College of the Holy Cross
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Biology on a Pre-Med Track
Student Self Identifies as: White Straight Male
Summary
I’m on the men’s club volleyball team, I’m a Math workshop tutor, and I [have a leadership position in the] Finance Club.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Private high school outside of Boston, MA with about 200 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Biology on a Pre-Med Track
Extracurricular Activities: I’m on the Club Baseball team, I’m a Microbiology Teaching Assistant, and I help co-run a non-profit sports organization that teaches students of all ages how to play baseball.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
I think the non-profit organization definitely did because I like helping people. Being pre-med has changed my life, I have a lack of free time, but also a greater understanding of what I want to do. A lot of students come in pre-med and end up dropping out. Staying pre-med throughout these four years of college makes me know I want to become a doctor. I may sacrifice a little bit of sleep, but at least I know where I’m heading.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your Biology major?
It’s pretty much just memorization for exams and about one research paper for each class. Each Biology class will have a lab, and we’ll have problem sets to do. Exams are pretty much our biggest thing. Participation and labs help out a little bit.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or especially poorly?
I think they bring the Biology community together. Every Tuesday, a professor gives a talk on some area that they’re researching or something new in the medical field and they provide lunch. I think every Biology professor looks out for their students, and the department pretty much does a great with everything.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s pretty competitive. A lot of students are trying to do their best. I also think they’re pretty supportive, and students understand that college isn’t easy. The teachers understand that too, and everyone is willing to help. Everyone wants to do well on their own.
What has been your favorite class in your major?
I’d say Biochemistry. It ties in everything I’ve learned over the years in Biology. It also ties in more health notions and leans toward graduate work.
What has been your least favorite class in your major?
Introduction to Biological Diversity and Ecology, which goes into plants and invertebrates. It’s not something that’s interesting to me at all.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
Teachers are usually very accessible. At the beginning of the semester, they tell you their office hours, and they’re always willing to make appointments outside of those hours. Sometimes you can even take them to lunch, and they might offer to Facetime or Skype. They’re pretty accessible.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your major choice?
I chose Biology because it was most in line with the pre-med track. I was between Biology and Chemistry, but Chemistry had a few more course than I needed for medical school so it would be more of a hassle. Honestly, I liked Biology a lot more. Chemistry seemed more research-oriented, but Biology seemed more geared toward the medical field.
Reasons to Attend
1) The alumni connections. The goal of going to college is to get a job, and the alumni will make sure that happens for you.
2) The friends you’ll make. Everyone is nice, and most people will have the same interests as you.
3) The classwork. I hear from alumni that Holy Cross really prepares its students for graduate school.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The dorms and dining. The dining experience isn’t too great. You have to live on campus until you’re a senior, which I think is an issue.
2) If you’re coming to party, Holy Cross probably isn’t the place.
3) If you’re looking for more of a city, Worcester is not that.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Wheeler Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: Clark Hall.
Junior: Loyola Hall in a single.
Senior: Off-campus house with six other people.
What was your favorite living situation?
Living off-campus.
How was transitioning from Boston to Worcester, MA?
I was more independent and had to stay more alert. Worcester isn’t as nice as Boston or the suburbs I live in. Most of the time you don’t have to, but it’s just always good to stay alert living off campus because you’re not protected inside the gated community.
Do you like going to school close to your hometown?
I do. My parents can come to take me out for dinner. It’s still a good distance so I don’t have to seem them every day, but it’s nice to see my parents every now and then.
Can you describe the level of safety you experienced on and around campus?
I felt very safe for the first three years living on campus. They have the Blue Light system, which sends a call to the police department. Now that I’m living off-campus, I do have to walk off of the Holy Cross campus and down a street with no lights. I still feel safe, but am more alert as needed. Overall, safety is fine.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
VIA Italian Table. They whip up a great chicken parmesan.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
When I was a freshman, I’d go out to parties quite often, but now I’m trying to stick to one night a week. Seniors go out to bars on Thursdays, and Friday and Saturday people go to off-campus parties that are usually oriented around athletic teams.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
It depends on when my friends are going. I’ll choose which night I want to go and which night works with my workload. Usually, the bar nights are tough because that’s during the week and I have a 10 AM Friday morning which requires a lot of work to be done.
Can you describe a typical night going out freshman year when you were less socially established?
We’ll have a [small party] in the freshman dorms and try to text all of our upperclassmen friends about what parties are happening. We walk off campus trying to say we know people at certain houses to try and get in. Freshman boys have a little more trouble getting into parties than girls. You usually have to know somebody at the house or they’re not going to let you in.
How happy are you with the nightlife at Holy Cross? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I think the cops are a little too aggressive. Holy Cross had an incident in 2009 when they went a little too wild. I don’t think Holy Cross is that crazy of a party school, and when we do have parties the cops have to be there. We’ll have day parties, and cops will be sitting at the party just watching us. The cops and RAs are a little too harsh on students, especially freshman year.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
They all lived on the same hall as me, and, frankly, they were all other guys who went to prep school like me. We all had the same interests, played and watched the same sports, and we’ve gotten along since then.
How would you describe the social scene at Holy Cross?
There are the athletes who can act like they’re better than everyone else, and then you get the people like my friend group who work hard play hard, and most of us do club sports. Then you get the students who never leave their dorms or the library. I’m still meeting new seniors, which is odd because of how small the school is.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I’m not too sure in the sexual orientation, but for races, I don’t personally see any problems of anything mixing. My freshman year roommate was from Nigeria. It can seem separated because a lot of [people of different races] stay in the senior dorms which are known to have parties for the African-American students. I think any kind of race feels comfortable staying there. I’ve been in their shoes because I’ve been at parties where the majority of people were African-American and I felt a little uncomfortable. It’s understandable. I don’t think it’s anything people want to keep, it’s just natural to feel isolated. [About 71% of the population is White.]
How would you describe the student body?
I think the student body is pretty close. Everyone is very nice, and you can have a conversation with anyone. You do get maybe one or two guys who aren’t friendly, but those guys you can forget about because most of the student body is really friendly. They’ll open the door for you, and they’ll talk to you about one of the classes they took a year ago. You kind of see this with the alumni too, how they care so much about the school that they’re willing to get you an internship or a job.
How strong is the presence of Catholicism on campus?
It’s not that strong. I’ve been to church twice, and it was for the Christian lessons called Carols. Our orchestra plays and there are a few readings from our various priests on campus. They don’t really push that at all. You are required to take one religion course as a core requirement, but it doesn’t have to be a course on Catholicism. It’s nice that you have that choice.
How do you like the size of Holy Cross in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [Holy Cross has about 3,100 students.]
I think I know everyone who goes out to parties now. Part me thinks that’s nice because I’m walking down the street and I’ll say hi to five or six people. It’s always nice being friends with everyone, but it also leads to people knowing your personal business and even people you don’t talk to knowing the intricacies of your love life, where you live, or what you’re doing after college. It’s stuff people don’t really need to know.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yeah, it helped me get the job I have now. I’m a medical scribe, and one alum who graduated in 2015 emailed all the pre-med students saying there’s a job and was wondering if anyone wanted to apply for it. I applied, and he was able to get me in because he liked me a lot. It’s pretty nice, and I know that’s happened with my friends too.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
The career office isn’t that helpful in my point of view because I’m pre-med so I don’t really need to go through them. I had to go to them once for help with my resume, but I had already written my resume. I walked in, they saw it and told me I didn’t need to change anything. We have a website called Crusader Connections, which connects you to alumni with job offerings. Our career department helps people, but not me personally.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages through your coursework that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’m proficient in Excel. All of my Biology courses work with Excel, and we use R Studio for data statistics.