Interview with Angel January 11, 2008

By Carol Thompson

C: So what are you dealing with when you go to college?

A: There are a lot of things you deal with: you try to maintain good grades, try to succeed, find who you really are. I mean, since I’m living on campus its not just school. Right after school I go home to 27 guys: Who do I want to be?  Do I want to be me? Do I want to go off and do things I normally don't do? Those are some things you deal with.

C: Have you found people you feel comfortable with?

A: …I thought it would be difficult to make friends, but I was up to the challenge. One of the things I wanted to do is see if I could succeed over at St. Joes: see if I could start over and make new friends and if people would accept me for being different.  St. Joe’s is majority white. I found it really easy. You know, I'm an outgoing person, so I meet people playing basketball, hanging in the library, people I live with. I've made really good friends with them.

C: How does the housing work?

A: ….The dorm is a 3-story house.  It's humongous.  It’s on the Lower Merion side…. I and two other guys have the biggest room in the house on the 3rd floor. …Only bad thing is I live on the first floor next to the common room, so it’s hard to study--I want to be out there.

C: What's been the hardest thing academically?

A: Hardest thing academically: I would have to say studying.  Since like in high school, I was like 30 minutes of studying and I did great. I couldn't have that same attitude at SJ; it’s like 4 hours, and sometimes I still didn't do well on the tests, so I found that challenging—you have to study a lot.

C: What was the easiest thing for you in making the transition?

A: Easiest thing: since I was in community college, I sort of knew what college life was like, so I already know what the professors are looking for, what they expect…I wasn't too surprised in the teaching styles of the professors.

C: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make?

A: Living on my own, [pause] yup, living on my own.

C: Could you be more specific--what kinds of things did you have to start attending too?

A: A lot of things. I had to worry about myself, start finding my own food, wake up on my own without anyone making sure I'm up. No one is looking behind me saying did you do your homework and that kind of stuff. It was just hard at first to be alone, but I kind of liked that kind of stuff.  I feel like I’m more independent from my parents than dependent.  It was hard at first, but I also liked it.

C: What was your biggest academic challenge?

A: It was studying, you have to focus a lot...some things the teacher won't tell you…so he'll talk for the whole class, and the test is going to show up and what he talked about might not be on the test. So I had to study on my own....

C: You also chose to do things that were challenges that most people wouldn't take on like Japanese

A: Every time I met with Fr. Burr he said “It sounds like community college isn't challenging you enough,” and he kept saying that. I didn't know what he was saying at first. So I thought maybe I needed to challenge myself, maybe it’s not the school. So I took Japanese and I love it. The teacher has a unique style of teaching; she has her culture and a unique style

Later Angel reports learning Java and using it to work on a Mastermind game.

C: So what questions should Mario ask [as he considers going to a 4-year school]?

A: He should ask what he is going to get out of it in the end, what he is expecting to get out of the school and at the end and what does he want to do. Things he should ask the school are what do they offer, would I be guaranteed a job after this, what are your professions...things that would be under his major.