either a quiz or a paper due per class every week usually. The grades for labs sometimes will have quizzes, lab practicals, or you are just graded on your work in the lab. I also have to take business classes because of Bryant’s curriculum. For the science classes, we don’t have many problem sets or much week-to-week work. That happens mostly for my minor. Every week I have to do a ton of problems that are online for that. For the science classes, we have midterms and final exams that make up a lot of the final grade and sometimes a group project that will make up a big portion, like 20%.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The good part of studying pre-health at Bryant is that you really learn. You are challenged every day you go into the classroom, no matter which class it is. They challenge your knowledge capacity to see whether you can think critically or apply what you’ve learned in a given situation. The downside is that it’s a lot of information and it comes with a lot of stress. Oftentimes we are told that we have to deal with that stress and still learn everything. The other downside is the labs are sometimes so long that we don’t finish them in time or something goes wrong with your lab. A faulty lab doesn’t happen a lot, but often the labs will go beyond the class time and you have to stay there way later than planned or sometimes the professor will move the lab to the next week.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s very competitive, especially for my major it’s challenging because you’re in a classroom with students who live and breathe biology. It’s competitive because you’re put in a class where everyone is on a certain level and if you’re not there, it’s tough. The people in the class have more background information than you. When it comes down to grading, it’s not graded on a curve and the professors will be understanding if you don’t do very well on a quiz.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
My inspiration to study medicine came from my sister who is a pathologist. That stemmed into a love for anatomy.
How was transitioning academically as an international student? Were there any resources available that helped you adapt?
It was tough for me. When I came to the U.S. to study, it was hard because I wasn’t in my environment. I was in a different country that I know anything about. I closed myself into my room, which made it harder. Bryant is a family-oriented institution and once I realized that the staff at Bryant make it their duty to get to know you, I started to be open-minded and crawl out of my comfort zone. The professors get to know you as a student in your class and as an individual, so I can talk with my professors about missing home and we build a friendship. That is one of the big things I appreciate about Bryant.
Reasons to Attend
1) It is a family-oriented institution and people really try to get to know you. People will really try to get to know you and will help you.
2) You are going to be academically challenged, especially in your science classes.
3) It’s a lot of hands-on learning, especially for the business students.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you’re looking for a party school, that is not Bryant.
2) If you’re the type of student who likes to study individually and will be happy with whatever grade you got based on what you put into it, don’t attend Bryant because there are a lot of group projects.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
I’ve commuted since freshman year. I lived in an apartment with my family in Rhode Island.
How has commuting impacted your experience at Bryant?
Where I live is about a 45-minute drive with traffic, so I have to leave my house really early to beat the traffic. I have gotten used to it, but it’s tough in the winter.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I have a couple of classes that get out at 8PM at night and if I don’t drive to campus, I have to take the bus back home. At Bryant, I don’t feel fearful on campus because there is deep surveillance. We have the Rave Guardian app where I can have them track me as I go home or request something from a DPS officer.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Sometimes I go to parties in the townhouses. Seniors will throw parties there and also a couple of fraternities will have parties that I go to. Parties here are a completely different vibe than what I’m used to because at home I was more of a club person. Bryant has a lot of club events where after the event there will be a big party, so there’s always something to do. There are also some students who like to go to clubs in Providence, which is fun every once in a while. There’s a ton of stuff you can do on and off-campus for entertainment.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Bryant? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I’m not sure how to answer that because I’m studying all the time now. For the parties here, DPS seems to shut them down early sometimes.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends at Bryant?
We were in the same class but we never spoke until we went to a Black Women’s Blueprint club meeting. In that meeting, we had to speak to each other, and then we realized we’re in the same class together and we started spending more time together.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Bryant?
There are so many ways you can make friends at Bryant. There are lots of clubs who have trips to different states where you can get to know people. The clubs put on lots of other events where they hold a panel to discuss something or a fundraiser where you do something fun, like pay five dollars to throw a pie in someone’s face. Those events are great to promote people getting to know each other and bond us as a student population. One other thing is there are lots of sports games where people like to go watch and cheer.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
We all have our own place on campus that is dedicated for us, such as clubs or other diversity resources. As a person of color, you don’t feel left out on campus because there’s always a space for you. You are not restricted from anything at Bryant because of your race or sexual orientation.
How would you describe the international community? How strong is it?
We have the Intercultural Center (ICC) which deals with everything for us, like making sure our documents are up to date and making sure we’re taking the right number of courses. Bryant is very good at providing resources for international students. [About 274 students, or 7% of the undergraduate population, are international students.]
How would you describe the Black community on campus? How strong is it?
We are the minorities on campus. I will say that the current number of Black students is greater than when I came into Bryant, but we’re still minorities on campus since Bryant is a predominantly White institution. We have clubs like the Black Women’s Blueprint club and the National Association of Black Accountants and others that try to make it feel like it’s not an us against the world situation on campus. They try to promote Black excellence and discuss the many issues that we face.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
For me personally, no, and it’s because I am on the pre-health track and plan to go to medical students.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I have used the career office to help create my resume for medical school. As I go along through my college career, I’ll go there and help me put what I’ve done in words. I also use the career center to help develop my skills by doing mock interviews and understand different careers in my field.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
No, I haven’t.
Financial Aid
Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
I have a scholarship and the only reason I go in to speak with them is if there is a change in my scholarship. If you need additional aid, they’ll work with you and look at your grades to see if you’re eligible for more aid or a different scholarship.