Georgia Institute of Technology
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Chemical Engineering
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: South Asian Bisexual Female
Summary
I’m part of the orchestra here and I play on the club water polo team.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: South Asian
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Public school in Lubbock, TX with a graduating class of about 430 students. About half the students were really focused on college and the other half was not.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Chemical Engineering
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of the orchestra here and I play on the club water polo team.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
Joining the water polo team was something that was very out of my comfort zone because I’m actually a transfer student. When I got here all of the people my age had already made their friends and all the first-year friend groups were made in their dorms, so it was really difficult for me to find my own place or find a group of people. I went to the organization fair specifically for the rec center and you have to talk to at least five tables to get the free t-shirt, and I went up to a table full of girls because I didn’t think they were very intimidating. I used to be a swimmer and I wanted to get back into swimming because it’s good exercise. They said I should join because of my swimming experience and, once I joined, I fell in love with the people. It really helped me open up more to everyone because before I joined, I wouldn’t even talk to people in my classes. After I joined, I remembered how to socialize again and it helped me open up.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
So far, I’ve only taken one Chemical Engineering course which was a weed-out course. I had one problem set a week that took about six or seven hours and then I also had to spend time studying for the course. I spent, on average, about twelve hours per week on that class. We also had three exams during the semester and the final. The first exam scared me because the average was a 65% and I didn’t think I wanted to be a chemical engineer anymore because of that test grade. But, it’s very normal for your first test grade and your first Chemical Engineering class grade to be very low because you’re adapting to a new way of learning and a new concept. After all of that, I did a lot better on the next exams and I was able to improve my grade a lot. For the prerequisite classes, we had problem sets, labs, and exams.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think they’re very good about making sure you know what resources you have. They emphasize that you can do one-on-one tutoring, there are lots of review sessions, and you can always go to your professors. They’re very open about when you need help, go get help. The Chemical Engineering department emails out a weekly announcement reminding you of the events going on with the department, so if you want to go connect with them, you can. I think it’s really cool that they make sure we know what we can do to make the best out of our education.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s very much group-based. Many people prefer to work in a study group. Obviously, there are some individuals who are going to study by themselves. But, the thing about Georgia Tech is they really emphasize learning through the people around you because you can’t understand everything from the lectures. If you have a study group, there will be someone who will be able to show you how they thought of it. Then, if you explain something to someone, that means you understand it.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re very accessible. They always say that their door is open and you can come to ask questions. They’re also very quick to respond to e-mails. They also add extra office hours on test weeks so they can be available for questions.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I picked it because I really like chemistry and I want to be an engineer. I like it, but I don’t think it’s my passion. I think it would have been better if I’d done civil engineering because I think it would have been something I’m more passionate about. I don’t hate chemical engineering, so I’m going to stick with it.
How was transitioning academically as a transfer student? Were there any resources that helped you adapt?
It was so tough on me because the school I went to before was notorious for being a party school and while I was there I never experienced much hardship academically. I would barely study for a test and then get a good grade. But, at Georgia Tech you have to study. There’s no way you’re going to pass if you don’t study. So, my idea of what was college was completely different here so I had to adjust my habits so I would sit down and study, make sure I understand everything, and figure out the harder problems. It took me a really long time to adjust to that, about a semester and a half, but then after that, I’ve been good.
Reasons to Attend
1) It will change you to be more outgoing.
2) The faculty want to help you succeed. They’re not doing it just because of their job, they genuinely want you to succeed.
3) The diversity on campus. It’s cool to be around people who care about their culture.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The academic culture here is if you go to a party, you might find somebody still studying. They will be sitting on a couch with flashcards [laughs]. It’s wild.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Sophomore: Fulmer Hall with one roommate on West Campus. West Campus seems very isolated from the rest of campus because it’s in its own little area. Fulmer, in general, was alright but sometimes the air conditioning didn’t work that well.
Junior: I’m living with the same roommate in a double room on West Campus again. I really lucked out with my roommate when I transferred in.
How was transitioning from Lubbock, TX to Atlanta, Georgia?
The part of Texas I’m from is really, really dry. It’s so much more humid in Atlanta. Even if I’m standing in the shade, I feel like I’m melting and everyone’s sweating. Then, everybody takes the buses and it smells on the bus. Honestly, I hate it. I usually walk everywhere even though it’s so hot. But, during the winter it feels really nice because I could just throw on a sweater and be fine.
Can you describe the level of safety you have experienced on and around campus?
Georgia Tech is located very close to Midtown Atlanta. I don’t feel safe being away from West Campus at night mainly because we get emails whenever there’s some sort of crime in the area. Some students get mugged right around campus, but it’s only at night. So, if you’re studying in the student center or other places you can leave your stuff to go to the bathroom and you’ll be fine. But, because Georgia Tech is an open campus and anybody can walk on, I’ve had friends have their stuff stolen when they leave it places for a moment. If you’re aware of these things, I think it’s very easy to be safe on campus.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I just go over to one of my friend’s dorms during the weekends. We just hang out. I haven’t really gone out that much though, we just go to restaurants if we’re going out. The restaurants we go to are in Midtown. I occasionally go to a house party that’s hosted by a frat or sorority. If I go, I go with people who actually know what’s going on that weekend.
What are some of your favorite restaurants to go to?
There’s a bakery that’s really good called Sweet Hut that has really good pastries. Georgia Tech is really close to a place called Atlantic Station and that place has a bunch of good food. There’s a place called Yeah! Burger and, I’m not a burger person, but their burgers have so much flavor. There’s also an ice cream place called Jeni’s where they make the waffle cones in front of you.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Georgia Tech? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I wouldn’t change anything. I think there’s a lot to do on the weekends.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I connected really well with a girl on the club water polo team and she introduced me to different girls in her friend group one at a time until I knew all of them. Aside from them, I now meet people in class or girls who live on my floor.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Georgia Tech?
Everyone is so social that it sometimes feels fake. The majority of people try to be really outgoing and then there’s a small population of people who are socially awkward. It’s hard to explain the dynamic. I’ve spoken to so many people on campus, but because everyone is so friendly, it can be hard to find people who seem genuine.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Oh man, I think the diversity here is incredible. I feel like no one really cares about each other’s race in terms of friend groups because everyone has all sorts of races and sexualities in their friend groups. There are also lots of resources for minorities and the Pride Alliance is really active. There are also a lot of organizations for specific affinity groups for people who want to be around people from the same culture. It’s very easy to make friends with anyone. [The undergraduate population in 2019-20 is about 48% White, 29% Asian, 9% Hispanic, and 7% Black.]
How would you describe the South Asian community on campus? How strong is it?
Honestly, I haven’t seen that many South Asians. If I do, they’re usually not with people from their own culture. They’re usually very Americanized. Every person has their own balance of the culture they grew up in versus the culture their family is part of, so, because of that, it’s always hard to find someone who is exactly like you. In my experience, I don’t think people take it too seriously. It’s not like I see a South Asian person and want to go over and talk to them. It’s just I’m meeting somebody and they happen to be South Asian.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
I don’t think there’s much mixture of those groups. The most mixture I see is when you’re assigned to be in a group with somebody in Greek life in class. Other than that, I don’t see them interact with people outside of Greek life very much.
How do you like the size of Georgia Tech in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 15,500 undergraduates.]
I really like the size because it gives me a bigger pool of people to meet and relate to. Here, there are so many people that it doesn’t feel like I’m seeing the same people every time which I think adds to the diversity of types of students, which makes it easier to find someone you relate to.
Do you ever feel like you are more so a resident of Atlanta than you are a student at Georgia Tech?
No, sometimes I forget I’m in Atlanta because I’m always on campus and the campus feels much different than the rest of the city.
Careers
What have you used the career office for? How helpful are they?
They’re really useful. They always help you by critiquing your resume and helping you learn how to speak with recruiters. They help you with every step of the job application process. Another thing I like about Georgia Tech is there is one general career fair for all majors but also career fairs for each specific major, which I find really helpful. When you’re at such a big school like Georgia Tech the general career fair is not a great place for people with anxiety because you’re surrounded by so many people, so I really appreciate that they do the major-specific career fair because it’s on a smaller scale and there are fewer people. It feels much more comfortable.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’m currently in a programming class for engineers and we’re learning MATLAB. It’s a class for people who haven’t programmed before and helps us get comfortable with programming and problem solving with programming.