Carleton College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Sociology and Anthropology
Minor: Women’s and Gender Studies
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Male
Summary
I’m part of our student government, the Carleton Student Association, and have had various roles with that. I have been involved with activism on campus, such as the CarlsTalkBack movement, where people asked for structural change, and Divest Carleton.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public school outside of Seattle, WA with a graduating class of about 300 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Sociology and Anthropology
Minor: Women’s and Gender Studies
Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of our student government, the Carleton Student Association, and have had various roles with that. I have been involved with activism on campus, such as the CarlsTalkBack movement, where people asked for structural change, and Divest Carleton.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
I think just being part of the activist community in general has had a big impact. I’ve gone on a lot of off-campus trips and organized protests. There is a community of people who know each other and are familiar with each other’s work and that has shaped a lot of the big events throughout my Carlton experience. Having a community and affinity group of people who are similarly minded has shaped a lot of my experience outside of the classroom.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
It depends a lot on the professor, but, in general, we do a lot of writing and reading. Very few professors will have written midterms where you need to fill out specific questions, but I have experienced that two or three times over the past four years. Most professors will ask for some form of journal entry if they’re assigning daily reading work or they’ll have people upload reading responses or questions to Moodle. A lot of the upper-level classes will require more regular essay writing. The most frequent I’ve had is one essay per week.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think they do a really good job of bringing students into conversations that they feel have practical application within the world. A lot of the students feel connected to larger issues and work they’re doing outside of the classroom because of what we learn. A lot of the professors do a good job of showing what theory and practice have connected. What they do poorly depends on the professor because everyone has a good amount of free rein to create their own classroom space. Even if there are aspects of your professor you don’t like, they all have very big pros.
How would you describe the learning environment? Is it particularly competitive or collaborative?
Carleton as a whole really loves to play up collaborative learning environments, but I don’t think that’s how the students approach their work. There are a lot of competitive feelings. I personally haven’t felt that, but I wouldn’t tout it as a space where everyone is so engaged that there’s this huge collaborative learning moment. But, people are supportive of one another and want to make sure that people can succeed if they reach out with questions or advice on other resources.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
In my experience, my professors have been very accessible. Most have very regular office hours and most have switched their office hours to appointments where you can sign up for a time. If you don’t see a time that works for you, you can just send them an email and they usually will find a way to meet with you even if it’s over the phone.
Do you think people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
In my department in particular, we have a lot of like-minded people in terms of how they view things and can be critical of institutions and decisions made by private corporations, governments, and things like that. I don’t think people often get shut down in the classroom. Maybe in public discourse people will be called out, but I think that can be pretty healthy in terms of people protecting their communities and feeling comfortable on campus. In the classroom, professors will work through differences in opinion and try to flesh out where those differences come from rather than shutting people down.
How do you like the trimester system? How has it impacted your academic experience?
In terms of life, it makes a lot of sense. The trimester system fits really well with my schedule with having a 10-week term in the fall, having a 6-week break over the holidays, and then two 10-week terms in the spring. The thing to keep in mind with the 10-week term does go by very fast and you work through your coursework really quickly no matter what class you’re in. The other part is that Carleton doesn’t give days off for public holidays, so we had our one day off yesterday for the entire term yesterday. That can be stressful for people and I’ve found it to be tiresome for me at some points when I had a lot going on and there is no stopping the work. There’s not a lot of stoppage time to look around and question where you’re at with the term. You have to go into it and get through it, and you can then realign yourself after the term if you’re considering a new major or something.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I wasn’t considering my major much at all when I first got here. I was more humanities-leaning and took an Intro to Sociology class with a professor that I really, really liked and a good community of other students who I had a really positive experience with. I really enjoyed the way that our discussions went in and out of the classroom and had applicability in both spheres. The journal responses were about the daily experiences we had on campus and how the different readings were affecting our world view. I really liked that practical aspect as someone who participates in the activism sphere because it felt like my work was informing my extracurriculars and how I related to my community. That was really powerful for me so I stuck with it.
Reasons to Attend
1) You have a close community of people and are able to know people in all of your classes.
2) The professors are really accommodating and focused on teaching.
3) The amount of stuff that’s happening outside of class but still on campus. People work hard to make events happen within their clubs and departments. I have found this year to be kind of disheartening because I have been busy with academic work and haven’t been able to attend a bunch of things on a daily basis.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) Inaccessibility to an urban center.
2) The social life can feel very revolved around drinking.
3) How small and insular it is. For some people, that means having to engage with a community every day and that doesn’t work for some people.
Around Campus
Where have you lived over the past two years?
Freshman: Burton Hall in a triple. Most people who draw into Burton through the lottery are juniors and seniors, but I had two first-year roommates.
Sophomore: Evans Hall with two roommates the first semester, went abroad for the Winter-Term, and then came back and lived in a different room in Evans with three roommates. Evans is a predominantly sophomore dorm.
Junior: James Hall, which is a suite-style living situation that mostly seniors live in. I lived with four seniors and me. I was in a double room and there were three other singles.
Senior: Northfield Option. If you have a high enough lottery number with the living group you’re with, you can petition the residential life department to live off-campus. I live in a house that’s only two blocks away from campus. We have a landlord, we pay rent, and I am no longer on the dining plan.
What has been your favorite living situation?
I’ve had a really positive experience with living situations. Last year, I really liked the community but this year is definitely my favorite with being off-campus. I like cooking for myself and it’s a lot cheaper to be off-campus, which is the problematic part of the fact that they don’t let people live off-campus. I’m saving a lot of money this year, we have an okay relationship with our landlord, and everyone I live with has been my friend since my first year, so I can’t complain.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Seattle, WA to Carleton, Minnesota?
The thing that people will always tell you is the winter. We were in the Polar Vortex two weeks ago and you can’t go outside but classes aren’t officially canceled. Professors will choose to cancel class because they felt they couldn’t get to school safely or they didn’t want to risk our health. But, I don’t think that’s been the hardest thing for me moving out here. I find the culture to be very similar to the West Coast, at least in terms of local politics and cultural institutions. Like, there’s a microbrewing boom here which is similar to the West Coast and people are more liberal-leaning.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
We’re in a suburban setting, a lot of people commute here to the Twin Cities. For the most part, it’s been very safe. There have been issues with sexual assault, which is something that has happened across the country, and has changed how people feel in terms of safety within their own college spaces.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in?
Carleton has a pretty strong party culture that’s very based at Carleton. You don’t have to leave campus ever. I’ve participated in that all four years and it changes a lot as you get older. For younger students, there are one or two parties that people know about and a lot of students flood it. I think that makes it harder to find a space in that culture because it’s usually upperclassmen hosting things and you have to find your connections to get into those spaces. But, I’ve also found that the longer I’ve been here the more I like to stay in and have smaller things with my friends. There is also a really good bar scene in Northfield. There are a ton of different bars for people who are able to access that.
Who is usually hosting the parties and where are they located?
There are one or two off-campus houses that throw parties pretty consistently. A lot of clubs and other organizations will have socials of some kind, and it really depends on the group of people whether it’s more of a traditional party or a board game night or that kind of thing. There are also really big all-campus events. For example, we have Rotblatt, which is an all-day softball game, and there are other events that also have a party-emphasis.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There are a lot of groups that throw events in the evening. The Cave is a venue that does allow drinking if you’re over 21 but most people in that space usually aren’t drinking heavily. They bring in great acts like musicians and comedy shows that happen pretty frequently. There is also the [Student Union Movie Organization] that puts on movies every weekend.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy. I wish some of the spaces where the bigger parties are were a little more low-key and less jarring for new students to be in. A lot of times, those can be dominated by athletic groups or particular friend groups that are more vocal and loud and don’t set a tone where everybody can feel comfortable. That depends a lot on who’s hosting the party and how they set it up. I wish that was less of a scene, but otherwise, I’ve been very happy. I personally have very rarely felt uncomfortable at parties and found that the students who host parties often taken the critiques really well. There’s a house that throws weekly parties and people used to feel uncomfortable there but then they put up signs with their names and phone numbers in the basement so people could talk to them if they felt uncomfortable. They also increased the lighting so it wasn’t too dark, and that has changed a lot of how people felt in that space.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I was roommates with one of them my first year and my other roommate my first year is still really close with. The others I met through random activities. I don’t know if that’s typical for Carleton students, I haven’t reflected on it much, but we’ve been close since the fall of first-year which is kind of spectacular. I have made a lot of friends over my time at Carleton and still feel like I’m meeting new people and creating good connections. I feel like a lot of people here have wide-ranging social circles but will have a small group of people who they interact with daily.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Carleton?
I think Carleton is a campus where if you want to interact with really big social moments, there is a bit of a drinking culture within that. But there has been a lessening number of people who are trying to make that an essential part of social experiences and there are lots of events that people can engage in without it.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Carleton does have lower percentages of people of color but there are really responsive communities to their needs. But, I think that has also created a lot of people of color spending time in their own spaces, which is great because you need that on a campus that’s predominantly White and in the middle of a very, very White town. A lot of people know people across racial, ethnic, and sexuality lines. I have a lot of friends who identify as Queer, Gay, or have come from trans experiences and those communities I feel connected to, but I don’t think that’s universal for students. [28% of students identify as people of color. About 84% of Northfield residents are White.]
How would you describe the student body?
I think a lot of people are very social and want to get to know people. The general feel of Carleton students is they like making friends and having a lot of people they can talk with and feel in community with. People are looking for support and support of communities within their classes and that’s really well-received. I also think people are pretty passionate about what they do, whatever that may be.
How do you like the size of Carleton in terms of undergraduate enrollment? [There are about 2,000 students.]
It’s definitely really small for some people. You’re going to see pretty much anyone very consistently on campus. That worked really well for me but at times you can feel a little stuck and claustrophobic and like you’re not interacting with the outside world. But, for a lot of people who are like myself and are more social, you can create a lot of connections and interact with a lot of different people within any space. You can feel comfortable within any room of people because you’ll probably know five or ten of them right off the bat.
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Carleton by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Carleton?
That really depends. I think a lot of people have well-founded issues with the institution, I do as well given the nature of my work to protest administrative decisions. But, I am really happy about the community of people I’ve been able to surround myself with and I think that’s a lot of what people take away from it. There’s a culture of Carleton finding their next steps with other Carleton students and staying in community with other Carleton students and I think that says a lot about what happens here.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes. We have an externship program which happens every winter because we have a long Winter Break. Those happen specifically through alumni connections where alumni will take on Carleton students for a [short period of time]. That’s a microcosm of the larger alumni network and I know so many people who have gotten connected through that. With my own experience, I was an extern at a nonprofit and have been working as an employee for them for that past nine months. I think a lot of people have very positive experiences with the alumni network.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I used them for looking over my resume and cover letters. I used them to help me use job search software and I’ve used their services to find opportunities during breaks. I think they’re very helpful but am not an authority to speak on them honestly.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages through your coursework that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned SPSS for social science statistical work and I’ve used Excel, but have not used either of them extensively.