Union College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Majors: Psychology & Sociology
Minor: Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Student Self Identifies as: African-American Straight Female

Summary

I’m part of the Black Student Union (BSU), the African Student Association, the Step team, and the Gospel Choir. I played [a varsity sport] my freshman and sophomore year, and I played Club Rugby until my junior year.

Background

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

High School Experience: Public high school in Boston, MA with a graduating class of about 300 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Majors: Psychology & Sociology
Minor: Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of the Black Student Union (BSU), the African Student Association, the Step team, and the Gospel Choir. I played [a varsity sport] my freshman and sophomore year, and I played Club Rugby until my junior year.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Both [of my sports] created a new group with friends from different cultures that I haven’t been exposed to before. It’s not something that all of my friends did, but it didn’t have a crazy big impact on my college experience. Being a part of the BSU had a big impact on me. It was a place where I was able to talk about my cultural experiences with a bunch of other people who had similar experiences. I’ve never been to a predominantly White institution, so coming in freshman year and hearing the experiences of upperclassmen and having their support meant a lot. [About 72% of students are White.]

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your majors?
My course load is very essay-based. I spend most of my time doing independent studies, so I did a lot of research for my classes. I probably had about 3 [exams] per term. The midterm, the final, and one other exam. There was homework for every class, and it was always reading.
Is there anything that you feel either of your majors’ departments do especially well or especially poorly?
For Psychology, they do a great job of having some great professors. It does lack a lot of diversity [among the professors] in the major ethnic groups, and there isn’t enough cultural competence coming from some of them. They are typically White men or women.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s very collaborative. There are a lot of assignments you have to work with other people on to get a better understanding of what you’re doing. I think a lot of professors push a bit of group work so students can rely on their peers.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
In the classes I’ve been in, they seem to be. I think students are pretty open to everything and anything which is part of the reason they chose to come to Union. It’s a liberal arts school, so you’re able to keep your mind opened about the different directions and the multiple schools of thought.
What is the impact of the Trimester system on your academic and social experience?
At first, I didn’t really like it because I felt like it was mission impossible trying to cram everything into ten weeks. Over time, I understood and adapted into the system and kind of like it where I didn’t feel like we were dragging on certain topics forever. We got to the point of what we needed to learn.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
Very. I think almost every professor I’ve had has always been there during office hours, and every time I’ve sent an email I’ve been able to schedule a one-on-one meeting with them pretty successfully.
Why did you choose your combination of majors? And are you happy with your choice?
I took my major based on the classes I took my freshman year. I took an economics class, a political science class, calculus, and psychology. My psychology professor really skewed me. He had a way with words in grasping my attention. It was something that wasn’t very easy for me, but it was something I enjoyed doing.
For Sociology, I took a class with a professor and ended up working with that professor for an independent study. She guided me on the classes I should take that would gear more toward my interest.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
It was a little difficult. My parents didn’t understand everything I had to do in college, so I spent a lot of time doing it by myself. The school has a great resource for students on scholarships, which is the AOP program and the Posse program. I was able to have conversations with guidance counselors on campus that were able to explain things to me about financial aid, and helped me find a balance in what I needed to get done while here on campus. They answered any questions I had.

Reasons to Attend

1) The study abroad program.
2) The Trimester program, especially because you get really long breaks.
3) The one-on-one with help with your professors.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) It doesn’t have every major, it’s a liberal arts school. If you want to get into a very specific major like Hospitality or Education, you won’t find that at Union.

Around Campus

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I’m a little all over the place. I like to party sometimes, on or off-campus. I do a lot of self-care on the weekends. Union always has a U-program event over the weekend. There’s never a boring moment on campus. Somebody is always having something on the weekends.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
I usually go to U-program events. I’m a big fan of movies, so I typically go to the movie they are hosting for the weekend. We’ll go to Rollarama, a roller-skating place off-campus. During the winter, they have ice skating you could do in the hockey rink.
Who hosts the nightlife you participate in?
Sometimes fraternities. They typically throw their parties at the Old Chapel. The BSU does throw parties probably once a term, and they’re typically at Bronner. Sometimes they’re at Symposium House, which are the themed parties.
How happy were you with the nightlife at Union? If you could change anything, what would you change?
I’m really happy with the nightlife and the things I do on the weekend. They’re a lot of fun.

Social Opportunities

Pro:
1) It’s actually a very nice area, especially downtown. You get a very old school vibe, so if you like that it’s a great place to be.
Con:
1) There’s a stereotype of how unsafe it is, so you are less inclined to want to go off of campus because you’re scared of what may happen to you because of what you’ve heard before.
2) All of the restaurants close pretty early.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them my first year in West. We kind of fell into each other. We had some classes with each other and started from there and have created a great friendship since.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Union?
It’s pretty puzzling. It’s open as long as you’re willing to go the extra step to say hi to somebody. People are genuinely willing to be your friend, as long as you come off as respectful and kind. You get a lot of support from the clubs you attend because people want to see you do just as well with whatever you’re doing on campus.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientation mix socially?
It really depends on the person. Some people stay isolated within their own group, and some people take the extra step to go outside of it. For those that do it’s very prevalent. If you go to the off-campus housing or frat row, you’ll see a lot of mixing among different sexual orientations and races. I think it’s great. [About 72% of students are White.]
How would you describe the Black Community? How strong is it?
The Black community is really strong because they tend to go above and beyond to make sure that any person of color that comes to campus feels welcomed, and they know there is support. They try to bring them into things like the BSU or different organizations they’re a part of. It’s also a small group. There isn’t a super large amount on campus, but the ones who are here make their best effort to feel bigger on campus and in their community. [About 4% of the undergraduate population is Black or African American.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
There’s a lot of mixing between those in Greek life and those not in Greek life. I don’t think there is a problem for most people. There is a divide in a way because it seems like they have more responsibilities by taking on another club than most people.
How would you describe the student body?
Very hard working. A lot of the students I know work hard to get good grades in their classes. They put their best foot forward to make sure they’re present. They are at least trying to do well because Union is a hard school by only having [classes for] 10 weeks at a time. It’s very intense, and you can fall behind in a class in the blink of an eye.
How do you like the size of Union? How has the size of Union influenced your social experience? [There are about 2,200 students.]
I think the size is fine. It helps for students that need one-on-one attention with their professors. At first, I didn’t really understand why the school was so small because everybody said college classes were supposed to be super large and it’s supposed to take 15-minutes to get across campus. Having it as a small campus definitely helps to understand the relationship between the professor and the student, and the rest of your peers. [The average introductory class size is 21, and the average upper-level class size is 14.]
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice for Union by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Union?
Yes, there are definitely a lot of people that absolutely love Union and will be donating thousands of dollars because they’ve had such a phenomenal experience. Some other students may have felt otherwise, but they also understand how much they can take advantage of their experience here at Union. A lot of it is on the student.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I’m part of a Posse Scholarship, so we have a separate type of alumni network with somebody leading the program. I have met with a lot of alumni on Union’s campus, especially because they have an alumni networking day. In the evenings, a bunch of alumni will show up, show off the different jobs they have, and give people jobs and internships. I haven’t utilized it to the greatest extent, I will admit that.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I’ve used the career office for resume building and cover letters. That has been really useful for me in that regard.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
The office has been super helpful and easy to work with when it comes to answering questions and helping you figure out certain situations. I’m also on a full scholarship, so it’s a little different for me. They’ve emailed me back in less than ten minutes with any concerns I’ve had.