Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey -- New Brunswick

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Psychology
Minor: Health & Society
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Straight Female

Summary

I’m in the university choir and I’m in a sorority.

Background

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

High School Experience: Public high school in Little Silver, NJ with a graduating class of 250 people. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Psychology
Minor: Health & Society

Extracurricular Activities: I’m in the university choir and I’m in a sorority.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Both of them definitely do. I’ve met all my friends in my sorority, and I’ve gotten guidance on what classes to take. For the choir, we’re always traveling so I’m getting to see and do different things.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
There are a lot of discussion posts online. There are readings every night, online quizzes, and four exams each semester for each class. The major graded assignments are papers and exams.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
What they do really well is communicating the expectations. The syllabi are always extremely clear.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s more collaborative than competitive. I feel like people are always working together and helping each other, as opposed to focusing solely on themselves. There are lots of study groups, group chats, and Facebook groups where information is shared among people opposed to people only worrying about themselves.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re really accessible. There are always office hours going on, and I’ve never had a problem reaching out to or getting in contact with a professor.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Yes. If someone speaks up with a contrasting opinion they don’t get shut down for it.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I knew I was interested in the brain and the way it works, but I didn’t really like the lab sciences like biology or neuroscience. I am happy with my choice.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
It was difficult because I didn’t have anyone to go to with my question off the bat because my parents never went through it. It was on me to figure it out. Once I got there, they have breakout sessions during orientation and all these different resources for first-generation students.

Reasons to Attend

1) There are so many opportunities at Rutgers. There are so many departments and so much is available to you.
2) The school is really diverse with people from all walks of life. You get exposure to a lot of different people and cultures. [About 9% of the student population is international students.]
3) It’s affordable for in-state students.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you want a smaller school with a smaller school feel. It’s definitely a big school.
2) The class sizes are very large. [In 2019-20, there were 358 classes, about 8% of all classes, that had 100+ students in it.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
I transferred in for the fall of 2018, and I’m a commuter student.
How has being a commuter student impacted your experience?
It was a really difficult adjustment because it’s hard having to plan everything I need to do. At first, if there were study groups at night I didn’t know if I should go home or stay. Once I got into a routine and knew how things worked, it was okay. I live about 20-minutes from the campus and park on campus using a pass.
How do you like going to college so close to your hometown?
I don’t mind it. I still get to be connected to my family and friends that are home, but I can make new connections at school. It’s a reasonable distance because it’s not right around the corner, but it’s not a 2-hour drive.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve always felt safe walking on campus, but I do get a lot of alerts of dangerous things happening. We had [an incident] where a coyote attacked people.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There are parties, and then my sorority always has programmed events going on like bringing in speakers.
What have been some of your favorite times at Rutgers?
We have homecoming bed races, which is always a lot of fun. We have a week of giving, and there’s a 5K race.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
Thursday and Friday.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
I know they exist, but I haven’t been to them. We have a programming association and they always have a movie night or something going on. There’s always an event or a speaker.
What is the impact of Greek life on the nightlife?
I think Greek life hosts most of the nightlife, but I don’t think it dominates it. It’s not exclusive. After joining I had many more things to do. There are optional community service things so they always have things going on that add to my experience. Some parties are strictly exclusive, and some are open.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with them. I think there’s a lot of options.

Campus Culture

How was it blending into the social environment as a transfer?
I think it was difficult because I was transferring but also commuting, which pushed me to join Greek life. Once I did that I felt much more included. Before, it was difficult.
How did you meet your closest friends?
My sorority. I rushed in the fall of my sophomore year.
How did being a first-generation college student affect your social transition?
If anything, it positively influenced it. I was able to connect with other people that were going through similar things. We’d connect with people who have similar feelings and questions about the experience. It made me feel less confused and alone.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Rutgers?
Very present. Things are always happening and people are always everywhere. Everyone is pretty welcoming.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
They mix really often.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
An average amount. It’s common to see friend groups of diverse backgrounds. [The undergraduate population is 26% Asian, 7% African American, 12% Latino, and 38% White.]
How would you describe the student body?
It’s diverse. There are people from all different backgrounds. Everyone is pretty open and nice.
How do you like the size of Rutgers in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 36,000] students?
Rutgers is massive. I know that it’s massive but I don’t feel overwhelmed with how big it is. Wherever you are it feels smaller than it really is, so it hasn’t negatively impacted me. When you find your friend group and are constantly around them it makes it feel smaller. I like knowing it’s so big because there are a lot of things happening and there are lots of people doing different things. Since there are the five college campuses, each time you’re on one it feels like that’s all there is. Each campus by itself isn’t really overwhelmingly large. Each campus is just as diverse in itself which helps your experience there feel smaller.
Do people generally seem happy with their college choice by senior year? Do people leave loving your school?
Yes.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes. The supervisor at my internship now is a Rutgers alum. We got in contact through the Psychology department at Rutgers.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I had to take a class where we worked with Excel.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I do use financial aid. It’s harder to get in contact with them since school so large. When you do get through to them, they’re pretty helpful and direct you where you need to go. My aid has increased each year with academic scholarships.