College of Charleston
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Marketing
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: South Asian Heterosexual Female
Summary
I’m in a sorority and I’m part of some smaller clubs, like Fashion Club.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: South Asian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
First-Generation College Student: Yes
High School Experience: Public school in Fort Mill, SC with a graduating class of about 350 students. There was a culture of going to college.
Major: Marketing
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’m in a sorority and I’m part of some smaller clubs, like Fashion Club.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Greek life has because it allowed me to show people I’m hardworking, rather than just in school. It’s given me the opportunity to be creative through organizing fundraisers and activities. It’s also allowed me to meet different types of people.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
I have a lot of problem sets and, in general, I have a lot of exams. This past semester specifically, I’ve had more case problem sets that are word problems rather than just a standard math problem.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
Right now, I’m only taking business school classes because I don’t get into my Marketing classes until next semester. In terms of the business school in general, the big thing to note is that it’s really big.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s collaborative. A lot of my professors encourage us to work outside of class together, get each other’s phone numbers so we can communicate outside of class, and they assign a lot of group projects too.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. They answer their emails right away usually. It depends on the professor, though.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I chose Marketing because the jobs I want in the future usually have to do with the Marketing major. It’s also a very broad major, so I feel like you can do a lot with it.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Were there any resources or systems in place that helped you adapt?
It was a pretty easy transition. As a high school student, I was very hardworking because my parents wanted us to know how to work hard and handle the workload in college since they didn’t go to college, so it wasn’t a terrible transition. I do use a lot of the school’s resources. I love using the Center for Student Learning (CSL) and I go to office hours with professors. I really think that College of Charleston creates a great network to learn and get help.
Reasons to Attend
1) The campus is small enough for you to walk around everywhere.
2) People here are so kind, so welcoming, and so nice. It’s a place where you can be yourself or start fresh and be who you always wanted to be.
3) The weather is beautiful.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It’s expensive to live here. The housing is expensive.
2) Driving here stinks.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Liberty Street with one roommate and one suitemate.
Sophomore: I live in an off-campus apartment building for College of Charleston students called My House on Meeting with three other people.
How was transitioning from Fort Mill, SC to Charleston, SC?
It was a little difficult. I’ve never been away from home for a long period of time and I also didn’t have a car, so I was basically stuck on campus. I missed home a lot more than I thought I would. It was a little difficult at first, but eventually, I got home, which was refreshing, and I was able to get my car which allowed me to balance my life and get out of Charleston when I wanted to.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel pretty safe around campus. Sometimes when I’m walking off-campus I don’t feel as secure just because I don’t have campus security officers all around like you would on campus. I’ve never experienced anything unsafe outside of campus but I am cautious.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
During the day on weekends, I usually study. If I’m not studying, I like to walk around The Battery. As for nightlife, sometimes we’ll have sorority events and I’ll go to those. With the sorority, we’ll have mixers and date parties. I’m not 21 so I can’t go out to bars, which is what most people do, and I don’t want to risk trying to go. Sometimes there are house parties that I’ll go to with my friends, but, other than that, I’ll just be at home.
What are the events on campus that you like to go to?
I love watching plays and musicals, so I’d like to go to more theater shows, but I don’t always have the time or money to go.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then sometimes Monday and Tuesday.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Charleston? Is there anything you would change?
I love it. Sometimes I feel like there isn’t much to do even though people say there’s so much to do. It can feel repetitive, so I wish there were more things to do than walk around Charleston. But, when I visit other places like the [University of South Carolina], I realize that there is much more to do here than those places.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them in class and through my sorority.
If at all, how did being a first-generation college student impact your social transition?
I realized that I’m not as in tune with American culture as I should be. I don’t get a lot of references that students make because I wasn’t surrounded by that growing up.
How would you describe the social scene at Charleston?
I think everyone here is super, super friendly. It can be a little cliquey at Charleston and there isn’t a big sense of community because not many people live on campus so people are spread out. It can be hard to get close to certain friend groups because some of them can be very cliquey. As a freshman, I had more people to talk to and hang out with because living in a dorm is such a big community, but once everyone moved out and had their own place, I never see the same people I used to see last year. I wish it was different, but that’s just the way it is here. [About 32% of students live on campus.]
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Everyone here works together. I think everyone is very open and kind to one another. I definitely wouldn’t see the people I see in Charleston accepting being accepted by the people in my hometown. People here are able to express themselves a lot more and be accepted by the community. [Minority groups make up 20% of the undergraduate population.]
How would you describe the South Asian community? How strong is it?
There is not a big community that I know of for the South Asian community, which I wish was different. I do see a lot of Asians, but I’m not friends with them so I don’t know what communities they’re a part of. I don’t have any 100% Asian friends here because there are not many of us. [About 2% of students are Asian.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
Greek life is big but isn’t as big as it is some places. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Greek life or not. It’s not a dominating factor here.
How do you like the size of your school in terms of undergraduate enrollment? [There are about 9,900 undergraduate students at College of Charleston.]
I think it’s the perfect size for me. It’s not too many people and not too few people. Everyone knows each other through mutual friends somehow, and I think that’s really cool.
Do you feel more like a student at the College of Charleston or a resident of Charleston?
I definitely feel like a student more than a resident. Even though it’s my second year here, I’m still learning my way around here [laughs]. I spend a lot of time on campus and focusing on school, so I don’t have as much time to roam around as I’d want to.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I have not tried reaching out.
To what extent have you used the career office? How helpful are they?
I have not used it yet.
Have you learned any computer programs that are helpful or will be helpful to you professionally?
Right now, I’m in business classes and we’re using Excel, which I know will be used a lot in the workforce.