Tulane University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Communications
Minors: Psychology and Business Management
Student Self Identifies as: White Straight Female
Summary
I’m in a sorority and am part of The Crescent online magazine.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Private international school in Zurich, Switzerland with about 120 students per grade.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Communications
Minors: Psychology and Business Management
Extracurricular Activities: I’m in a sorority and am part of The Crescent online magazine.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
I think my sorority was really great as a freshman and sophomore as a way to meet more people and experience Tulane more. The Crescent was really good as a leadership role.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
There is a lot of critical reading and a lot of essays. It’d be around five hours of reading per week per class. Business classes had fewer essays and more group work.
Is there anything you feel the Communications department does especially well or poorly?
The Communications department is slightly understaffed, but I’ve had really great teachers that have influenced what I’m doing after college. But, because it’s understaffed, that means you may have a teacher that might not be as passionate about a topic or might teach poorly.
How would you describe the learning environment? Is it collaborative or competitive?
I think for the Communications department it’s not as competitive. There’s lots of open discussions and the classes are participation-based.
What has been your favorite class in your major?
Impersonal Communications. It talked about hook up culture at college, which was interesting because I took it freshman year. There were some really interesting discussions in class.
What has been your least favorite class in your major or minors?
Univariate, which is basically statistics for psychology.
What is a fun class you’ve taken outside of your major?
Expository Writing, it’s a journalism class.
What made you choose your major?
I was actually in the business school coming into Tulane and there were a lot of classes that I didn’t think were that interesting, to be honest. I really liked the Intro to Communications class I took.
Reasons to Attend
1) People are very engaged in the community. [Tulane has a Public Service graduation requirement.]
2) Maybe I’m biased, but people are very open and honest at Tulane and I think it’s a very caring community
3) You can change your major so many times and you can switch very easily between schools. You can experiment with what you want to study.
Reasons Not to Attend
I have none.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Monroe with one roommate who I ended up living with for four years. I met her at orientation
Sophomore: Irby with 7 other roommates in 4 bedrooms with 1 giant bathroom.
Junior & Senior: House off campus with 9 other girls and we have our own bedrooms
Can you describe the level of safety you have experienced on and around campus?
On campus is really safe. There has never been a point where I felt unsafe. Off-campus, there was a time where there were a lot of crime reports and I think a lot of people were kind of freaked out. You should probably be walking with someone at night.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
I’d say Peche.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
Audubon Park
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like the Boot and I like venturing into New Orleans. Now, I usually go out Wednesdays, Saturdays, and sometimes Fridays. When I was a freshman and sophomore, I’d go out a little more.
Can you describe a typical night freshman year?
I would say a big party in somebody’s room and then we’d all go to the Boot because it’s 18+.
What’s an alternative to a party or a bar that you like?
There’s a lot you can do in New Orleans, but I like to go to a brewery or go to an art gallery or do something outdoorsy on the weekends like tubing.
How was it transitioning from a place where you can drink at 18 to a place where you can drink at 21?
I do feel like freshman year there was a stretch where a lot of people didn’t know how to drink and were just binge drinking. That was weird for me because a lot of people [in Zurich] drink when they’re 16 to 18 and they don’t have that instinct [to binge drink]. I think when you’re younger and it’s not prohibited you can learn at your own pace and just chill out. Versus now people [binge drink] because it’s harder to get drinks when you go out because you’re not 21.
How happy are you with the nightlife at Tulane? Is there anything you would change?
I don’t think I would change anything. I think it helps if you’re more extroverted and meet as many people as you can because someone you meet out could be someone you end up hanging out with a lot.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my best friend at orientation. My other really close friend was on the same floor as me my freshman year.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Tulane?
I think as a freshman and sophomore you feel very pressured to go out, which is why if someone wants to come to Tulane I emphasize that they should be an extrovert because there’s a lot of pressure in that. I personally really like it, I think it’s a great way to meet people and experience NOLA in general.
What impact does Greek life have on the social scene?
I think it’s a really good opportunity to meet people, especially your freshman and sophomore year. As you get older, you figure out who you really want to hang out with, which might be in or out of your sorority. I don’t think it’s a must going into Tulane to be part of it. A lot of my friends are in my sorority but a lot of them are also not.
How was it blending in socially as an international student?
I was definitely nervous in the beginning because even when I lived in America I went to a French school. I just feel like you have to immerse yourself wherever you are and meet as many people as you can and go from there. It was a little weird the first two months and then after that, it was an easy transition.
To what extent do you feel international students mix with domestic students?
That’s a hard question for me because for me personally, it was a really easy transition. I think for some international students there are lots of opportunities for them to hang out with each other. I wish there was less of a divide because a lot of my friends aren’t international, so I don’t really know that many other international students.
How effective were the systems to help international students adapt?
Honestly, they’re not very publicized so I’m not completely sure. I remember sophomore year I went to an international party and I remember not realizing how many international students we had. I think an issue arises because a lot of students are exchange students, so they’re only here for a year. So, they mostly hang out with the people they move to NOLA with and don’t get to know as many Tulane students because we don’t have that many international students that stay here 4 years.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I actually found my internship and now job through a different outlet, but I did network a lot with alumni who gave me advice and more information about their job through LinkedIn.
Have you learned any computer programs that will be helpful professionally?
No.