Student Profile
Gab
- Class: Freshman
- Major:
- Gender: M
- High School: North Mecklenburg Senior High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Pomona has been an excellent academic adventure for me where I have been intellectually challenged but still able to have fun and to learn outside of class. The atmosphere is more laid back then other places I had visited and a healthy balance between work and play is easily maintained at this school. The size of Pomona is perfect for me because the class sizes are very small so you can get plenty of attention from professors and the chance to really get to know your classmates. The four other schools in the Claremont consortium provide additional people to meet which is great for people who might like bigger schools (total number of students at the 5 C's is about 5000). One great thing about Pomona is that the town is very student friendly. While there aren't too many things to do in this small town (although downtown Los Angeles is only about 45 min. away) if you need supplies, clothing, or just to get off campus it is only a 8-10 min. walk. I have had such a wonderful time at Pomona that I really look forward to the next three years I have here.
Academic Life
The professors are for the most part amazing. I have had one or two profs. that weren't so talented but sometimes that is because it is a visiting prof. or just bad luck. Regardless of those not-so-great profs. all of my teachers have known me by first name and very accessible outside of class (and I highly recommend meeting with them). My favorite prof. so far was my instructor in my freshman seminar class: Muslim Literary Landscape. She was able to promote incredible discussion among her students and when she did speak she provided amazing insight. I had to read a ton for that class but it was a pleasure because the books were great. While that was a pretty hard class I would say that I typically studied/worked for class about 18-25 hours a week even though sometimes it might be less or more than that. I feel that the learning I have done here has been born out of Pomona's support for students' love of learning rather than simply getting a job. Despite that getting an education here is certainly an investment that is worth the cost.
Student Body
I feel that there is a great deal of diversity at Pomona in terms of race, religion, sexual orientation, class, etc. A student who would feel out of place would be someone who is only comfortable being around people who look, talk, and think like them. The students here are from all over the country and the world. While most students proclaim to be on the left (and I think that is pretty true of the school overall) many people are a lot closer to the center and just left of it. The thing about Pomona is that there is no typical student other than saying that they are usually intelligent and passionate to learn and grow.
The Best Things
The people and by that I mean my peers, my sponser group leaders, my professors, the staff, the directors/actors/techies that I have worked with on productions, Angelinos that I have met in my journeys into and through the city of Angles, and many more people I am forgetting to mention.
The Worst Things
Meeting the rare stereotype of the arrogant Pomona student
