Lafayette College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Psychology
Minor: Spanish
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Heterosexual Female
Summary
I’m in Student Government, Club Rugby, and the Hispanic Society of Lafayette.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private charter school in Chicago, IL with a graduating class of 130 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Psychology
Minor: Spanish
Extracurricular Activities: I’m in Student Government, Club Rugby, and the Hispanic Society of Lafayette.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
Rugby has made a big impact because it’s helped structure my time a little bit more.
Academic Experience
What has been your favorite class so far?
My favorite class is Contemporary Spanish 314, and it has to do with films.
What has been your least favorite class so far?
Chemistry.
Is there anything that you feel Lafayette has done especially well or poorly so far academically?
The teachers are always there if you have questions. You can always reach out to them or go to their office hours. You have to be willing to take the first step in going to them, but they do a good job trying to help you. You can also get tutors. Something they do poorly is sometimes I think teachers don’t realize how much work you have in total. I had two labs this semester and four classes. It’s a lot of work, and it can pile up.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I chose Psychology because I like learning about how the mind works. It’s still considered a science field. I also took Neuroscience, but I didn’t really like it because I felt it was too much memorizing of words and locations of the brain. I like Psychology because it’s more conceptual and interactive with people as well.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
Usually they have their own office hours, but if you email them they’ll be willing to make time for you. One of my friends couldn’t meet with her professor during office hours, so she met her at 7 in the morning.
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s a small school, and the class size is pretty good.
2) The people are very nice and try to help you. Not only are the teachers there, but higher staff like the dean is always there to listen or help you if you need something.
3) If there isn’t a club you’d like, it’s pretty easy to make one. Getting into a club is super easy. Everyone is accepting.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It can be pretty isolated.
Around Campus
Where do you live on campus?
Freshman: Easton Hall.
Sophomore: South College dorm.
How was transitioning from Chicago to Easton, PA?
It was hard because at home I’m surrounded by people of color. My school is on top of a hill so it’s very isolated. It’s a little tough in the beginning, but once you make friends you don’t feel that way.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
Out of 10, I’d rate it an 8. The police are usually around, especially on the weekends. Sometimes I can feel unsafe walking alone because I’m a person of color and a woman, but nothing unsafe has ever happened.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
If we have time, my friends and I go shopping at the mall. New York isn’t that far, so we’ll go there and have some fun. We go by car.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in at Lafayette?
We usually go to different organizations and cultural clubs. They throw parties in a building called The Spot, which Lafayette owns. We like to go to those to show our support for the clubs. We’ll go do self-care type of things, like getting face masks and watching movies.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at Lafayette? Is there anything you would change if you could?
Out of 10, I’d say maybe a 7. Some weekends are really fun, then there are other times there aren’t that many options. Clubs only throw parties once a month, and there are always frat parties, but they aren’t the best in my opinion.
What have been your favorite times so far at Lafayette?
Last year there it started to snow and my friends and I got sleds and went down the hill. One time the Hispanic Society threw a party at The Spot and a lot of people showed up. Condom Bingo is really big at our school.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them through class, and one of them went to a charter school similar to mine. We started to hang out and [merged] friend groups. I feel like other groups are friends because of their major, but in my group, we’re all in different majors.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
You have to put yourself out there to make friends and meet new people, but once you do everyone is very friendly at Lafayette. There’s a big Greek life scene. They usually throw parties or events every weekend. The cultural clubs are smaller, but it’s still there, so they try to make a presence. There’s not too much mixing between the two. There are club organizations like Student Government which tries to throw activates for everyone at the school. Usually, people don’t go to the parties that small cultural clubs throw.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
There are multiple clubs made specifically where people of color and different sexual orientations can mix and just talk about how they feel on campus. Outside of those clubs, I’d say people do mix. The Rugby team is big for people of color and different sexual orientations. [17% of students identify as students of color.]
Do people generally seem happy with their college choice of Lafayette? Do people leave loving Lafayette?
I think people are happy with their choice. I have friends who are seniors, and they’re happy they chose Lafayette. It’s helping them start a career in the field that they want, and they like the student to teacher ratio, along with externships they’ve gotten. [There is a 10:1 student-faculty ratio.]
How has transitioning to a small college influenced your social experience? [There are about 2,600 undergraduate students.]
It’s been pretty easy because I went to a small high school, and it’s what I was used to. At first, I thought I wanted to go to a big school, but Lafayette had what I needed. I’m a more hands-on type of person, and I need to be in a small classroom so I can ask questions if I need to. I’d probably never raise my hand in front of a big class.
Careers
Financial Aid
Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I had to pay more than I thought I would my first year. I needed more financial help my second year, and my tuition [ended up being] half as much as my first year.