Goucher College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Psychology
Minor: Education
Student Self Identifies as: White Straight Female

Summary

I’m part of the Psychology Club, I do Community-Based Learning, a work-study program, and I used to be an athlete.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public high school in Massachusetts with a graduating class of about 500 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Psychology
Minor: Education

Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of the Psychology Club, I do Community-Based Learning, a work-study program, and I used to be an athlete.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
My sport had a huge impact because it was really time-consuming and my teammates were the main group I’d see all the time. Since I quit my sport, I mostly focus on school.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
This semester it’s heavier on the readings and essays. Our grades usually consist of quizzes, tests, papers, attendance, and participation is always a factor because there’s a lot of in-class discussions.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
Our professors are all really nice, but right now they can be sticklers about credits. I’m trying to get credit for a Cluster III class and it’s been difficult.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I’d say it’s collaborative. I don’t think it’s competitive in the sense that people are trying to get an upper hand on you. It’s collaborative in the way that people are helpful. We also do group projects and have a lot of in-class discussions.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
It’s pretty liberal with a lot of left-wing schools of thought. People can be intolerant towards others. I don’t think it’s politically open-minded, but it’s open-minded on ideas like sexuality and personal choices. [See Quinn News article, “Political Science Capstone Investigates Ideological Diversity at Goucher.”]
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. It’s just a small school so you form more of a relationship with them. They have office hours you can find easily, but if they don’t fit in with your schedule you can just email them to get an appointment.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I want to be a child life specialist, which is why I chose my major. I’m happy with my choice.

Reasons to Attend

1) The teachers are nice and the class sizes are good. [The average class size is 17 students.]
2) The people are really nice.
3) It’s 100% study abroad participation rate.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The social scene is kind of desolate.
2) I come from a conservative town and thought I was left-wing, and then I came here and now think I’ve been in the middle my whole life. People are so extreme here. [See Quinn News article, “Political Science Capstone Investigates Ideological Diversity at Goucher.”]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Winslow House in the Stimson Hall in a single
Sophomore & Junior: Welsh Hall with one roommate and two suitemates
How was transitioning from your hometown in Massachusetts to Towson, MD?
It was good. It’s not too close and not too far.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel safe. I walk around at night all the time on campus. It’s such a small school and I feel like I know most people and there aren’t many random people walking around the campus.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I hang out with my friends. I don’t go to the bars in Towson that often because I don’t think they’re that great. We mostly hang out in the dorms.
What have been some of your favorite times at Goucher?
I like the spring because it’s a really pretty campus and all the flowers are beautiful.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Goucher? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I think it can be kind of dead on the weekends. The nightlife is kind of non-existent and people are pretty introverted.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
Just by bumping into them. You keep seeing the same faces every day so it happens organically.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Goucher?
I think that’s where the school has its biggest failings. The social scene isn’t that [robust]. Going into Baltimore is fun, but the campus can be dead at night.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I think everyone mixes socially. I guess there’s always kind of a divide with races because of our country’s history and how that manifests socially, and this school is predominately White, but I think there’s still a mix. [The undergraduate population is about 56% White, 16% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 4% Asian.]
How do you like the size of Goucher in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 1,400 undergraduates.]
It has its positives and negatives. I like that it’s a closer community and I recognize a lot of the faces. If there are people you don’t like you see them all the time. I like that the class sizes are small, which is one of the main things I was looking for in a college. [The average class size is 17 students.]
To what extent do athletes and non-athletes mix socially?
They really don’t mix that much. I have a lot of athlete friends and non-athlete friends since I quit my sport. I was pretty shocked. I went into it halfway through my freshman year and I had already made all my friends that weren’t athletes. I thought I had a good sense of the school, but when I started doing athletics, I realized I had never met those people. The parties are mostly held by athletes. Since I quit, I still see my athlete friends all the time and I’ll say hi or get lunch with them. It’s kind of a separate world.
How would you describe the student body?
It’s a lot of oddballs with a lot of weirdos. People are super quirky, introverted, and individualistic. The other night I was walking home and it was dark and raining, and someone was under a lamppost playing with a ball on a string by himself really dramatically. I didn’t even question it. Sometimes I see people walking rats as pets.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
It’s kind of helpful. I went to them the other day to get credit for one of my internships.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
The office is helpful, but I do work-study and one time they told me I didn’t have work-study any longer. I went to the financial aid office to sort it out and it took forever.