Howard University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Nursing
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: African-American Straight Female

Summary

I’m a mentor for a program for freshmen on campus.

Background

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

High School Experience: Public Charter high school in Houston, Texas with a graduating class of about 105 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Nursing
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m a mentor for a program for freshmen on campus.
What impact has mentoring had on your experience?
I enjoy it. When I was a freshman I was excited, but I remember feeling clueless about a lot of things and was scared to ask for help. Having people I can mentor who are in the situation I was in when I was a freshman makes me feel good that I can use my experiences to help them out.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for Nursing?
It’s a struggle. Every week we have an exam. We take four classes, and about three of them are grueling. Right now, I have a seven-credit course, a five-credit course, and two three-credit courses. There’s a lot of homework, but they try not to overlap the exams.
Is there anything you think the Nursing department does especially well or poorly?
Poorly, I feel like it is horrible of them to stack up some of the hardest courses in Nursing all together. The seven-credit course is what nursing really is. At other schools, they usually separate it into two semesters instead of combining it into one. I don’t think we’re getting the most out of that learning environment.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I’ve heard horror stories where other Nursing schools are very competitive, but one thing I like about my class is that we’re like a family. We help each other out, and it’s never a competition. At the end of the day we know we’re getting the same degree. We strive to make sure nobody gets left behind.
How has going to an HBCU impacted your ?
My high school in Houston is predominately Hispanic, so my whole life I went to schools where I was the only Black student in the class. Coming to Howard where I was surrounded by African-Americans who are ambitious and intelligent is amazing. To this day, it doesn’t matter what I go through at this school, I’ll never regret coming here.
How accessible are your professors in your department?
Some of them are accessible, and when I email a professor they respond. Some of my classmates would argue that they don’t respond to their email. Sometimes it’s hard to meet up with them to talk because some of them have other jobs and don’t have time to devote themselves fully to us. It’s mainly students working together and helping each other out, instead of relying on professors to sit down and talk with us.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
I did really poorly my freshman year. It’s crazy because I was an honor roll student in high school, but when I went to college my transition wasn’t smooth at all. I think I got lazy my senior year, and I was unmotivated and stressed out by the college process. I carried that lack of determination and motivation into my freshman year. I think that’s the case for a lot of students who come from an economically disadvantaged background. You’re overwhelmed with the pressure you have by being a first-generation student, and the pressure of everyone rooting for you. It’s overwhelming and exhausting being in a new environment, and me being 1,400 miles away from home also plays a part in it. I had to be okay with asking for help when I needed it. I knew I was struggling and I needed to be comfortable reaching out to somebody to improve and excel in college.

Reasons to Attend

1) The culture and how close people are to one another.
2) The opportunities that you are given at Howard. I haven’t seen another university that would provide you with those.
3) You’re surrounded by students who are just as ambitious and intelligent as you are.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you’re not on scholarship and are paying out of pocket, I don’t think you’d feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. [Total costs for the 2018-2019 year were about $45,000.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Harriet Tubman Quadrangle with one roommate.
Sophomore: College Hall South with one roommate.
Junior: Howard Plaza Towers, East with one roommate and one suitemate.
What has been your favorite living situation?
I’ve never had an issue with my roommates. It takes a lot for me to get angry about certain things, so I’ve always opted out to the cheapest option. This year I realize it may be time for me to get a single to experience how that is.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Houston, Texas to Washington D.C. in terms of location?
Houston and D.C. are so different. In Houston the parking is free, and for the most part the rent is much lower. One thing that really bothers me about D.C. is the crime rate. It’s extremely high, where I have to take extra precautions to make sure I’m safe. [Washington D.C. has a crime rate that is 86% higher than the national average.]

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in at Howard?
When I used to have time, I’d go to the club or hang out with my friends. I would explore the monuments or the city with my friends, or sometimes by myself. Now that I’m 21, I’ll go to 21+ clubs, but before, there are 18+ clubs.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
Fridays, because sometimes I’ll go work on Saturday or Sunday.
Is there much of a social scene on campus, or is it all off-campus?
When I was a freshman it was more so house parties, but ever since my sophomore year it’s been off-campus. I don’t really like house parties. They always get shut down.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
They take it so seriously. A lot of the HPCU Divine Nine sororities and fraternities were founded at Howard. They take the process of joining a sorority or fraternity seriously, and they’re very selective.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Howard? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m very happy. I always feel like there’s something to do. Sometimes I feel bad when I’m not able to go, but I’m an extroverted introvert, so sometimes I want to go and sometimes I don’t.
There’s always something to do at Howard or in D.C. in general. If there’s not, you always have Maryland or Virginia.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I was so nervous about that when I first came here, but it was just by chance honestly. Howard has this thing called Freshman Week where you meet new people and go to a bunch of different events. I think that helped me meet my close friends. Also, through my Nursing program being able to bond with others over our stress helped too.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
I think it’s very good. I’ve never had an issue meeting new people or making new friends. People are pretty friendly. I’m Nigerian, so it’s very easy to make another friend who is Nigerian because they relate to the struggle. The class of 2020 is pretty small now. Within our class, it has gotten smaller and condensed over time, so the groups have gotten more cliquey, but it’s easier to make friends in other classes. [Howard has an 85% retention rate.]
To what extent do people of different sexual orientations mix socially?
They do, but I have noticed that homophobia within the Black community is a huge problem. At Howard, half the people are very accepting of the LGBTQ community, but the other half aren’t as accepting.
How has going to an HBCU impacted your social experience?
It has impacted my social experience greatly. I never had Black friends growing up, and I always wanted them. No matter how many friends I had in high school or middle school, I always felt very alone because I couldn’t relate to someone on that personal level. I’m more social and open than I have ever been.
How do you like the size of your school? How has the size of your school influenced your social experience? [Howard has about 6,300 undergraduate students.]
I think it’s perfect. In high school, I was looking for a medium-sized school. I didn’t want too small, and I really didn’t want large at all.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I think if I were to meet an alumnus for nursing, they would help me. It’s more so the professors and the senior Nursing majors that help me out. For example, one of my professors worked at a hospital in the area, and she helped me get an externship at her hospital.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
They’re very hard to work with, but the office helped me out. I’m from Houston, and they helped me throughout Hurricane Harvey. I don’t have any negatives besides I wish they would be more organized.