Southern Methodist University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Majors: Human Rights and Marketing double major
Minors: Advertising and Sociology with a nonprofit emphasis
Student Self Identifies as: South Asian Heterosexual Female

Summary

I worked as a resident assistant, I was on the Academic Honor Council, I worked for HerCampus.com, I was in the Baking Club, I was involved in the Multicultural Greek Council, I was in a multicultural sorority, and I was very involved with the Human Rights Program.

Background

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

High School Experience: Public high school in Carrollton, TX with a graduating class of about 800 people. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Majors: Human Rights and Marketing double major
Minors: Advertising and Sociology with a nonprofit emphasis

Extracurricular Activities: I worked as a resident assistant, I was on the Academic Honor Council, I worked for HerCampus.com, I was in the Baking Club, I was involved in the Multicultural Greek Council, I was in a multicultural sorority, and I was very involved with the Human Rights Program.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
Being in the Multicultural Greek Council, being an RA, and being part of the Human Rights Program played a really big role in my college experience. Being an R.A. helped me find my initial place on campus and made me feel more included because it was one of my first leadership roles at SMU. The Human Rights Program and the Multicultural Greek Council are where I found people who thought very similar to me and aligned with my interests.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your majors?
The Human Rights degree was a lot of essays and with Marketing it was a lot of exams and real-world applications whether it was in a practicum class or actually working with a company.
Is there anything you feel that your majors’ departments do especially well or poorly?
I think the Human Rights program was really holistic and gave me different viewpoints within human rights whether that was law or history. With my Marketing degree, I think they did a good job of covering all the bases. Within the business school, I learned a little bit of everything within business from finance and accounting to entrepreneurship and marketing. But, I don’t think it prepared me for jobs that are tangential to typical business jobs. Like, I didn’t want to work for a Big Four consulting company, I wanted to take a different path, so I don’t think it necessarily prepared me to do that.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
With Human Rights, I wouldn’t say it’s collaborative but they encouraged discussion. There were a lot of conversations happening so you go to hear different perspectives. With my Marketing degree, it was pretty collaborative. There were a lot of group projects, group presentations, and working with others. But, with the business school, it also depends on the class because some classes are graded on a curve so your grade depends on how the rest of the class did. So, that doesn’t particularly incentivize people to work together or study together because you’re essentially working against your peers. That happens in the larger classes, but when you get deeper in the Marketing major it isn’t like that. Also, generally in the business school, people are fighting for the same internships and jobs so it’s difficult to feel like your peers are rooting for your success. I had a solid group of people who I studied with who were my friends and also in the business school, but I didn’t venture beyond that group.
How accessible are your professors?
Super, super accessible. Way better than I had initially expected. The professors at SMU are always going above and beyond to make you feel welcome and give the resources that you need to succeed.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
In Human Rights, they definitely are. People are receptive to different viewpoints and are always looking to challenge their own to make sure that they are thinking in an open-minded way. In the business school, I don’t think people were open to multiple schools of thought. I think it was narrow-minded and monochromatic. People generally thought the same way in those classes.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I went to SMU because of the Human Rights program, so I definitely was very happy with that major and being part of that program. I knew I was going to do business at whichever school I went to and I was really pleasantly surprised with the SMU business program, particularly with the professors. The classes are competitive, which I like because I like a competitive atmosphere. But, I do wish that there was more diversity within the business school. I wish that there were more different types of people in terms of thought, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Were there any systems in place that helped you adjust?
I wouldn’t say there were any formal systems to help me as a first-generation student. It was difficult because I didn’t really know what college would be like. I didn’t know about Greek life or general networking skills, so that put me at a disadvantage. But, ultimately, I figured it out along the way.

Reasons to Attend

1) The opportunities that you can take advantage of. You also can take advantage of a lot of different opportunities here because it’s a smaller school.
2) The location in Dallas. It’s one of the major up and coming cities in the United States.
3) The professors. I think they’re truly exceptional. They’re well connected and will help you beyond what you’re supposed to do.
4) The alumni network is very strong.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The lack of diversity. [About 64% of students are White.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Kathy Crow Residential Commons with one roommate
Sophomore-Senior: I was a resident adviser in Kathy Crow Residential Commons
How was transitioning from your hometown in Carrollton to Uptown Dallas, TX?
Living in Dallas versus living in Carrollton is really different. The people are different and it’s not suburbia so it’s a little bit faster. There’s also more diversity in Dallas versus Carrollton. I definitely like living in Dallas and how fast-paced it is.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I think SMU is definitely a bubble. It’s so close to Highland Park that it does feel very safe. But, as soon as you step out of those boundaries, it feels significantly less safe. There has not been a point where I ever felt scared or nervous, but being a young woman in Dallas, you don’t want to be alone at night and things like that.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I’m not a huge partier, but there were definitely parties happening. I took advantage of being so close to museums and all the restaurants that are in Dallas. I took a lot of trips to Deep Ellum and the Bishop Arts District. There would be events every weekend on campus, so I would do those depending on what appealed to me. There is also a lot of crossover between the school and the neighborhoods so SMU would host events where they’d rent out a bus to go to a cultural center or a play and other things like that.
What have been some of your favorite events at SMU?
Every [residential] commons has a specific traditional event that they put on. Kathy Crow would put on Crowchella, which is a music festival, and other commons had their own traditions. Those were always fun to attend. There are also other SMU-specific events like the Celebration of Lights that happens every year during Christmas time and Parunapalooza, which is our mascot’s birthday. SMU does a good job of having a variety of events and that’s mostly due to the different clubs and organizations on campus.
What was the impact of your multicultural sorority on your weekend options?
It was a fairly small one. We did a lot of community service together on the weekends. We weren’t the ones hosting a lot of events and things like that. We just did community service together.
How happy are you with the weekend options at SMU? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I’m pretty happy with them. I did a variety of things. I wish I did some of the more outdoorsy stuff with Outdoor Adventures but it wasn’t well advertised when I was there.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
Most of my closest friends were either other resident assistants or part of the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC). It was difficult to find people who thought like me and looked like me at first, but once I did, we all ran in the same circles. So, a lot of people in the MGC were resident assistants and a lot of resident assistants were in the Human Rights program, so it was all a circle.
How would you describe the overall social scene at SMU?
It’s a very social school. It’s a big party school and Greek life is very encouraged, but more specifically Pan-Hellenic and Inter-Fraternity Council Greek life. The social scene is something that people come to SMU for, especially being in Dallas because we have access to the Dallas bar scene, but it wasn’t a compelling reason for me to come to SMU. Even though SMU is a party school and that’s what some people come here for, you can find other opportunities here like I have.
What is the impact of SMU’s Methodist affiliation on your experience?
I would say it’s pretty minimal to none. There’s a chaplain in every [residential] commons and a church on campus, but I never felt forced to go to a chapel service. We don’t talk about the Methodist part of the school. There are definitely a lot of religious organizations, but it’s never been a big factor in anyone’s student experience who didn’t want it to be.
How would you describe the student body at SMU?
That’s a tough question because I surround myself with a certain type of personality of the student. The general student body is more conservative and social. There are also people who aren’t like that who are the people I hang around.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
You don’t have a choice. There’s no way for you to completely isolate yourself from other races and sexual orientations. But, since it’s a predominantly White institution, I would say it’s much easier for White people to talk to just White people. [About 64% of students are White.]
How would you describe the South Asian community? How strong is it?
We have an Indian Student Association and Muslim Student Association that have strong presences, but I wouldn’t say they’re huge by any means. They’re growing and have signature events, which is nice. They throw a Fast-a-Thon, which is a popular event where they can talk about different issues happening in the community. There is also Islamic Awareness Week which is pretty big and focuses on dispelling a lot of myths and other things regarding Islam. The Indian Student Association throws a Bhangra Blitz where they invite other schools to come to compete in a traditional dance competition. But, it’s a pretty small population of people who fall into the South Asian population, but they are making their presence known. [About 7% of students are Asian.]
How do you like the size of SMU in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 6,700 undergraduates.]
I didn’t realize that I wanted to go to a mid-sized school until I got here. I would have been very content at a larger school, but being at a small school has really enhanced my experience because I was able to make close connections with professors and really establish myself with them and the alumni network. It was easier to be a big fish in a small pond, but I realized that once I got into college.
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of SMU by senior year? Do you think people leave loving SMU?
Yeah, I think so. I think it’s hard once you start because the transition from high school to college can be difficult. Especially if you’re coming from a diverse high school to SMU or just from a public school, it can be a difficult transition. But, I think by the end, most people are pleasantly surprised with SMU and end up loving it.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
It hasn’t helped me find internships or jobs specifically, but I would say that it’s been really helpful to talk to them and get plugged into the corporate sector.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I used the career office for finding internships. But, I also used them for resume advice and interview space because they have interview rooms. They are fairly helpful.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I learned Sequel and I used that in one of my internships which was helpful. I also very much increased my Excel proficiency.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
I do use financial aid. I had a bit of trouble with them and found it difficult to navigate because it has to do with money. But, the people there are friendly and accessible when you have issues.