Thinking about attending Baylor in the fall or just curious about what this university is like? Check out this short interview where Owen gives the lowdown on what it’s like to be a Baylor Bear!
- What’s your favorite thing about your university? What makes your school unique?
To fairly express my feelings about Baylor University, I have to mention the unique culture among students, faculty, and administration. The faculty and administration at Baylor really want students to succeed, and it really seems like other students want their peers to succeed as well. For the typical Baylor student, concern for others is on the top of his or her priority list. That’s what I thought was so unique about Baylor’s culture. I believe that also has to do with the fact that Baylor attracts more Christian students, and Christians are commanded to love one another. - Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?
Baylor is located in Waco which is fairly smaller than the usual Texas college town. Nonetheless, the town is still a great time! There are lots of things that students can do in Waco and even more near Woodway and Hewitt, located about 5 miles south of the campus. For example, a popular place is a Magnolia Table with Chip and Joanna Gaines where there is extraordinary breakfast and lunch! Another fun place to go is the farmer’s market on Saturdays. It sells fantastic street breakfast and street lunch! Once you’re acclimated to the Waco, fun cities like Austin or Dallas are less than a two hour drive away! - How big or small is the student body? Are you generally pleased or disappointed with the typical class sizes?
The student body is around 17,000 students this year, and I’m very happy with my typical class size. The ratio of students to faculty is about 14:1, which is nice because it allows for a more meaningful class experience with the professor! - How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants?
The faculty at Baylor schedules time to put aside for students very well. Even if a professor’s office hours don’t work with your schedule, the professor almost always works something out. The same goes for academic advisors and teaching assistants. They are always willing to put time aside in order to help other students! - How would you describe the dorm life – rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students?
I had an overall positive experience with dorm life at Baylor. The rooming was nice, and my roommate and I had a good time! Even though we did not necessarily have the same interests, we still enjoyed talking and getting to learn more about each other. The dining options for Baylor are pretty much standard – the food was great on somedays and okay on other days. (I didn’t have to do anything to prepare it or clean anything afterwards, so I was happy.) The location of the dining halls on campus are well spread out, so I always had a dining place to eat at after class. The dining hall, for me personally, is where all of my socialization took place. - Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? What do you study? Does the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study?
The best program that Baylor has is probably the pre-med program, and a good majority of students plan to study in some sort of medical area. The business program is also great, especially since the edition of the Paul L. Foster building. I am studying Finance and Computer Science. I believe the university is currently doing a great job at supporting my interests because I am in an honors program that feasibly allows me to study both of these subjects. Without a program like this, the two different majors would just be too many hours without adding extra years onto my degree plan! - How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life?
My freshman year was definitely a great! This is partially because I was able to find a great group of people and just hang out with them while of course meeting new friends whenever I could. I think the community leaders, also known as dorm advisors at other schools, do a great job connecting the freshman community and trying to build friendships. Baylor Greek life in my opinion does not play as big a role in campus social life as it does at other schools. I don’t think incoming freshmen or transfer students need to join a Greek organization to make friends.
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