Earlham College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Neuroscience
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Black/African-American Bisexual Female

Summary

I participate in the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) pre-health club and Black Students United.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Black/African-American
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

High School Experience: Public high school in South Florida with a graduating class of about 400 students. There wasn’t necessarily a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I participate in the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) pre-health club and Black Students United.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
For me, MAPS and the Black Students Union has had a big impact on my experience here. It’s nice to know that although there aren’t many [minorities] on campus, we’re willing to come together and support each other on our journey throughout college.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
The exams are well spaced out. I’d say they are about three to four weeks apart, but sometimes they do match up and you have multiple tests during the week. Most professors are willing to work with you and try to accommodate your testing schedule as best as possible. The most hectic thing within Neuroscience is the labs because they demand some time and effort. The exams are weighted the most in the classes.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
They do a pretty good job supporting the students and give them opportunities for research. I enjoy the fact that they have us do psychology research projects within our field of study. I wish there were more research opportunities.
How would you describe the learning environment? Is it particularly competitive or collaborative?
I feel like it’s very collaborative. We’re encouraged to work with our classmates and make study groups. The student culture has never been a competitive thing, at least with the people I’m surrounded by.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. They normally make their office hours visible and they normally have quick responses to emails.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
Earlham has a program called LIFT, which is geared toward first-generation college students. It helped motivate me to do well in school and you have a group of people around you that understand the same thing you’re going through. You always have them to rely on.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always been interested in neuroscience for a long time. I’m very happy with my choice.

Reasons to Attend

1) The faculty support you get.
2) The amount of opportunities they provide for jobs and internships.
3) The people and the students.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you’re not used to the small-town feel it’s not the most fun.
2) I think the dining halls could be better.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Olvey-Andis Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: An Interfaith Themed House with six others
Junior: Campus Village Hall in a single
How was transitioning from South Florida to Richmond, Indiana?
It was very drastic for me. South Florida is a fast-paced place with a lot of cultures. Richmond is a bit different. There aren’t as many activities and restaurants and all that fancy stuff. It’s pretty quiet, but it could be better.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
On campus is pretty safe. We normally have 24-hour access to public safety and I’ve never had anything happen to me. There have been some recent concerns, but it hasn’t been terrible.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in?
If there’s a campus party, I might go. The themed houses will throw a house party usually on Fridays or Saturdays. Other than that, I’ll probably go bowling or to the movies with friends. There’s also a skating rink, but it’s either a campus party or going somewhere out in the town. If not, a lot of people drive to Oxford to the college campus.
What have been some of your favorite times at Earlham?
I really like it when they have their activity day. They’ll bring out blow-up slides and they do a pretty good job with those. The Student Activities Board puts on different activities like a movie or an arcade night. They had a circus last year.
How has identifying as LGBT influenced your nightlife experience?
I’d like to say I normally see LGBT people at our parties. For the most part, I think they feel welcome. I do have some friends that do feel comfortable, but I think it’s a bit more difficult for our transgender and non-binary students to go out.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at Earlham? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with the weekend options. Sometimes I think it’s lacking in that department, but it’s not terrible. You can find something to do and if you know somebody with a car it isn’t as terrible because you can drive to parties or clubs at [Miami-Ohio in] Oxford, OH. Some people will go to Indianapolis too, which is about an hour and a half away.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met most of them in class or at one of the social activities on campus.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Earlham?
Everybody pretty much gets along with everyone. Because it’s a small school, circles tend to run into each other. It can sometimes get cliquey, but everyone is nice and friendly.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
It’s pretty common. Almost everyone has someone that’s not heteronormative in their social circle. We’re pretty accepting and have a lot of different people on the spectrum at the school. Everyone supports them and makes them feel at home. [The undergraduate population is 7% Black, 49% White, 3% Asian, and 8% Hispanic.]
How would you describe the African-American community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s growing in strength. We do come together and support each other. I also feel like there are faculty allies on campus who try to ensure we’re getting along and communicating.
How would you describe the LGBTQ community on campus? How strong is it?
I think it’s doing well. They could use a bit more support and also just come together more. I don’t feel that anyone is against each other, they just don’t get the opportunity to come together as much as they would like.
How do you like the size of Earlham in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [Earlham has about 1,000 undergraduates.]
I like that it’s small. I know most people and I won’t get lost or drowned out.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I actually work for the pre-health career services so I work with any students interested in going into any pre-health field. We try really hard to get the students engaged in their future and support them in what they want to do. We help with summer internships, graduate school, and research opportunities. I think the general career services tries hard, but sometimes it’s difficult to engage the students.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
In a Psychology class I learned R.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
They’ve always been very responsive and open to working with me. For me, it’s been an easy process.