Loyola University New Orleans

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Biology on a pre-health track
Minor: African-American Studies
Student Self Identifies as: Black Heterosexual Female

Summary

I’m a campus tour guide, I’m a student-athlete, and in Greek life.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public high school in Little Rock, AR with a graduating class of about 620 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Biology on a pre-health track
Minor: African-American Studies

Extracurricular Activities: I’m a campus tour guide, I’m a student-athlete, and in Greek life.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Depending on if you’re pre-health or just a Biology major, I have all of my core classes which involved biology, chemistry, and some physics courses. Loyola has a core program since we’re part of the Jesuit education system which revolves around courses you’re required to take. We typically have three exams each semester for Biology classes. I typically have two quizzes a week to study for too.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
With Loyola being such a small school, the Biology department is even smaller so the professors get to understand each student individually. When you take these courses at a biology major, the chances are you’re going to take the same professor more than once. Because we are able to [take multiple classes with a single professor], they get to know your learning style and what you struggle with. They help the students grow and feel more comfortable in the classroom. Being able to go to office hours and them being willing to help you is a big part of what makes the Biology department so successful. There are also opportunities for students to get involved in research with professors. I’m a teaching assistant, so I’m working with a professor in a class that I have already taken where I can help my peers learn. [In the Class of 2017, about 4% of graduates had a degree in the Biological/life sciences.]
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I feel like it’s more collaborative. Students are willing to help each other.
How accessible are your professors?
The professors are really accessible. Every professor has at least five or six hours a week set aside for office hours. If you’re not available during that time, they are usually open to making appointments. I’ve never had a professor that wasn’t willing to work or meet with me outside the classroom setting.
What has been your favorite part about Loyola so far academically?
If I’m ever struggling, I can always go to our peer tutoring center. It’s such a big part of the academic experience for students because it gives us the chance to go in and meet with the students that have already taken that class. Being able to go and talk to students that have already been through the class that know the type of questions the professor is going to ask helps me better prepare for exams.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always wanted to work in the healthcare field, particularly medicine. I’ve always had that at the top of my head and it did go into where I chose to go to school and whether I wanted the department to be large or small. I’m happy with my choice.

Reasons to Attend

1) The diversity. [The undergraduate population is about 43% White, 17% Hispanic, 16% Black, 3% international, and 3% Asian.]
2) The small learning community we have, and the sense of family on campus.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) We don’t have a football team.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Buddig Hall with one roommate and two suitemates
Sophomore: I was in Buddig Hall with one roommate
Junior: Off-campus house with two other people
How was transitioning from Little Rock to New Orleans, LA?
It’s really different. There aren’t a lot of students from Arkansas in New Orleans. I feel like it would be easier for me if I knew people from my home state because it’s difficult finding ways to get home. I don’t always want to drive home by myself and it’s really hard to find people to drive with me. The culture in New Orleans is really accepting. It’s a nice college town because the people are so welcoming.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve felt unsafe at Loyola. The police department is very accessible if you ever feel alone or need an escort around campus. Since we’re so close to Tulane, we do have a lot of interaction with their students and their police too.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There’s a festival every weekend in New Orleans. My friends and I like trying out new festivals. We go to the French Quarter Festival, a King Cake Festival, there are plenty of things to do around Halloween. Mardi Gras is such a big part of being in college in New Orleans. In terms of nightlife, I’d have to say there is a lot of different places students go to hang out. There are little bars and grills students have access to. Audubon Park and the zoo is a cool place for students to go and get away from campus. Downtown transportation is so easy. You can just ride the streetcar to the other side of town and it’s super cheap.
On-campus, the things we do are usually during the week. The SGA throws different events. Every third Friday we have a big event on campus where it’s a concert. Our school is a liberal arts school, so the music department has a lot of the students come and perform. It’s kind of like a music festival. Sometimes our third Friday events are held off-campus. We have a late-night skate night where the university busses students out to the skating rink. We have a really big crawfish boil in the spring called Crawfish in the Quad. Students come out and eat a bunch of crawfish and hang out. The Black Student Union throws a cookout every once in a while too.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty satisfied with the weekend options. I don’t really find myself bored on the weekend. There’s so much to do and the culture is crazy down here.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my closest friends at orientation. I was part of the themed living community for freshmen, where you live on one themed floor. The floor I live on was called LEAD, which promoted leadership throughout your freshman year and your college experience. All of my friends lived on the LEAD floor and we’ve lived together ever since. Living on campus helps you make friends.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Loyola?
It’s a big family. It’s such a small school that you can’t walk across campus and not see someone you know, but it’s not small enough where you don’t see a new face every day. Loyola is so diverse that the community is full of so many different people that you can learn from. Socially, everyone is very accepting. The campus listens to students, so if there’s a problem on campus that students feel need to be solved, it will be solved because faculty, staff, and other students are so willing to listen and learn. It’s a very progressive campus.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Yeah, it’s super common. There are so many clubs on campus so there are many opportunities to interact with different groups. The living environments on campus are very diverse as well because all of our dorms are co-ed on campus. The only thing not mixed is our freshman dorm because that has only freshmen. That gives students opportunities to intermingle. [The undergraduate population is about 43% White, 17% Hispanic, 16% Black, 3% international, and 3% Asian.]
How would you describe the African-American community on campus? How strong is it?
I believe that’s something that could be worked on campus. We recently got a larger and more diverse class. Participation in our Black Student Union is really light. Students are in it, but they don’t particularly participate – it’s kind of weird. Our community is so small that we all know each other, but it can be worked on in the sense of unification. Recently the BSU president decided to create MLC, which is the Multicultural Leadership Council. All of our minority clubs on campus came together to form a council where they help each other out with different things. That’s been a big part of working on those problems we may have with getting our African-American students involved.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
Greek life is a very small part of our campus. At Loyola, we don’t have Greek houses so I don’t feel like that’s a big divide on campus. All of our Greek events are open to the Loyola community so there aren’t a lot of events where non-Greeks can’t come and hang out. [About 15% of undergraduates are involved in Greek life.]
How do you like the size of Loyola in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 2,900] students?
I’ve always wanted to go to a small institution. With Loyola having about 3,000 students, it definitely helped me with the small close-knit community I wanted on campus. Academically, it’s helped me. I feel more connected with my professors and my peers.
How strong is the Jesuit presence on campus and how has it impacted your experience?
A student doesn’t feel like they have to be Catholic on campus. I’m actually not Catholic. I’m Christian, but not of the Catholic faith so it has been a different experience for me. A lot of students that come to Loyola either come from private Jesuit high schools or they are of the Catholic faith. People who are not part of the Catholic church don’t feel neglected on campus. The Jesuit values are more general and can be applied to everyone’s life. That’s like finding the good in all things or working to be a well-rounded student and a more spiritual student. We have an office called the Mission Ministry and it pretty much helps students of all backgrounds and all faiths. You definitely don’t have to be Catholic to come to our school.
How often do you interact with Tulane students?
It’s on a daily basis. They’re always on our campus and use our dining options. We go over their commons area to eat a lot. I don’t take classes over there, but I know a lot of my peers do. If something isn’t offered at Loyola, you can look at Tulane, Xavier, [Notre Dame, and Dillard]. It’s a consortium and if you take classes there it goes toward your Loyola GPA.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
That’s one thing Loyola needs to work on. I haven’t talked to alumni or seen them on campus. I don’t feel like their presence is there. [The business students] do interact with Loyola alumni in the New Orleans area who are successful because they have the Business Career Portfolio Program. They help them develop their resume and help them find internships. Loyola is really big with Handshake and LinkedIn. They require students as a freshman to start developing their Handshake and LinkedIn profile.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
It’s really helpful. They help you with mock interviews and it was helpful to go there when I was applying to be an RA. I’m planning on using them again when it comes time to apply for medical school. They are available to help students with their medical school applications and interviews.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
With the research and lab reports, we have to do for the Biology department, we all have to download JPM [statistical] software.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I receive a lot of scholarships from Loyola. I interact with [the office] and it’s easy to get there and reserve an appointment. I haven’t had to do that much because my parents do a lot of the financials, but when I do have to request a refund, it’s easy.