By Lauren, a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
Major: Biochemistry & Spanish
Video (below):
Being a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech is nothing like the college experience I expected of a school of 30,000 students. I saw Virginia Tech's campus for the second time ever when I came to Orientation in July of 2007. I met my advisor and set up my class schedule the morning after I slept in East Ambler Johnston, which was my first time ever staying in a residence hall. I was overwhelmed by the entire Orientation process, as I was in an unfamiliar place and I knew nobody.
To be honest, the day and a half I spent on campus was kind of a blur; it all happened so fast. I only remember bits and pieces now; I could't tell you what my Orientation Leader's name was, what information sessions I attended, or what questions I had during the day. What I do remember is that the advisor who was assigned to me for a day and a half during Orientation turned out to be one of the biggest influences of my undergraduate career. I had no idea that there would be someone who was with me every step of the way, be it with class selection, questions about the future, or even just looking for an adult to talk to who wasn't Mom or Dad.
As a pre-med student, my advisor suggested that I look into a Latin minor because of its practicality with medicine. I agreed, which was possibly the best thing I could have done for myself. In agreeing take a few Latin classes, I connected with so many people whom I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. I have had the opportunity of a lifetime, getting to be extremely close with a very small community of students and professors alike in CLAHS. I went in day one knowing I wanted to study Spanish, and I have now taken classes in Spanish, Russian, Latin, and Greek. I'll graduate as a Spanish and Biochemistry double major with Latin and Chemistry minors-- not what I had planned.
You might ask, "Why so many languages?" As I started thinking of what classes I wanted to take during my junior year, I came to the realization that I wanted to not only take a class to learn the material, but also I wanted to study under different professors. Because the Classics Department at Virginia Tech is so small, many of my classmates and I became very close from the very beginning. For example, when I heard friends talking about taking Ancient Greek with Dr. Becker, my aforementioned Orientation Advisor, I knew that I had to take a class with him before I graduated. So, with no previous knowledge whatsoever of Greek, I signed up for Dr. Becker's Ancient Greek 1105 class in fall of 2009. Greek 1105 has nothing to do with my major, and I honestly will probably do nothing with Greek for the rest of my life. However, the knowledge and experience that I gained during my time in the class completely surpassed my expectations. Greek 1105 was hands down the best class taught by the best professor that I have taken during my four years at Virginia Tech.
During my time in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, I have never once had a class larger than 25 students. I'm currently taking my fourth Latin class with the same professor, just because I know him and get along with him so well. While taking some larger courses in Biochemistry, it's a breath of fresh air to be in such an intimate class setting. I would imagine that not many people have the opportunity to interact regularly with professors outside of an academic setting; I see every Latin professor that I have had every Friday at our weekly, "Classics Table," during which time 20 or so students and I go to a restaurant downtown and talk about the week’s events, and occasionally throw in some conversation about classics. I've had multiple professors offer their homes to students for end of semester festivities and other celebrations. I truly could not ask to be part of a more close-knit community. For me, being a part of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences has been an amazing and unforgettable experience.
---
Molly is a senior majoring in communication with a concentration in electronic and print media and minoring in theater arts and international studies. In this video, Molly discusses why she Virginia Tech.
