Drexel University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Health Sciences major with a concentration in Exercise Science
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Heterosexual Male
Summary
I’m a student-athlete, I’m a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, I’m a member of the Dragon Recruitment Team for the Health Sciences major, and I’m currently on a co-op internship at a hospital.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public school in Arlington, VA with a graduating class of 350 students. It’s a very, very diverse school, with about 70% of students being minorities. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Health Sciences major with a concentration in Exercise Science
Extracurricular Activities: I’m a student-athlete, I’m a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, I’m a member of the Dragon Recruitment Team for the Health Sciences major, and I’m currently on a co-op internship at a hospital.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
I mean, I always knew I wanted to be an athlete in college. When I came to visit I loved the environment and I loved the school community. I also loved the community in Philadelphia.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I have a lot of lecture-based classes and those break down into recitations, and then I also have labs. Labs are capped at 20 students, but there are some lectures that will have up to 100 students. It’s a pretty decent mix of problem sets, readings, and group projects, but it leans more towards exams.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or especially poorly?
[Exercise Science] is a pretty small department now. It’s trying to grow into a minor. They do a great job of giving us classes that we are actually interested in. They take our opinion into consideration for what courses we like and what courses we want to continue to take as they continue to grow.
Can you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s a mix of both. I think it’s competitive because we’ll compete for the same co-ops and we’re trying to do our absolute best. But I think it’s collaborative in that if you’re struggling people can get help from their peers. I’ve never seen anybody turn down somebody when they ask for help.
What has been your favorite class in your major?
The anatomy classes because we have a cadaver lab. It was special being a sophomore in college and already working on dead bodies. It’s definitely an experience not a lot of colleges can offer that early in my career.
What has been your least favorite class in your major?
Physics, not necessarily because it’s a poor class, but for me, in general, it isn’t a good course for me and how I think.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I always wanted to go to physical therapy school or medical school, so the Health Science major gave me a good balance to be able to get all the prerequisites I needed for the different fields. I don’t regret the decision at all.
How was managing your sport and coursework?
I think it’s manageable. The school definitely offers opportunities, like if I need help they’ll give you the help that you need. If I have to miss classes because of games, professors will work with me. Nothing has ever been given to me [because I’m an athlete], but I definitely have a good support system.
Reasons to Attend
Drexel puts you in the right places, but it’s up to you to do something about it. They definitely give you the ability to do so much and to learn, but you have to learn it on your own at the same time. You’re going somewhere that will help you grow in your career and also grow as a person.
Reasons Not to Attend
If you don’t think it’s the right place for you, it’s four years of your life so don’t waste them.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Tower Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Chestnut Square with three roommates
Junior: I lived off campus in a one-bedroom apartment
Senior: I will live in an apartment with three friends.
What was your favorite living situation?
I definitely love living by myself. I like living on campus because it’s cheaper, but I’ve been happy with each of the places I’ve chosen to live.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never felt unsafe. I’ve never feared for myself.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
That’s a tough choice. I like this place called Continental where you can get food from all over the world. It’s in Center City and it offers you a different variety of food.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
Fairmount Park. There’s the zoo there, and there are so many things to do, like nature walks.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
It’s in Philadelphia so there are a lot of bars you can go to. There will be parties if you want that. But, I’ve never felt that I have to go out to have a social life. If I’m going to go out, I only go out on Saturday.
What have been your favorite times at Drexel?
Every term there is a concert on campus and they’ll get some pretty big people to come. My freshman year we had Steve Aoki come and that was pretty memorable.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like to do?
There’s so much to do. You can just go walk around. There are different city parks and little squares to go to. The campus is definitely unique in that there are lots of different city buildings and city stuff, so I don’t mind just hanging out with my friends. I like to go to City Hall and explore and find different little shops and restaurants.
How happy are you with the nightlife? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with it.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
On my team. Being an athlete, we go through some tough times together and we stuck together the whole time so we got closer because of that. Besides that, through different activities on campus and just talking to people. I can say that the majority of my friends aren’t on my team, but my closest friends are.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
The social scene is pretty good. I mean I see people from all different areas, Greek life, athletes, student groups, all mingling. I don’t see any negative vibes between people, which I think is special because, being an athlete, you can be stereotyped that you won’t get along with certain people. So, getting away from that has been pretty nice.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I’ve never seen a problem or heard of one. That’s not to mean that there isn’t one because I’m sure it could have happened. But, I’ve never heard of it being a big deal. There are also lots of support systems for people of different races and sexual orientations. We have a diverse community.
How would you describe the student body?
The student body is very diverse. Because we have pretty much anything you could want, I don’t think anybody gets excluded or anything. [In the Class of 2022, about 50% of students are White, 22% are Asian, 10% are international students, and 6% are Hispanic.]
Do you think people are happy with their choice of Drexel by the time they graduate?
Yeah, for the most part I do. I think they appreciate the opportunities they have.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yeah for my co-op I actually found it because I had a friend who had been through it before and worked for the company, so they helped me get my foot in the door for an interview, which helped.
Have you used the career office much?
I honestly haven’t used it much yet, so I can’t really say.
Have you learned any skills through your coursework that will be helpful to you professionally?
As a Health Sciences major, I’ve learned a lot of observation skills, so how to see things better. To be in health professions, we definitely focus on how to present different things and how to present to different populations and I think that’s been pretty helpful.