Student Profile
Laura
- Class: Freshman
- Major: Psychology
- Gender: F
- High School: Boylan Catholic Central High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
It is hard to choose one thing about DePaul that stands out as the best. For me, DePaul's whole atmosphere is its best asset. I love the friendly students, small classes and attentive professors. If there were one thing I would change about DePaul, it would be making the winter break shorter so that our last quarter would end in May like most other colleges. DePaul is the perfect size for me, not too big, not too small. I always see familiar faces and I am always meeting new people as well. When I tell people that I go to DePaul, the most common reaction I receive is "Oh, so you must be really smart." I spend most of my time on campus hanging out in the SAC Pit or at the gym. I love the Bean Cafe! I have no regrets about not attending a college in a "college town." Chicago has so much more to offer than many other cities in the United States and never becomes boring. I would say that most people have a definite school pride. Though not everyone goes to all the sporting events and wears only DePaul colors, many students are proud of their school. The most unusual thing about DePaul for me, comes about because it defies stereotypes. DePaul is so welcoming and accepting of all religions, races, and views. Though DePaul is a Catholic school, it isolates no one, choosing instead to embrace its students' very diverse backgrounds to allow students to learn from those who are different.
Academic Life
Most of my professors know my name as well as the names of all of my classmates. There are a select few professors who choose not to learn names, but they are rare. My favorite classes were my two introductory level English classes freshman year. My professor was so passionate about English and knowledgeable about English and knew so much about the world around us that she could respond to just about any topic brought up in class. My least favorite class was my Focal Point class, which required us to write a journal rather than any formal papers or other writing assignments and failed to test us on the 1100 pages of material we read throughout the quarter. I would say that most students do not study excessively and they do well in class. Most people are able to easily find a balance between academics and having a social life. Class participation is not only common, it is essential to most classes at DePaul. Students are encouraged to contribute their opinions to discussions and work together to learn new material. Participation is often included in each student's final grade. DePaul students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. This was one of the things that drew me to DePaul: the people I met at both tours and orientation. DePaul students are intelligent and unafraid to tackle world issues in everyday conversations. DePaul students are competitive, but not to the extent that fosters hostility. I would say that a majority of the students I know are focused on their academics and want to succeed in their given major as well as in all of their classes. I actually do spend time with professors outside of class. All of my professors have office hours and I have learned that utilizing this very valuable resource enables me to connect with my professors on a different level. It is also great to have someone there to answer questions or attend to problems you may encounter in learning new material. I really like DePaul's academic requirements. Within my specific major of Psychology, I am able to double major in English because the program provides enough electives to do so. I also enjoy the domain classes which students are required to take depending on their majors. I feel that the domain classes allow me to learn about so many different things outside of my major that will contribute to my growth not only as an educated individual, but also as a person. I believe that the education at DePaul is geared both towards getting a job and learning for its own sake. For the most part, the professors and the students at DePaul enjoy learning and gaining knowledge in many different fields. They also focus on long term goals such as graduate school and careers. There is a very realistic balance and an understanding that everything we learn will help us in the future in whatever adventures we embark upon.
Student Body
DePaul is such a diverse community in regards to races, religions, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. I have felt such a positive, genuine welcoming attitude from people of every background at DePaul. I have a hard time believing that any particular type of student would feel out of place at DePaul because the community is so diverse and so welcoming. Most students dress casually for class, choosing comfortable jeans and T-shirts or pajamas over high-end fashion items. Differnt types of students interact every day in every class and all over campus. Most DePaul students are from the suburbs of Chicago, but there are many from all over the United States and the world as well. DePaul students are very politically aware and active. I would say that a majority of students at DePaul who are politically active are more Democratic than Republican. The large number of political and activist clubs at DePaul surprised me at first, but I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about different issues and to act in support of or defiance of various political issues. I haven't heard many students talking about how much they will earn one day. I think money does lie at the back of everyone's mind, but for the most part, I would say that DePaul students are in their major fields and have chosen career paths based on passion and motivation rather than on money.
