Male Finance Major C/O 2019

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Depending on the class you’ll have problem sets. If you’re in an Accounting or Economics class you’ll probably have problem sets. For the other classes, you might have homework but usually it’s heavily test-based, usually about 75% of your grade. For other classes, you’ll have clicker questions and for some classes, you won’t. Attendance is totally variable; some professors take it and some don’t and the entire grade is your three exams.

How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it was particularly competitive or collaborative?
It depends on the class. If you’re in a class with a bunch of your friends, then it’s relatively collaborative. If you’re in a class and don’t really know anyone, people aren’t going to be going out of their way to help you. The classes that are graded on a curve are a little bit more competitive because you have to fight against everyone else. In the more basic finance classes there’s not a curve and those classes have more people helping one another.

Female Neuroscience Major C/O 2017

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your Neuroscience Major?
It depends on the class. For the general requirements, in the beginning you have problem sets like high school. As you get more advanced you have to read scientific articles and dissect them. So, you have to write a summary that includes things like what innovation they made and how it contributed to neuroscience literature.

How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It was definitely collaborative. I think that’s something that’s rare too because it’s a lot of pre-med students. It’s a lot of group work and bouncing ideas off of each other. A lot of the more advanced classes are discussion based, which I like.

How accessible were your professors?
Very accessible. They had office hours and if you couldn’t make those they would schedule you in. We also had TA’s.

Female Hospitality Industry Management Major C/O 2017

Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The major doesn’t prepare you for the real-world work schedule because it’s a lot of weekends and a lot of nights, but I don’t think that’s something that’s possible to prepare you for in college. At Delaware they do a really good job of giving you real life examples, like cases and simulations, so you get as much experience as possible without working.

How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s a really small major, which is awesome because you got to know all the people in the major pretty well. We had a lot of group work with other people, and it’s nice because you know each other well and you don’t dread working with people you don’t know.

Male Finance Major C/O 2019

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
During the week there will usually be a party or you’ll go to the bar on Tuesday, Thursday, or both. Friday night there will usually be a night party and Saturday there are day parties.

What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
I would say it is the entire nightlife for underclassmen because they can’t get into the bars. As a girl, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a sorority if you want to go to parties. As a guy, it can be hard socially if you’re not in a fraternity. I joined my fraternity fall of freshman year, and if I didn’t join then I would 100% have trouble getting into parties. Now that I’m older and have more friends in other fraternities, I can also go to other fraternities’ events if I want to. [About 28% of the undergraduate population is involved in Greek life.]

How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m very happy with it. One thing I would change is they’ve really been ramping up the laws in Delaware so they’re very strict. It’s ramped up a lot ever since we were ranked the number one party school.

Female Hospitality Industry Management Major C/O 2017

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife did you participate in?
It changed freshman and sophomore year to junior and senior year. Freshman and sophomore year definitely Friday and Saturday and probably Thursday. Junior and senior year we’d go to more bars that have a lot of weekday specials. Tuesdays are big, Wednesdays possibly, then Thursday – Saturday.

How happy are you with the nightlife? Is there anything you would change if you could?
Things were so far away because Delaware’s campus is pretty big, so walking that distance is a pain. Overall, I was really happy. Things changed a lot from freshman and sophomore year to junior and senior year, and going to the bars was nicer. I liked that freshmen and sophomores couldn’t go to the bars because it was something you looked forward to. It’s kind of a rite of passage to go to the frat parties and then move on from that.

Male Computer Engineering Major C/O 2018

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Typically, I like to go out on Main Street with my friends, and maybe eat some food together. Sometimes I would go to play some sports at the Bob [Carpenter Center]. Typically, in the nighttime I’d go to the dance clubs, hang out with friends to eat, or go to the gym.

What have been your favorite times at Delaware?
One of them was the International Dance Festival and you’d have to learn how to do a different variety of dances from different club members. There was some tap dancing, some ballet, some Irish dancing, etc. It was really fun because you get to experience what it’s like to be one of those dancers and how to move your body differently. Another event I really enjoyed was going to was Second Chance Prom. It’s actually really fun. You get to dance with a lot of people, eat food, and there’s a contest for best dressed and best dancer. I just enjoy whenever UD has events. Bill Nye the Science Guy came which was so much fun. It was one of the happiest moments because I got to see one of my favorite celebrities from growing up.

Male Finance Major C/O 2019

How do you like the size of Delaware in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience?
I think it’s a great size. It’s about [19,000] students so it’s the point where you can have a good group of friends but can still meet someone new every weekend.

Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Delaware? Do you think people leave loving Delaware?
Yes, absolutely. We have alumni from the fraternity who are constantly coming back to visit. We even have guys who visit who graduated years ago, people always want to be back, which I think is a testament to how much people love the school.

Female International Relations and English Double Major C/O 2019

How would you describe the overall social scene?
I’d say it’s upper class and there is a certain type of people that is primarily white, primarily straight, super into partying, and people that have a lot of money. But I’ve never had issues with people being cruel or mean. Everyone’s pretty liberal, pretty nice, and pretty average just in general. [The median family income at University of Delaware is about $147,000.]

To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I feel like people really stick together, but it’s primarily a white, straight campus. I mean if you want a huge interracial crowd, it’s probably not going to happen much. There are different races’ fraternities and sororities, and Haven is pretty much the only LGBT thing going on. I feel like those clubs definitely do mix, but it’s hard to find those people unless you’re looking for them. [About 71% of students are White.]

Male Computer Engineering Major C/O 2018

How did being a first-generation student affect your time at Delaware?
I feel that there’s a different expectation for you when you’re a first-generation student. Your family wants to make sure you’re doing well and make sure you do well enough so that your offspring can receive some benefit that your other family members couldn’t.

To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
It really depends on the person. I have no problems with anyone. I’m friends with a lot of people that are LGBT or of different ethnicities. It’s easier for me to interact with other people because I speak about three languages and I understand other peoples’ cultures a bit better. I think people need to brush up on cultural differences and so they don’t overstep them on accident. [About 71% of undergraduate students are White.]

Female Neuroscience Major C/O 2017

What is something you wish you knew about Delaware before entering as a freshman?
It rains a lot and they don’t have good drainage systems so make sure you have rain boots. I didn’t realize that it rained so much in the spring.

What is something a prospective student may miss on a visit that’s worth checking out?
Definitely walk down Main Street and see everything that’s on it. And I don’t think they take you to north or south campus so check that out. It’s just football fields and dorms but it’s good to see.

Female Hospitality Industry Management Major C/O 2017

What is something you wish you knew before entering Delaware?
I didn’t rush until I was a sophomore, and freshman year I was overwhelmed by not knowing people, so I’d recommend rushing earlier on and doing as much as possible and getting out of your comfort zone to meet more people and make more friends. Getting that support system early on is really helpful and helps you not get homesick.

What is something a prospective student may miss on a visit that’s worth checking out?
Try one of the restaurants on Main Street because that’s where you’ll be eating for the next four years. Definitely check those out because they have a lot to offer.

Female International Relations and English Double Major C/O 2019

What is something a prospective student may have missed on a visit that is worth checking out?
I think there’s a lot of cool events that the university sets up. The student centers are really amazing, and in Perkins there is the Blue Hen Zone, for example, there is a whole underground video game-pool table place that you can go and hang out in. There are places to just sit down and get your work done and have fun that a lot of people don’t really check out much. For events on campus, I saw John Mulaney who is an amazing comedian.