Major: Biological Sciences

Email: jep262@cornell.edu

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Questions about Academics and COVID-19

 

What were your classes like in your first year or in your major/concentration, especially transitioning from Shen? 

I found the classes to be more difficult than what I had experienced in Shen. In High School I never really studied and still managed to do well, but in college this was not the case. Learning study skills is essential to success in college.

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What academic experiences have stood out to you at your college in either positive or negative ways?

In high school I was able to get close to my teachers and kind of form a bond with them, but in college it is much harder to do so for large lectures. Most of my classes have been large lectures, and it is difficult to get your questions answered if you do not attend any of the recitations or office hours.

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How was your online learning experience at your college? What resources did your college provide you during this time?

Cornell was extremely accessible during the online experience. One thing that helped me significantly during the spring semester at school was the Math Support Center and during the transition to online learning, the Math Support Center and other support centers became accessible through zoom. Another helpful thing was that the Office of Undergraduate Biology held weekly zoom sessions to give advice on things like research, summer experiences, pre-med, and how to handle the pandemic in general. I assume that other departments were accessible in similar ways.

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What did your college do well or poorly to support students and communities when COVID-19 first hit?

Cornell was one of the last Ivies to announce their plans for COVID-19. We first found out that we would not return to campus after spring break, but three days later we were informed that we should leave campus immediately and we had the three weeks leading up to spring break and spring break off before starting online classes. Our dining plans were refunded. Before announcing that the campus would be closing, the university president was advocating for social distancing and not gathering in groups of more than 50. I found this annoying when I still had to attend lectures of up to 200 other students.

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Questions about Student Life

 

If students are interested in your major/concentration, what extracurricular activities do you recommend they do at your college?

For pre-med students at Cornell, I would definitely recommend to being a part of one of the many pre-health organizations. I am a part of PATCH (pre-professional association towards careers in health). In this club, I was assigned an upperclassman as a mentor and was able to get advice on how to study, what other extracurriculars to do, and what classes to take. Besides PATCH, I was also in ski club and Cornell Surgical Society. I plan to be involved in more clubs once I return to campus.

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What are common things to do on weekends? Do students commute back home for the weekend or are there events on campus?

Each week an email is sent to all the students outline what events are happening on the upcoming weekend. In the start of the fall semester, Cornell held many events for freshman and that is actually how I met a lot of my friends. Probably the most common thing to do on the weekend is party, either in collegetown of one of the frat houses. If partying is not your thing, there are definitely many other students who would much rather hang back in the residence halls and watch a movie or play Mario Kart. Also very popular are men's hockey games, especially the Harvard game.

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Extra Questions

 

What advice would you give to current Shen students when applying to your college?

Don't write your essay about your experience during COVID-19, lots of people will. Write about something unique to you, I wrote about Disney World for my main essay and about sperm and the female reproductive system in my supplemental essay for Cornell.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your college experience that hasn't been addressed yet in this questionnaire?

Take care of your mental health and it's okay to have a meltdown once in a while.