Want to know more about what it’s like to be a student at Baylor?

Check out this interview with Apollo Campus Ambassador, Alex Green, about Baylor’s campus, culture, and community!

1. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes?
   The student body is big enough that I meet new people every day, but small enough that I can recognize and find most of the people who I’ve interacted with (even if only once). Class sizes are typically under 30 students, which I personally like! Some classes are larger, but they are generally pre-req classes.
2. Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Are there buses or do you need a car/bike?
   Those who don’t have cars use the bus system on campus, and a lot of people who live on campus use bikes to get to class faster.
3. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants?
   Professors are typically available during office hours or by appointment. Academic advisors can be reached via walk-in appointments unless it’s during a period of mass advising. Teaching assistants should be reachable before 8:00PM via email.
4. How would you describe the dorm life – rooms, dining options, location, and social opportunities with other students?
   Some dorms have different areas that they emphasize – for example, the Brooks Residential College emphasizes “community” and hosts Sunday night dinners together, plans fun events, etc. Most dorms have some element of community, but perhaps not as engrained as others. They are all social hotspots and most of the bigger ones have a dining hall tangentially connected.
5. What are you studying and why? Does the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study?
   Business and science are the best-represented programs at Baylor – if you aren’t in business or science, it seems like a lot of people seem to get lost in the cracks. I study MIS and Finance mainly because I wanted to combine the skills of using technology with a body of knowledge in finance. My school does a good job supporting my area of study, since they are a part of the business school; business schools for most colleges typically attract a lot of outside job opportunities, and Baylor is no different!
6. How easy or difficult has it been for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life?
   First semester is typically the easiest time to meet other people if your major isn’t too demanding and/or you’re not 100% locked into a major. For me, I didn’t really make a lot of new friends until second semester freshman year. I did this by joining intramural teams and a business fraternity. (I had time to do these things because I was only taking 12 hours).I would say Greek life plays a huge role in social life, but you don’t necessarily need to be a part of a sorority or fraternity to meet new people. For some, being a gym-regular is good enough, or getting an on-campus job can be a great way to meet people. I would say there are plenty of opportunities at Baylor, and it’s really just a matter of time for most!
7. How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services? Do many reputable companies recruit on campus?
   The career center is pivotal in snagging most opportunities if you don’t already have a lot of connections. Because Baylor has one of the best undergraduate accounting programs in Texas, a lot of big four consulting firms come to recruit here. Though the career center didn’t exactly help me directly in getting my internship with PwC, they did provide me plenty of resources to make the process of securing my internship easier! For example, they provided me a room to do my virtual/physical interview!
8. Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments/activities make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between? To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus?
   Baylor is in Waco. If you’re not studying or working out, you’re most likely at a bar or attending some sort of mixer for Greek life. A lot of students venture downtown to explore, take pictures, and eat, but there isn’t really a lot to do.
9. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most.
   One of the classes that was really fulfilling in retrospect was Principles of Marketing with Lora Tu. We did a semester long group project that acted as a case competition with AT&T. This was honestly the first group project I’ve done where everyone did their part and things seemed seamless! We got first place!Another class that I feel like I’ll remember long after graduation is MIS 3305. We had this “Do Something Awesome” project, and I was able to learn some cool libraries on Python and demonstrate them to the class! I felt like the professor didn’t make grades an issue, which freed me up to learn a lot more than I otherwise would have!

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