Lawrence University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Biology
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: South Asian Heterosexual Female

Summary

I was part of the Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC), which is our student government. I am part of a sorority and I’ve also had a few on-campus jobs.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: South Asian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public magnet high school in Chicago, IL with a graduating class of about 100 students. It was a strongly predominantly Black student body. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Biology
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I was part of the Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC), which is our student government. I am part of a sorority and I’ve also had a few on-campus jobs.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being in student government had a huge impact on my experience. It kept me busy, and keeping busy keeps me sane. It also helped me build my leadership skills, and I love taking leadership roles, so that’s been a really amazing experience. I think it’s been great also because Lawrence is such a small school, so we get to decide a lot of the different kinds of policies that can take place at the university.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I don’t have a lot of weekly homework necessarily, but I do have a lot of lab write-ups. The Chemistry requirements for the Biology major actually have more lab work than my actual Biology classes. For the Biology classes, the labs and exams make up the bulk of the final grade.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I feel like the Biology department does especially well with supporting students one-on-one. They make it a welcoming space for students to feel comfortable to come in and seek the support they need during office hours with professors. They’re very friendly.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
Lawrence is really collaborative. It’s not competitive at all. We have pretty small classes. The largest class I’ve ever been in is 45 students in an intro class. Most of my classes are about 16 people and we often work in small groups to study for a class or do assignments. We have small breakout groups during class. [In 2019-20, 7 classes had 40-49 students in them.]
How accessible are your professors?
For my personal experience in the Biology department, they’re super accessible. I’ve even experienced that with other departments for other classes that I’ve taken. Professors make it a priority to have one-on-one time. Professors and students alike value the one-on-one time and get to know each other and build a personal relationship.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve loved science for as long as I can remember, so it wasn’t a surprise to me to be a Biology major. I’m very happy with my major because I love science so much.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Were there any resources available that helped you adapt?
Transitioning my first term was crazy. I’m a Chicago Scholar, so that was a huge resource. I’m also a Tom Hurvis scholar, and that has been a great support for me to give me resources and ideas to help keep me on track during school.
What has been your favorite part of the academics at Lawrence?
I think my favorite part about Lawrence is the liberal arts system. I remember speaking with my advisor and asking which courses I should take and thinking that I should only take science courses. My advisor showed me that I can’t take more than 90 credits in Biology and I have 216 credits total, so I have to take other classes and diversify myself. I like how they really encourage that learning and force you to explore different disciplines and be cultured in multiple ways. It’s something that I’ve come to love. I like moving out of the one-track mindset. I really like taking classes outside of my major and not just grinding down on the classes in my major all the time.
How do you like the term system? How has it impacted your experience?
At first it was really weird, but I really like it because it’s fast-paced. It also gives me a long winter break, which is nice because I can spend it with my family. But, spring break is really short and can feel like terms are back to back. The last five weeks of school go by really quickly, but I still really enjoy it.

Reasons to Attend

1) Really good financial aid.
2) It’s a liberal arts school.
3) Small Universities are amazing because you build strong relationships with the professors and other students. The professors are so supportive, so you’re never going to feel like you don’t have somebody there for you.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you want a very traditional track for a STEM degree, like Computer Science or pre-med, maybe this is not the college for you even though there are a lot of people in those disciplines here.
2) If you’re not with the super liberal, hippie culture. There are people here who can breathe down your throat about it and are very vocal about what they believe in. That could be a lot for somebody who doesn’t share those beliefs.
3) The food in the cafeteria may not be your cup of tea.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Kohler Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: I lived in a fraternity house because they had an extra room in a single
Junior: Ormsby Hall in a single
How was transitioning from your hometown in Chicago, IL to Appleton, WI in terms of location?
Oh my gosh, it was crazy. I lived in Chicago my whole life and didn’t realize other places aren’t like Chicago. I was really uncultured when it came to other places, so it was a big shock to me. There are not the same food resources that I was used to having. As a Muslim, I wasn’t able to eat halal food out because there is no halal food in Appleton. For me, that was the hardest thing. Also, not seeing people who looked like me. It took me six or seven months to even see another woman wearing a headscarf around Appleton, which was a big shocker. [About 88% of the population of Appleton is White.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I think our campus security makes us feel pretty safe. Overall, I feel Lawrence is a pretty safe environment. I don’t feel threatened at all. I feel like the campus is a safe haven for myself and others.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
During my freshman year, I enjoyed going out and having fun with friends at parties. But, after freshman year, I just like to stay in my room, hang out with a few friends, and listen to music. I stopped going to parties just because I never felt like they were very good. It’s just such a small campus, so I don’t find the parties very fun.
What have been some of your favorite times at Lawrence?
One of my favorite things is the music festival they do in the spring called LUaroo where they bring in a bunch of different artists and also have student performers. It’s a lot of fun. People spend time on the quad and soak up the sun and listen to music. Another favorite memory is studying in the student center and being in the café where people come because that’s where I socialize.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Lawrence? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I’m pretty happy with it. I feel like whatever I’ve wanted to do here, I’ve done. When I was a freshman, I got to party, and now I like to simmer down and just enjoy the fact that it can be boring sometimes.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends at Lawrence?
I met them through part of a three-week program called Freshman Academic Institute, [which they have renamed to Summer Institute]. That’s where I met some of my closest friends that I still talk to today. We learned how to be part of a liberal arts education system, which was really fun. I got to know the campus, the people there, and the resources available to me.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Lawrence?
I think Lawrence is really cliquey. I feel like once you’re part of a certain social group, it’s really hard for people who are loners or floaters to become part of those groups. Once somebody falls out of a friend group, they may not be able to reconnect with others because it’s hard to connect with people that are in a certain clique. Also, it’s such a small place that everybody knows each other’s business. But I don’t think it’s as bad as I’m making it sound. It just is what it is.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I think people of similar races and similar sexualities hang out with one another. I feel like there is not as much intermingling between people on campus. If you look around in the cafeteria, you’ll see people who look similar sitting with each other. I’m kind of an anomaly because a lot of the South Asian students are international students and view me as American, so a lot of my friends are African-American.
How would you describe the South Asian community? How strong is it?
From what I’ve seen, it’s a very strong international community. As a domestic student, I feel like an outsider because for a whole year people in that community assumed I didn’t know my native language, but I really do know my native language. They thought I was totally whitewashed, so that was not a positive experience for me. At the same time, I see how spending time together in a close-knit community can be enriching for them because they’re so far away from home, so it goes both ways.
How would you describe the student body at Lawrence?
It’s pretty liberal and hipster. A lot of people on campus are environmentally-focused and supportive of LGBT+ issues, too.
How do you like the size of Lawrence in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [Lawrence has about 1,450 students.]
It’s really nice at the classroom level. But sometimes outside of the classroom, it can feel a bit like high school. I really enjoy it because I know everybody and I like that people aren’t invisible to me and I’m not invisible to them. But, the very small community feels that it can be little suffocating at times.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
I feel like people in Greek life mingle with people who aren’t in Greek life just as much as people in Greek life because Greek life is not as prominent on our campus. There are people who are in Greek life, but usually, unless they mention it, you might not realize that they are part of it. In fact, my closer friends are outside of my Greek life circle. Greek life is not a strong identifying aspect for people on campus, and I think Lawrence developed that culture on purpose. [About 9% of men join fraternities and 13% of women join sororities.
As a Muslim, how accepted have you felt on campus and in the Appleton community?
On campus, I feel very accepted as a Muslim student. I feel that I’m not ostracized for it at all. In the Appleton community, I don’t know if I feel accepted or not. I feel like I don’t interact with the Appleton community that much.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
There is a person in the office who I interact with a lot and she’s super, super helpful. That’s been a really positive experience. She’s been helpful with my resume and finding out what to reflect on my resume. I think the career center is becoming better and better.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’ve become pretty acquainted with Excel. I’ve also learned R Studio in Biology Statistics.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
The financial aid office is super helpful. They’re not there to get me out of the office. I’ve had a lot of time where I go in panicking about an email I got and they’ll sit me down, walk me through the problem, and make me feel comfortable and confident with the information that I got. They make sure that I understand all the complicated numbers and where they come from.