Spelman College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Biology with a Neuroscience concentration on the Pre-Med Track
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: African-American Heterosexual Female

Summary

I’m in a Christian-based organization, as well as a medical society called MAPS.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: African-American
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public high school in West Palm Beach, Florida with a graduating class of about 300 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Biology with a Neuroscience concentration on the Pre-Med Track
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m in a Christian-based organization, as well as a medical society called MAPS.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Overall I think MAPS gave me insights to different opportunities I should look into. Some people might come in thinking they know their major until they see it’s something that might be too difficult, and then they change it. MAPS is something that shows this.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your Biology major?
There are lots of problem sets and labs. Three out of my five-day week I’m in a lab from 1-4.5 hours out of the day. I’m not this semester, but if I’m doing research I’ll also be doing labs outside my course load for 3-4 hours. Other than labs, the majority is problems sets and studying. The major graded assignments are exams.
Is there anything you feel the Biology department does especially well or poorly?
It does well with informing the Biology majors about ways they could prepare for the MCAT. They’re good in terms of preparing you for test-taking. However, they probably fail in terms of different opportunities or direct links to different internships. You have to be on the lookout because it’s competitive.
As a Biology major, we have different opportunities than other majors. Every one of us is put into a school-wide email, so we get emails for people doing international studies although we’re not. It’s good and bad because if you changed your major, you’d know of different opportunities in different majors. They’re more prone to opportunities than we are as Biology majors. We have to do our own searching.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It depends on the class. I think it can be both. Biology is very competitive, and a lot of the times we as students aren’t prone to helping each other because we’re trying to do so well. In other classes, that openness is there.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re usually always there. As of now, I think this is the first semester where I had a professor that was only here two days out of the week. He’s an adjunct professor, so he teaches at another institution. However, the other professors have pretty flexible hours, especially if you email them.
What has been your favorite class you’ve taken for your major?
Anatomy and Physiology. It was really hands-on with dissections.
How has going to an HBCU impacted your academic experience?
Because my high school was predominantly White, I felt as though I had to raise my bar. Coming to an HBCU, I thought I would be able to have a slower pace. However, this was so wrong. Being at an HBCU, you’re not only just competing with other students, but you’re competing with other students who are like you. You have to be distinctive and do your best to set yourself apart from everyone else. It’s fun, but it’s hard.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always had an interest in the brain and how it functions. Even though my major is really hard, it’s something I love to do. If you’re trying to go into a major based on what it could do for you in the long run, or if you’re not passionate about the subject, it may not work out because it’s going to be really hard and you’ll be frustrated by the end.

Reasons to Attend

1) You’re going to graduate with the Spelman name.
2) You’ll build lifelong connections to different women and alumni.
3) They’re going to push you in whatever you do.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If your major isn’t here, don’t come.
2) If you don’t like being around girls too much don’t come because it’s all girls.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: Off-campus house with one roommate.
Junior: Off-campus house with one roommate.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
On campus, it’s extremely safe. I’ve never had that fear of anything happening on campus. We have 24-hour security. I’ll also go to other schools, and past midnight there are no boys allowed on our campus at all. If they are that’s a major issue. They take it seriously, which is something I love. In terms of being off-campus, it depends where you live. Spelman is in the Western area. It’s different, and it’s a rough neighborhood. Outside of your gates, it just depends where you are. You have to be a little more alert, especially if you’re downtown because it’s all hustle and bustle.
How was transitioning from West Palm Beach to Atlanta, GA?
Cold. I was so used to seeing White faces in Florida, but coming to Atlanta and seeing the majority of people around are African-American was really cool and interesting. It’s a whole different vibe. There are younger people here that are entrepreneurs and in school. That’s a motivating factor while being in Atlanta, where Florida has an older generation. [About 52% of Atlanta’s population is African-American.]

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in?
I do a lot of museums. Atlanta has a lot of civil rights museums, the Coca-Cola factory, and the Georgia Aquarium. Usually I’m in areas like the Little Five Points. I like to take a lot of pictures on the weekend and see the different food places they have. I’ll go to parties on campus, but not a lot of clubs or bars.
Who hosts the nightlife you participate in?
Usually Greek life, or kickbacks at friends’ homes off-campus. 9 times out of 10, fraternities and sororities rent out venues near campus.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
Friday and Saturday night. Sunday we’re back to the books. It’s impossible to go out during the week, especially for my major. I know a lot of people who are Theatre, International Studies, or English majors, and a lot of times they’re able to do more stuff throughout the week compared to a Biology major.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
Not that much. They usually announce when they host particular events, but a party doesn’t necessarily have to be hosted by them. They don’t run the whole HBCU experience.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m happy, there’s always something to do.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
We were all in the same dorm as freshman. Freshman year you’re placed with a Morehouse Brother, and they’re supposed to be your guiding advice. It’s a male figure who’s also a freshman, but you can make friends with anyone you want, they are just the first people you’re introduced to.
How has going to an all-female school impacted your social experience?
It shows me what we are capable of doing as women. Because we’re the #1 HBCU in the nation, it’s interesting to know that it’s an all-girls school. It shows how smart women are.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Spelman?
Students that are young and educated. The vibe is very prestigious, and there are lots of smart people on our campus. Even if you were to tour the school, you’d get the vibe that you have to work hard to be here.
How has going to an HBCU impacted your social experience?
During my first two years of being at Spelman, going home was really weird. It’s crazy because being in Florida I didn’t get that Black surrounding. Coming here I was able to get that cultural development that is necessary. Going back home opens your eyes to the fact that there’s not a lot of Black people in this area.
To what extent do people of different sexual orientations mix socially?
Spelman College is very open to allowing people to identify however they identify, but every single person on and off-campus aren’t in agreeance, so they find ways to cause trouble. They preach sexual equality at our school. They’re good with letting things be known, so if there’s a problem the whole school will know, and the president will make a statement on it. If there’s an issue, it’ll get figured out.
How do you like the size of Spelman in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [There are about 2,100 students.]
I love it. I’m glad I didn’t go to a super big college because I don’t feel like I’d get the proper attention that I do now. Because our environment is so small, we’re able to do hands-on learning so we can actually learn the material, where if I went to a larger school it would be a lot of memorization and forgetting. Being at this school really helps you understand what you’re doing.
Do people generally seem happy with their choice of Spelman by senior year? Do people leave loving Spelman?
Most definitely. I know a lot of people are tired, but you have people who graduated saying their daughters will be at this school. You bond with people in your dorms freshman year. There are lots of interactions and bonding activities freshman year such as strolling that make you love your institution. Each freshman dorm has its own stroll group. It’s almost like a fraternity or a sorority, but it’s strictly dorms. You get to bond with the people you stroll with, and you get to communicate with others at Morehouse or Spelman.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I’m in a program called Sister 2 Sister where you’re paired with someone compatible to you. They’ll help you find different internships and get in touch with people you need to get in touch with. It’s a pretty good program that not a lot of people know about. It’s a matter of actually reading your emails and seeing it.
Have you learned any computer programs that will be helpful to you professionally?
Before taking any classes as a freshman, you have to take a computer literacy course where they determine if you know Excel and the different Microsoft programs like PowerPoint. If you don’t test out of it, you have to take a course. I was able to test out of it, but I still took Computer Science, which was really fun. They teach you minor coding. I also took an art class that covered Photoshop and InDesign.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I had a situation where I needed funds, and I went to the financial aid office and was tossed around to three different people. At the end of the day when they heard my story, they were very accommodating and sincere to my situation. I think it’s a matter of how you approach them. They’ll definitely help you. They want all their students to be able to come to this school and graduate. It’s very expensive. However, they’ll try their best to help you. [The total cost of attending Spelman is about $44,000 per year.]