Hendrix College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BCMB) – on the pre-med track
Minor: Spanish – I’m thinking about doing a double major with it, though.
Student Self Identifies as: South Asian Heterosexual Female
Summary
I’m a part of the H.E.A.T. Ambassadors where we give tours to prospective students. I’m part of the Volunteer Action Committee, the Biochemistry Molecular Biology club, and Friends of India. I’m also a Murphy Scholar, which is a language and literature intensive co-curricular program.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: South Asian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public charter school in Arkansas with a graduating class of about 500 students. There was a culture of going to college. I’m from a small town outside of Memphis.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BCMB) – on the pre-med track
Minor: Spanish – I’m thinking about doing a double major with it, though.
Extracurricular Activities: I’m a part of the H.E.A.T. Ambassadors where we give tours to prospective students. I’m part of the Volunteer Action Committee, the Biochemistry Molecular Biology club, and Friends of India. I’m also a Murphy Scholar, which is a language and literature intensive co-curricular program.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
Through both the Volunteer Action Committee and Murphy Scholars I get to do volunteer and service activities around Conway. Those have been a big part of me getting involved in the community and find my role on the college campus. Friends of India has played an important part too because I get to organize all of the events with the executive team and help bring Indian culture to campus.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
It’s a lot of work. We have homework every time we have class. We meet three times a week, so for chemistry and physics we have an assignment due every time we have class. It’s a lot of problem sets and studying on your own to make sure you understand things. For Spanish, it’s a lot of reading and practicing on your own.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The Spanish department is amazing. They’re really good at mentoring people, putting you where you need to go, and providing all the help that you need. With BCMB, I feel like the advising needs some work because you can feel lost about what you need to be doing for pre-med and have to figure out what you need to do for pre-med on your own. They don’t provide that information voluntarily. But, if you go talk to professors, they’re really good about making sure you’re doing what you should be doing and will help you through the process of organizing everything. All the professors are super open with their office hours and will help you with that during those times.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
Hendrix is fairly collaborative. Being a liberal arts school, we have a lot of students in different majors and with a lot of different interests. There is competition every once in a while, but it isn’t cutthroat. It can be competitive because we all have the same goal of going to medical school and are working really hard. But, I’ve been able to work well with students in my classes, form study groups, and support each other in that way.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. All of them have office hours and most of them, if not all of them, have an open-door policy where if their door is open you can go in and talk with them. They’re really accessible, you just have to put in the effort and go talk to them.
What has been your favorite part of Hendrix academically?
Even as a liberal arts school, we have a really good science program and a lot of research opportunities for students. We have really high-level classes that prepare you really well for whatever you plan on doing after college. Also, academically, the classes are so small so you learn a lot more. [The average class size is 16 students.]
How easy was it to get involved in undergraduate research?
Pretty easy. During my freshman year my professor just asked me if I wanted to research and I said yes.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m happy with my choice. Hendrix has a few science majors. If I could go back and do it again I would maybe change my major because BCMB is known as one of the harder majors and is one of the largest, so maybe I would choose an easier major. I chose it because I did research in high school and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed all of my science classes and I wanted to learn more, so it was an easy choice. [For the Class of 2018, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology was the second most popular major.]
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation student? Were there any resources that helped you adapt?
It wasn’t so bad. A lot of people I was close with in my high school went to college, so we all went through that transition together. Hendrix does such a great job with the New Student Orientation where they connect you with a bunch of people, you make friends, and you also meet professors, so it was an easy transition for me
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s a liberal arts college so you get a really nice, well-rounded education. I personally love science but am also really interested in languages, so that is a pro for me.
2) It’s small, so you get a lot of attention from professors and they are very accessible.
3) The campus is really pretty, which might seem like a small thing but you want to like where you’re at.
4) The classes are hard and might seem like a bit too much at times, but I think it’s worth it in the end.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) Because it’s a liberal arts college, you get a bachelor in arts and not a bachelor in science. That is a con if you care about that.
2) It’s small. If you want the big college feel, you’re not going to get it.
3) It’s in Arkansas.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Veasey Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Market Square South Apartments with no roommate
How was transitioning from living in your hometown in Arkansas to Conway, AR in terms of location?
My hometown was really small, so Conway is definitely a lot bigger and has a lot more stuff to do. Socially, it’s a lot better too because you can get out and do things. It was a positive transition for me to move to a bigger town.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
On campus I feel really safe. It’s an open campus, but it’s a fairly closed-off campus. Public safety is always around doing their rounds and I’ve never felt unsafe walking around at all hours of the night.
Pros and cons of being located in Conway, AR?
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Most of the nightlife is on the weekends and on Wednesdays, so that’s always really fun. Most of the stuff that happens is on campus. We have lots of theme parties that people dress up for. There are not really other things to do like go to Little Rock, but that isn’t that common. Usually, the parties are in the apartments and are hosted by upperclassmen. You’ll hear about it through the grapevine and you’ll just show up. We have a Social Committee and they’ll host events like Winter Formal or Halloween parties in a big hall called Worsham.
What is an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
Sometimes there will be plays depending on the time of the year. Conway has a bowling alley and a movie theater if you want to go.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I definitely wish we had a lot more things going on in the city, but I’d say I’m about 85-90% satisfied with it.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
Hendrix has Shirttails at the beginning of every year which is a dance competition between all the dorms that only the freshmen can participate in. I met my closest friends practicing for that. I have met my other friends through classes.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Hendrix?
It’s pretty open and pretty social. People are really accepting. You can just go up and talk to people if that’s your thing, but if you are quieter, you’ll find people who are similar to you through classes and activities. There are plenty of opportunities to meet people.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I would say really well. We are a predominantly White campus, but we are very accepting of different races and the LGBTQ+ community. From what I’ve noticed, I don’t think there is a divide and I think it’s common to see diverse groups of friends on campus. There are times when people of similar backgrounds tend to stick together. But, as a person of color, I have a really diverse group of friends.
To what extent do athletes and non-athletes mix socially?
That is a little bit more of a divide because athletes do tend to stick together because they have practice. It can be a little bit to interact from both an athlete’s perspective and a non-athlete’s perspective. I have friends who are athletes and it’s harder to hang out with them and be close to them because they have their own schedule, but it’s not impossible.
How would you describe the student body?
There is a small group of people who are super social that everybody knows and then the majority of people are in the middle range where they’re social, good with talking with people and are friendly and positive. Then, there’s a small group that’s very quiet and reserved.
How do you like the size of Hendrix in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 1,200] students?
It’s very small and there are pros and cons to that. I wanted a small school feel, which I definitely get at Hendrix. I wish it was a little bit bigger just because you get to know everybody really well. If it were bigger, it’d be more diverse and there would be more people. I wish it were bigger, but it is what it is.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I haven’t really reached out to them. I wish the alumni network was a little bit stronger – that is something that I’ve noticed. But, there are a lot of Hendrix alumni who have gone on to medical school and the science departments are good at connecting you with them.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful are they?
The career office is good. We have the Career Term where they work with you to do mock interviews, work on your resume, and things like that. It’s a pretty strong program.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
No, not at Hendrix.