Occidental College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Urban and Environmental Policy
Minor: Art
Student Self Identifies as: White Bisexual Female
Summary
I’m am a marketing intern for Campus Dining and I’m part of Beekeeping Club.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Private high school in San Francisco, CA with a graduating class of about 70 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Urban and Environmental Policy
Minor: Art
Extracurricular Activities: I’m am a marketing intern for Campus Dining and I’m part of Beekeeping Club.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
My work as an intern has had the most impact on my experience because it’s super time consuming but I have also learned a ton of skills. I’ve learned how to use Photoshop and Excel and have learned better time management skills.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
My major is in the social science realm of the school. Most of the classes are writing-based, so we have lots of reading and essay writing, but we also have to take a quantitative research class. For that class, I have problem sets and labs.
Is there anything that you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The department is headed by three women of color, which is really amazing. You obviously have to have an advisor in your department as a major, and I think they provide a really unique window into the field. Since Oxy is so small and the department is pretty intimate, you get to know the people in the department and the professors really well. Because of that, the professors do an amazing job with the internship search and give really helpful advice. Also, I didn’t want to take the statistical analysis requirement because I’m not a numbers person at all, but I think it’s a good experience. The major has a really good distribution of interdisciplinary classes because you learn both writing skills and research skills.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I would say it’s about 70% collaborative and 30% competitive. I definitely feel pushed here but I don’t think in an unhealthy way. It’s competitive enough for me to feel really engaged but not so competitive that I’m overly stressed and worried about what my other classmates are up to. I also think it’s rare for me to take a class where I feel the professor isn’t pushing me.
Do you think people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
No, I wouldn’t say so. It’s a very liberal school and we have very liberal professors as well, which is alright for most people because most people who go here are liberal. I think it would be very hard to be on the conservative end of the spectrum and be socially and politically accepted at this school.
How accessible are your professors?
Extremely accessible. Every single time I’ve wanted to meet or speak with a professor or just get to know them, I’ve been able to do that. They want to form relationships with their students as much as the students want to form relationships with them.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I picked my major because I came into school thinking I was going to major in Biology because I really liked science in high school. Oxy doesn’t have an Environmental Science program, so when I chose Oxy I left that idea behind. I knew I was more interested in social sciences when I came in and was interested in politics, but ended up picking Urban and Environmental Policy because it’s a perfect blend of social science and hard science that it felt like the right fit for me. I’m super happy with it.
Reasons to Attend
1) You get to form great relationships with your professors, which is one of the most valuable things to come out of college with.
2) You will make amazing friendships and know lots of people in your grade, which I think is a huge perk of a small school. You will never be sitting on campus and not see someone that you know in a given thirty minutes or hour. It creates a really welcoming atmosphere.
3) L.A. is really awesome. It’s warm, there is a lot to do, and it’s a great city for internships here.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The fact it’s a small school can be a con if that’s not what you’re looking for.
2) The nightlife is not going to be the stereotypical big school party life. If you’re okay with that, it can be a pro.
3) The classes are really rigorous. You’ll have lots of work but hopefully, it’ll be in something you’re interested in.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Chilcott Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: Themed House called Food Justice House which is off-campus but owned by the school. I live with six other people and share a room with two people, but we have tons of space.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel comfortable walking around by myself, even at the middle of the night, both on campus and in a two block radius of campus.
How was transitioning from San Francisco to the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA?
I found the transition fairly easy. I was ready to try living somewhere new so I was pretty optimistic about it. L.A. is great. There is a lot to do here. The one thing to be aware of is L.A. is not as pedestrian-friendly as San Francisco. You can still take public transportation and walk places, but it’s harder and takes more time. That’s an adjustment I had a hard time with.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
It kind of depends. In terms of nightlife, I don’t personally go out to bars that often, but there is a bar culture that students participate in on Thursdays. If I’m going out, I’m going to a house party or a concert. If I’m just hanging out with a few people I’m having people over to my house or having going to a friend’s dorm. There aren’t huge, stereotypical college parties here except for maybe twice a year.
Who hosts the house parties?
It depends. Most of the time, house parties are hosted by people I have mutual friends with. There are also clubs who host free events, like the radio station hosts some events that are really fun.
What are some of your favorite on campus events?
We have two big free concerts that are put on by the school called Fall Fest and Spring Fest and they bring some pretty big names. Those are fun.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There are a lot of alternatives and I think most people at Oxy aren’t really going to bars or parties. Hiking is a big thing here. There are free events at the Museum of Contemporary Art where you can see the art for free. Concerts are a big thing for people to do because lots of people come to L.A. to play.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Occidental? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
If you asked me a year ago, I would say it isn’t fun and there isn’t anything to do. But, I think I was a bit closed-minded last year about going to house parties and going out. This year, I don’t think there’s anything I would change. I didn’t want to go to a big party school anyways, which is why I came here. I much prefer house parties with a lot of people I know and a few people I can meet and talk to instead of a huge party. I’m really satisfied now and think I have a good time.
If at all, how has identifying as LGBT influenced your nightlife experience?
I don’t think this is necessarily because I’m bisexual, but about half of my friends aren’t straight which is really cool. I wasn’t out in high school and came out for the first time in college and it’s nice being in such an accepting environment. I don’t participate in many LGBT activities or clubs, but I think meeting other people who are out and are really comfortable with their identities makes me feel really good and has created a much healthier relationship between my identity and me.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I’d say mostly at social events. I didn’t meet my closest friends during orientation, I met them at someone’s little dorm get-together or one of the concerts the radio station was hosting on campus. The way it ended up working for me was I made two close friends and the rest of my friends I made through mutual connections. It’s nice that the campus is small and people know each other so you attract people who are similar to you.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
It’s really welcoming and really inclusive. Something that’s been cool for me is there’s actually a really big, very inclusive friend group of gay girls because that wasn’t a thing at my high school at all. People are really warm and really happy here. On average, I think we have really happy students so that affects the way people interact with each other.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Speaking from my perspective, most of my friends are White and I don’t my friend group is racially representative of the school. To me, it seems like a lot of the friend groups are racially homogenous, but I don’t feel that there is a sense hostility. One thing I’ve also noticed is there is the Multicultural Summer Institute (MSI), which is a summer program for students of color, so a lot of them had already met and become friends before arriving at school. Nothing against the program – it’s really amazing – but that could be part of what separates groups on campus.
How would you describe the student body?
It’s a liberal arts school, so people are going to be pretty wealthy. There are a couple of distinct groups. We do have Greek life here and we have some sports bros, which are super easy to avoid because I don’t fall in those groups – I know some people are annoyed by them. There is also a group of really artsy people. I personally am not going to any of the athlete or Greek life formals and am not involved in those groups.
How do you like the size of Occidental in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 2,050] students?
I love it. I wanted a small school and I think it’s really nice to be able to know seniors and juniors as a sophomore and have close intimate relationships with them. That’s one of my favorite parts of Occidental.
How would you describe the LGBTQ+ community on campus? How strong is it?
Well, I only know bisexual and lesbian identifying women and I don’t know that many gay or bisexual men. In terms of the women, I have found the community to be super welcoming. I found it to be really strong and pretty diverse. Also, if you want to get formally involved in the community there are a lot of opportunities.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
No, but that is probably because I haven’t really looked for internships yet. The Urban and Environmental Policy major has an internship built into their junior year, so that is when I would utilize that.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I haven’t used it yet.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages that will be helpful to you professionally?
The statistical analysis class I’m taking now teaches you how to use Excel and SPSS for data analysis.