Stevens Institute of Technology
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Chemical Engineering
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Straight Female
Summary
I’m in the Stevens Torch Alliance Club, and I go to meetings for an Asian cultural club.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Doing a 4 + 1 Master’s degree program
High School Experience: Public high school in East Hanover, New Jersey with 200 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Chemical Engineering
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’m a [student-athlete], I’m in a sorority, I’m in student government, I’m a tour guide, and I’m a teaching assistant.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
The biggest impact was from being a varsity athlete. It takes a lot of my time, but has helped me meet a lot of people, structure my time, and have a great network of people.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Your first year all engineering majors have pretty much the same classes which have a lot more homework and exams. The further you go into the curriculum, there tends to be less work quantity-wise, but the coursework is more difficult. There might be a problem set for each class with more homework. There are about three exams per class, and everyone takes design labs. The majority of the final grade is made up of exams and the final, but the problem sets do have a good amount of weight too.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
Because our major is a little smaller, people get really close to each other. After a certain point, we essentially all have the same classes. There are about 50 chemical engineering majors in my class so we’re all going to be taking the same coursework at the same time. It’s nice having a set group of people to go through it with. [In fall 2019, there were about 220 Chemical Engineering majors.]
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I’d say it’s more collaborative than competitive. The general trend is that we’re all struggling, but we’re struggling together. Everyone wants to help each other and encourage each other to be the best you can be. It’s not like someone is not going to help someone with an assignment because they want you to do poorly so they can do better. It is really collaborative, which is nice because you don’t have to worry about people stabbing you in the back or anything.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. A lot of them are on the older side, so they’re having a harder time with the shift to online classes, but if you email them to set up office hours they’re always willing to meet with you.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I liked chemistry, science, and math. It’s definitely different than I expected it to be, but not in a bad way. I think a lot of times people expect it to be more like chemistry than it is, but there’s a lot more process optimization. If you really like concepts of physics and chemistry but not the minutia of it, Chemical Engineering is definitely a cool major.
How has going to a school with a high male population impacted your academic experience?
I haven’t really experienced anything in terms of the students. The only thing you’d experience is how people are surprised when you say you go to this school as a Chemical Engineering major. Some of the older professors don’t mean anything by it, but sometimes the stuff they say is sketchy. It’s more of a joke than anything and I use it as a meme. [About 29% of students are female.]
How was managing both your sport and coursework?
I don’t find it to be an issue. I’ve been a varsity athlete for a while, so I’m used to time management. I have so many resources with my teammates, so it honestly helps me structure my time better. Sometimes if I don’t have something to do, I don’t know what to do with myself.
Reasons to Attend
1) The awesome location in Hoboken.
2) Really cool people.
3) There’s so much to do all of the time.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you want a bigger school with more space.
2) There are limited majors offered.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Humphreys Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Off-campus apartment with two roommates
How was transitioning from your hometown to Hoboken, New Jersey?
It was awesome. I didn’t expect to like a city environment because I like my space, but Stevens has enough green space where I don’t feel stifled. I also love food so much, so having restaurants so close is awesome. I love the walkability of Hoboken.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never felt unsafe around campus. We have police, and it’s pretty well lit. Even walking around campus in the middle of the night I’ve never felt unsafe. You go to corners of Hoboken and it starts getting a little sketchy, but if you ever feel unsafe you can call campus police and they’ll come to pick you up no questions asked.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I’m obsessed with food so I go out to eat with my friends. Most of the weekends I spend at [my sports events], so I don’t have that much time. There is always stuff going on and you can go out to parties or bars. Hoboken itself has a bunch of cool events going on all the time. There are different festivals and concerts. If you want, a lot of people go to the city during the weekends which is nice because it’s right there. We have fraternities so you can go there, but first semester freshmen can’t go. People will typically have apartment parties so you can go there. We have over 100 student organizations, so there are always lots of events going on.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
I joined a sorority my sophomore year because we weren’t allowed to my freshman year because of my sport. I experienced the non-sorority options in my first year, and then I experienced Greek life. As a girl, it doesn’t really matter and it’s not a big deal. As a guy, you’ll have more options if you join a fraternity but it doesn’t mean you’ll have no options if you don’t. A lot of people come from around the area, but by no means does it empty out. People don’t go home and it’s not a suitcase school. A lot of people stay for the weekends.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with it. I’m not [someone who always needs] to go out, so even if there are parties I’d rather hang out with friends. Especially after you’re 21, there’s so much to do in Hoboken.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
A lot of my teammates have become some of my closest friends. My best friend I met through pre-orientation on the first day. I’ve known her since we got here and we talk on the phone every day. When we were at school I’d randomly show up to her apartment. You can meet a bunch of people in random ways.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Stevens?
Most people at Stevens are pretty relaxed. Everyone is super friendly with each other, and I wouldn’t say it’s super cliquey or anything. Everyone is different enough so you don’t feel like you’re being inundated by the same people, but similar enough to where you all have something similar in common so you can be friends with literally anyone.
How has the 70:30 male to female ratio impacted your social experience?
It’s made it easier to do things socially as a girl. You don’t have to worry about getting in [to any party] because they are surprised to see girls. It’s also nice because the girls are closer to each other because there are fewer of us so we’re all in it together. [About 29% of undergraduates are women.]
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I’d say they mix a good amount. Stevens is predominately White and heterosexual, so there aren’t as many people of different ethnicities and races. Sometimes they do tend to stick together, but for the most part, I’d say everyone intermingles with each other. There aren’t separate sectors of people separated. [The undergraduate population is 61% White, 17% Asian, 2% Black, and 12% Hispanic.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
You can’t differentiate them. Everyone is friends with everyone.
How do you like the size of Stevens in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 3,700 students?]
I like it a lot. It’s big enough to where I don’t feel like I know everyone, but it’s small enough that I see a friendly face everywhere I go. The class sizes are really nice and I learn better when I can actually interact with my professors and talk to them.
How has the urban environment impacted your experience?
I really like it because everything is so accessible. I like how I’m forced to walk everywhere. I prefer that to getting in my car and driving. Sometimes we might want more green space, but we have a good amount of open space on campus which is nice. I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did. I like the size of the city of Hoboken. I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much if I were in New York City. It’s more of a residential city rather than a bustling city.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
A lot of times when employers come back to recruit they send Stevens alumni that come back all excited to talk to students. This helps with networking, and when you’re in an interview you don’t have to explain yourself as much. It’s nice to have that connection with a lot of people.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I did an externship through them where I went to a company and shadowed for a day. They helped me write my resume and prep for an interview. I got a few offers through them and the website Handshake. They have different seminars to help prepare you, and they are there whenever you need them for anything.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I knew what Excel was but I learned more about how to use it. I learned a little C++, MATLAB, LabVIEW, and SOLIDWORKS. Each of them I learned in different courses.