High Point University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Business Administration
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Straight Male

Summary

I hold a few work positions on campus.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public school outside of Greensboro, North Carolina with a graduating class of about 250 students. There was a culture of going to college there.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Business Administration
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I hold a few work positions on campus.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I have an online class to keep up with at my own pace, so that’s up to me if I get it done. My other classes are primarily problem sets, but not too many case studies. We’re given some word problems in my management course, but accounting is primarily multiple choice.
Is there anything that you feel the business program does especially well or poorly?
They definitely prepare you for the future. They have a pretty good base on reaching out to professors. Right now, I have to schedule an interview with the dean of the business school, so I’m in the process of setting up a time for that. We pick a job position we’re interested in and inform him about that, and he’ll pretend to be the interviewer, so they put forward a lot of real-life skills.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I’d say both of those. I’ve had classes with a couple of my friends and we’re always asking what each other got so we’re competing to see who can do better. But, it’s also collaborative because if there’s ever a problem in a class there are people that are friendly enough to help you out and work through it.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. I had a business calculus class, which wasn’t a strong suit of mine, and I met with my professor almost every day before class because I struggled so much. It made sense when he was willing to work through every problem. They’re always there for you. Even in accounting, I had a class with a professor that I didn’t understand his teaching style so I reached out to a previous professor for a different class, and she was willing to meet with me.
What has been your favorite class in your major?
I don’t know if I have a favorite. I had a good management course with a professor who had a lot of experience in the workplace. She was the CFO for a couple of healthcare firms, so it was cool to hear her relate things to the real world.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
The one resource I’ve found helpful are the professors being available whenever, even if it was just over email. I’ve had a few professors give me their personal cell phone if I ever had questions at night. There are also tutors, and I’ve used that.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m still not sure exactly what I want to do. My brother graduated with a marketing degree and I understand that to a point where I thought that job was very saturated so I knew it would be hard to get a job in that field after college. I decided to change and go toward something broader where I could work into any position.

Reasons to Attend

1) High Point is growing at a high rate, both academically and athletically. They have the new basketball arena being built, and they just finished a graduate science building.
2) They have a new engineering department coming in.
3) The connections. When people asked me why I transferred, the connections I’ve found at High Point is my number one go-to answer. These are unlike anything I’ve known at other schools, and it’s not through the school it’s through the students. Most of my friends’ parents own their own business or are a CFO or CEO. Those titles stood out to me and they’re always willing to talk to the students.
4) The size and how nice everybody is.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If Greek life is everything to you, you can definitely attend. If it’s not I know some people struggle with that and making friends. It’s all up to the person. If you’re willing to put yourself out there you can make them. [About 30% of students are involved in Greek life.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Sophomore: Off-campus apartment with one roommate
Junior: Off-campus apartment with one roommate
Senior: Off-campus apartment with one roommate
How was transitioning from your hometown outside of Greensboro to High Point, NC?
My hometown is 40-minutes away from High Point, so really not a whole lot. I can go home often. It’s a little different, but it wasn’t a huge drastic shift.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
Any college town has its problems, and High Point isn’t the worst. The safety precautions the university takes is top-notch. It’s gated around all campus facilities, and so are some of the off-campus locations. They have security officers at the locations you drive into campus, and there are officers patrolling campus overnight.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Parties go on, and as much fun as those are they get old. I just turned 21 so I go to a couple of bars every now and then. I go home, or just hang out on campus and watch a movie. There are crowds that prefer to do this and crowds that party and stay out all night. I don’t like to go out all the time because it gets old, but I definitely enjoy a party every now and then. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights there are things going on whether it’s the fraternities on campus or even the Centennial Squares. We have on-campus housing that’s kind of like a townhome and people will have parties there.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
Friday and Saturday night.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
It’s very large. High Point definitely depends on Greek life. I was talking to a friend and we were saying how not much goes on. It’s such a small school and a lot of people are in Greek life, so it plays a big role in who you are and what everyone does on the weekend party-wise. It gives you your group of friends, and there are people who can mix friend groups and friends in Greek life. Just because you’re not in a fraternity doesn’t mean you can’t get in [to a party], you may just have to wait in line depending on how many people are inside. Sometimes it’s regulated if they have a mixer or a date party. [About 30% of students are involved in Greek life.]
How happy are you with the weekend options at High Point? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I wish there were options that weren’t fraternity involved. I wish there were places on campus where people didn’t care if it was a fraternity or now. Tailgating in the spring for lacrosse is huge.

Campus Culture

How was blending into the social environment as a transfer?
My social transition wasn’t necessarily hard. I didn’t feel like a transfer student. I was coming up here on the weekends and during the weekdays, so I felt like a student here. Socially, the students here made me feel like I was already going here. Academically, it wasn’t hard. I think I found it easier. I don’t know if it was just the transition or if the classes were easier.
How did you meet your closest friends?
My roommate went to middle school with me, so we’ve known each other for a while. I met other people through him because I didn’t go here for freshman year. I met my girlfriend at a party, but you meet people all over. That’s the benefit of a small school. You walk across campus and you see people you know, but you’ll turn around and see people you don’t know. It’s a healthy mix of both.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
I’d say it’s pretty good. Everybody is welcoming, and that’s one of the things I noticed when I visited. I came to campus and everybody was pretty friendly.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I’d say it’s pretty healthy. There’s not a whole lot of separation. Everyone fits in well and we don’t judge who you are or how you identify. Nobody singles them out and it’s pretty common to see diverse groups of friends on campus. [The undergraduate population is 76% Caucasian, 7% African American, 6% Hispanic, and 3% Asian.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
I’d say it’s also pretty healthy. My roommate and I aren’t in Greek life, but some of our closest friends are in Greek life. We still get invited to parties and date parties or formals and such. It’s all personal preference, and you hear it a lot how people are surprised when you tell them you’re not in a fraternity. At the end of the day, nobody cares if you’re not in one. It’s just personal preference.
How do you like the size of High Point in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 5,200] students?
I’d say it’s perfect. I didn’t look at High Point first, I went to [a different school] during my freshman year. From the comparative side of things, they are the [same size]. You walk across campus and you’ll see people know and don’t know. People are always walking across campus, and you never feel like you’re alone just another one in the crowd.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I haven’t used them to my full capability, but they have a network called Purple Briefcase where employers will post their jobs. It’s kind of an exclusive LinkedIn for High Point students. My accounting professor told me if I was ever looking for an opportunity to let her know. There is the career and internship office who is always looking to help people, whether that’s correcting your resume or cover letter, or really helping you dial in on your interview skills.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
Excel has definitely grown my skill set, and we use a database called SAP in the Accounting Information Systems class. It’s an accounting program that real-world business use.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I got financial aid through the university and they’re definitely helpful. You can tell them what’s going on, and they’re willing to sit one-on-one with you to work through your tuition and aid.