Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Graduation Year: 2021
High School Experience: Private school in Massachusetts with 24 people in the graduating class. There was a prominent culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Majors: Psychology and Neuroscience double major
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: FADS (Fashion Association of Design Students).

How has FADS impacted your experience so far?
I get to meet new people while seeing how fashion media is changing and correlated with social media.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your majors?
I have a lab every week in my Biology classes, along with four exams. For Psychology classes, we have more writing intensive work.

Is there anything you feel that Syracuse has done especially well or poorly?
The advising is annoying. They switched our advisors at the beginning of the year, so it’s a little difficult getting to meet with them. You have to schedule a meeting two weeks in advance, but if something comes up you can’t just switch it to the day after.

How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It depends on what environment you are in. In Biology classes, it’s a little more competitive. In Psychology, it seems like people are just taking the class to get the credit. The competition is not against each other, but it helps people realize their potential.

How accessible have your professors been?
Most of them are pretty accessible and easy to communicate with.

Why did you pick your majors? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m happy with my choice because I’m very interested in how our brains function. I’ve always been interested in how people work and talk, so [my combination of majors] might allow me to help people in the future.

On and Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Haven Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Haven Hall in a quad with three roommates

Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It depends what time it is. There are definitely places I’m afraid to walk in, but this is only at night. Syracuse is not the safest city. [The violent crime rate is 84% higher than the national average and the property crime rate is 43% higher than the national average.]

What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
The Ithaca Quarry when it is warm. When it’s cold I like to go to Destiny mall. [Syracuse University to the mall is a 5-minute drive.]

Pros and Cons of being located in Syracuse, NY?
Pros:
1) It’s pretty diverse, but there is work to be done. [The population of Syracuse is about 51% White, 28% Black, and 9% Hispanic.]
2) It’s aesthetically pleasing.

Cons:
1) The snow.
2) It’s not the safest.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in at Syracuse?
I like to go out to frat parties or off-campus houses. I’ll go out Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Going from a class of 24 in high school to a large university rocked my world and allowed me to meet a ton of new people. [Syracuse has 15,252 undergraduate students.]

How has identifying as LGBT influenced your nightlife experience?
It hasn’t affected me at all. It’s not super prominent because I’m in a relationship with a guy, but I think it could be different for others who identify as LGBT.

How happy are you with the nightlife at Syracuse? Is there anything you would change if you could?
It’s pretty great but some houses are just places known for having aggressive guys.

What have been your favorite times at college
Juice Jam was very fun. We went out with my roommates. Other than that, going out to the Quarry and jumping into a waterfall is super fun.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
Most of us lived in Haven Hall on the same floor. This formed an instant community.

How would you describe the overall social scene at Syracuse?
Most people are pretty outgoing and easy to get along with. It’s pretty diverse.

To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
There is a large community but it’s still pretty separate. The parties on South Campus are different from those in the main campus where the fraternity parties are held.

How has the size of Syracuse influenced your social experience?
It was amazing. With having more people around, everything is magnified with tons of people to meet. You have a lot more to do, and I enjoy being busy.

How would you describe the student body?
Most people are respectful and people don’t seem to be blatantly rude for no reason.

Advice for Prospective Freshmen

What is something you wish you knew about Syracuse before you entered as a freshman?
The food is not the best.

What is something a prospective LGBT student should know that hasn’t been touched on?
This doesn’t apply to me because I have a boyfriend, but I have a friend who doesn’t feel like there are enough people to date or be with here.

What is something a prospective student may miss on a visit that’s worth checking out?
Marshall Street.

Reasons to attend Syracuse:
1) The parties are a reason to come here.
2) The people I met I know I’ll have as friends for the rest of my life.
3) The curriculum is challenging and the teachers are able to teach the students well.

Reasons to not attend Syracuse:
1) The workload is a lot.
2) It’s cold.