Drexel University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: International Business – I’m in a five-year program.
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Heterosexual Male
Summary
I play intramural sports.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private school in Panama with a graduating class of about 95 students. There was a culture of going to college in the United States.
First-Generation College Student: Yes, I’m the first in my family to go to school in the U.S.
Major: International Business – I’m in a five-year program.
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I play intramural sports.
What impact has playing intramural sports had on your experience?
It’s really fun. It’s a good environment to be in and people are really friendly.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
For International Business, there are a lot of questions online that we have to answer. Then, maybe once or twice a month, we’ll have to do a piece of writing that is a response paper. We also have presentations and exams that are really hard. They can be really hard because there is a lot of information covered in one exam.
Is there anything you feel the International Business department does especially well or poorly?
One thing that the International Business department does really well is they have a simulation called Mike’s Bikes that teaches you how to manage a business. It’s a simulation that involves real time and real markets, so it teaches you how to run a business and be in a market. It’s really good for people like me who want to have their own business.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s competitive or collaborative?
It depends on the class, but it’s mostly collaborative. There is a lot of group work so everybody participates. The classes are also interactive and the professors make everyone participate, so you learn by participating.
How accessible are your professors?
The professors have scheduled office hours where you can go and meet with them, so I find them accessible.
How was transitioning academically from your high school in Panama? Were there any resources available that helped you transition?
At the high school I came from, the math was not as advanced as it is here. It was very hard to adapt, especially in math, because most of the things they taught us here I was supposed to have background knowledge in and I didn’t even know what they were. What Drexel did to help me and help other international students is they gave us a website that we could access where we could practice and learn pre-calculus and a bit of trigonometry. It was helpful for me.
How do you like the quarter system? How has that impacted your experience?
It’s good. It was the system I had in high school and I always liked it because it is very organized and very clear-cut. I don’t mind how fast the classes move.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
Well, I want to start my own business and I want it to be an international business, so given that and the name of the major, the major is what I need.
Reasons to Attend
1) The main reason is co-op. It’s a really good way to get work experience.
2) The quality of professors. They teach you well and you learn here.
3) People at Drexel are very helpful. If you have a problem with your visa or with feeling uncomfortable, you can go to their offices and they’ll help you.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) We don’t have enough breaks because we have to do co-op.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: North Hall with four other roommates in a suite-style dorm. It’s really centered and is a good location.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Panama to the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia?
There were a lot of things I had to get used to. I had to adapt to the weather, I always thought it was winter [laughs]. The environment here, not in terms of weather but in terms of people, is very different. They don’t have the same mentality as Latin Americans, so I had to change my points of view and how I speak. In Latin America, you make a lot of jokes and that’s how you get to know people but here you talk and get to know the person more seriously and then you can make lots of jokes. People in Latin America are a bit friendlier right off the bat.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I didn’t expect it to be as safe as it is. There are a lot of public safety officers around campus 24/7 and we have [the blue light system] all around campus.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like to go out to bars or clubs occasionally and sometimes I just stay in my dorm with my friends and watch TV. I’m friends with a lot of guys in a fraternity so I will go to their parties too. I go out normally on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There are some nights when we go out on Tuesdays, as well.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
This is something that was very different than back home in Panama. It gave me the sense that this is fun and not only studying. After you’re done with your responsibilities for the day, then there’s fun and enjoyment. There are some fraternities who will let you in if you’re a good guy but the frats that are the good ones and where everybody goes don’t let you in if you’re a guy and not a member of the fraternity unless it’s an open party. That’s why I tend to go to the bars and clubs. [About 11% of undergraduate students participate in Greek life.]
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There’s a park that we will go hang out at that’s a couple of blocks away from my dorm.
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 with what we have. I would like all people to be able to go to all frat parties, but I realize it’s not that simple.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
Most of them I met because they live on the same floor as me. One is my roommate and the other ones live like three doors away from me.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
It’s a very social university. There are a lot of people who like to go out and be social. I’ve been surprised because I didn’t expect for people to socialize all the time. Even in classes I meet people and end up being friends with them. It’s pretty good.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
There are times when there’s a big party and everyone’s there and there are times when you don’t socialize with people who are of different sexual orientations or races. Mostly, everyone is united here and we don’t have a problem with being in places with different people, but there are sometime when there are parties that people of different sexual orientations don’t go to whether that’s because they don’t want to or they have another party to go to.
To what extent do international students mix with domestic students?
It’s almost 100%. People here have accepted the international students so well. I have a lot of American friends and I have a lot of Russian friends who have a lot of American friends. Everyone’s included and it’s really nice.
Were there any parts of Drexel or American university in general that surprised you when you arrived on campus?
The quality of professors here. There are some professors here who are famous for their work and have made really big contributions to the world. I was surprised because I didn’t think people like that would be teaching.
How would you describe the Hispanic community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s really strong. As soon as I got accepted and was part of the database, I was put in a group on social media of all the Latino people here. It was really nice. We got to know each other and then as soon as we arrived, they told us to go to a house and we all met each other. I’m still tight with those people and do something with them every weekend.
How do you like the size of Drexel in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [Drexel has an undergraduate population of about 15,500.]
Drexel is not the biggest campus and I like that because it makes all the buildings very close to each other. It’s really easy for you to travel from one place to another.
Careers
Have you used the career office at all?
It’s a little bit early because we start that in January 2020, but we have done a class that helps us develop our resume called Co-Op 101.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that have been or will be especially helpful professionally?
We have learned Excel, PowerPoint, and Word – those are the basics. I took a Computer Science class where we learned HTML.