Towson University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Marketing
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: African-American Heterosexual Male

Summary

I’m a student-athlete at Towson.

Background

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

High School Experience: Catholic private school in Long Island, NY with a graduating class of about 600 students. There was not a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Marketing
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m a student-athlete at Towson.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
It played a major role. Being an athlete has helped me with time management. I’m more able to balance academics. Socially, I’m already coming into a family of its own that knows other people. Being part of the team puts me around certain people which makes me part of the environment.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
There aren’t too many exams, but there are mini-quizzes. I’m not writing a lot of papers. I have online homework assignments, but those are fairly easy.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I feel they do a good job selecting classes. I don’t feel too clustered and I’m in a good learning environment. I’m never in a class that’s too small or too big. I haven’t noticed anything that needs to be improved yet.
What is your favorite part about being in the business school at Towson?
The whole environment where everybody wants to change the world. The whole environment is intellectual from when you first walk in. Like, there’s a digital [stock ticker board] on the wall. The professors are also really laid back and nice.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I wouldn’t say it’s crazy competitive. The work environment isn’t hard. If you stick to your classes, you’ll do fairly well. Everything is laid out for you, it’s just a matter of if you’ll do the work or not. We’re very big on working together. There’s not a lot of trying to get a better grade, it’s more so about helping each other.
How accessible are your professors?
Most professors are available to talk after class, or you can schedule an appointment. They’re usually very quick with scheduling their appointments. I wouldn’t say it’s hard to get in contact with them if you need to.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I came into Towson as a Communications major, but I feel that being a Business major opens up more doors. With Towson being a major city near Baltimore and D.C., there’s a good business community.
How was managing both your sport and coursework?
It’s very difficult, but it’s doable. It’s about how you spend your day and how you prioritize. It’s nowhere near impossible, you just have to know when to say no.

Reasons to Attend

1) The location. We’re not too far or too close to anything major.
2) The diversity. If I look around I’m not just seeing one ethnicity. [The undergraduate population is 50% White, 7% Asian, 24% Black, and 9% Hispanic.]
3) The teachers aren’t too strict. They don’t too much from you and you won’t be highly pressured.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The campus is under a lot of construction.
2) The parking is horrible.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Tower with one roommate
Sophomore: Off-campus in an apartment with two other people
How was transitioning from your hometown to Towson, MD?
The location was different. I lived right outside the city in New York so I’m getting the best of both worlds. Location-wise it’s different because the pace of New York is a lot faster than Maryland. But, I don’t dislike it in any way.
Can you describe the level of safety you have experienced on and around campus?
The safety is pretty good. We get emails about a robbery here or an assault there, but that’s from the nearby neighborhoods. You can walk safely on campus at any time of the night. If you’re anywhere in Towson past 2:30 AM, the university has SafeRide where you can call the number and they’ll take you anywhere you need to go on campus.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Thursday is a big night for everybody. We usually go to the bars down the road. We call it uptown, and there are a bunch of bars and clubs students go to. Before we go there, we go to someone’s house. Friday everyone just hangs back, and then on Saturdays, we go to uptown again. If we don’t go to uptown we can go to Federal Hill [in Baltimore]. We also have venue parties for the Black community. We’ll rent out space and throw an organized party. There’s a flyer and an address that goes around, then you pay a fee at the door. It’s pretty classy and it’s open to any college student in the Baltimore area.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There’s a lot to do. There are fashion shows, there are different performances. This past spring, we have Playboi Carti come. There are always things to do on campus with different shows, performances, and theatre.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
Greek life isn’t really big at Towson. Being in a fraternity or sorority isn’t as big as it’s portrayed in the media. If you want to meet people that would be a great thing to do.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Towson? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I wish there were more clubs available for students under 21. There are things to do, but you have to be 21 to go to the uptown bars.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my friends through my sport, but joining clubs are a great way to meet people.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Towson?
It’s amazing because the culture and energy is really good. Everyone is always in a good mood and it’s not hard to make friends at all. Overall, it’s probably a 7 out of 10. The bars uptown are great, but it’s not suitable for everybody. The venue parties are kind of far and no one really wants to Uber that far away.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I see that everywhere I go. That’s one thing about Towson, you’re still going to have cliques and groups, but I always see people walking with people of different ethnicities next to them. [The undergraduate population is 50% White, 7% Asian, 24% Black, and 9% Hispanic.]
How do you like the size of Towson in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 20,000 undergraduates.]
I love the size. I came from a big high school so I couldn’t have gone to a college any smaller. Towson is a great size, it’s not too big or too small. All the classes were in the same area. I’m glad I can walk on campus and not see the same faces everywhere I go.
How strong is the Black community on campus? How strong is it?
The Black community is very strong on campus. We have the Caribbean Student Association (CSA) and the Black Student Union (BSU). They’re really good at planning events on campus for students like fashion shows. If you live within the Black community, it won’t feel like you go to a predominantly White institution.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, it has helped me. I worked at a real estate investment company that a former [teammate] had worked at.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I learned a little Excel in my math courses.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
The office is actually amazing. When it comes to rebate checks, they’re usually on time. When I have any questions, I’ll call the office and they can answer the question. When you go you can talk to them and there isn’t really a long line.