Major: Public Health
Minors: Business and Sociology

Email: sydrob21@gmail.com 

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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? 

My freshman year of classes were very interesting and not very difficult. The first semester of freshman year at UALBANY you fill out a form about what interests you and your counselor selects classes for you (you can ask to get some changed before the semester starts if you don’t like one). They mostly cover gen ed requirements or program prerequisites. I personally loved each class I got put into and it made it easy to start the semester. I had short breaks in between my classes sometimes giving me time to eat, study, and get used to campus while also not having to rush to my next class.

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

UAlbany has a TON of clubs and extracurricular activities like club sports, inclusive events, and club hosted events. There is always something to look into or join. As a commuter I felt like there were things for me to do even though I didn’t spend all my free time on campus. It’s also really easy to find everything because everything is in one big rectangle. Something else I liked was that there are so many gen Ed’s to pick from. Many people don’t like the idea of taking gen ed classes but without them I wouldn’t have switched majors to something I like better or have picked up my second minor. You can take anything that interests you. I took classes about drugs, race, non medical health care, French art history, and climate change!

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

Honestly I enjoyed online learning. It was extremely flexible. There were not scheduled zoom classes so you could watch the recorded lectures or read through the lecture slides at your convenience. School did provide me funds to improve my WiFi/make sure I had everything I needed to be comfortable during the stay at home order. They also made finals more flexible for the professors and I personally benefited from that.

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

I feel as though UALBANY did a good job. They provided two types of emergency funds for students to apply for as well as gave students a refund for unused room/fees/meal plans and did so in a timely manner. They got us out pretty quickly. They also let students stay if they were unable to go home.

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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?

I am personally not in any extracurricular (I am a commuter though so it is a different experience than dorming students). I think any health or environmental related club would be beneficial for a public health student.

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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?

I personally work on weekends because I commute to and from school and live at home.

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Do you have a job during the school year, or is it common for students to have on-campus jobs? What is that experience like?

Because I live at home I have time for two part time jobs during the school year. I typically work 5 days per week and have classes 2 days a week (though last semester I worked both jobs but went into school 2 evenings and 2 full days). It’s a lot to juggle but if you want work experience or to try out an internship it is definitely doable. You have to be okay with missing some events or parties on weekends if you want to have a job though.

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Extra Questions

 

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

Be honest and consider community college. Community college saves you SO much money. I didn’t go to community college but a lot of times I wish I did because my first two years were mostly general education classes anyway. I ended up paying thousands more just to end up with the same credits. Definitely consider the cost of college while applying. Make sure the school has another major you’d be interested in because a lot of people end up transferring due to changing to a major their school doesn’t have.

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What makes your college special to you?

The level and quality of education that you get. If you take things that interest you, you’ll learn so much.

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What do you wish you knew about your college when you were a senior at Shen?

The loans add up FAST

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How is the financial aid situation at your college?

Financial aid is really helpful and everything is pretty straight forward here. They don’t hide anything and the people at financial aid are really helpful. The scholarships are really good here in my opinion.

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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?

Remember to be sure about if you want to live at college. Parties are fun but you’re there to learn.

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