Do you have any questions about ND? - Page 3

atsen · 01-30-2009, 02:38 PM

South Bend is no metropolis, of course, and it's a very quiet town. There's not much to it, honestly, but when you're here at ND, you'll find that you rarely get off campus (at least this is the case with me and my friends). Part of the consequence of the "Notre Dame Bubble". Because I don't know South Bend well, I can't say whether there are any good chinee/filipino restaurants around. I am chinese, but the dining halls here have their own stir fry which they make right then and there. The dining halls are amazing, especially for a first semester freshman. There is also chinese take-out available which a couple of my friends have tried (however, I have heard that it's only mediocre). If you join a few of the chinese/vietnamese/asian clubs here, I hear that they often have get-togethers where chinese food or any other food is served.

atsen · 02-02-2009, 01:23 PM

Someone had emailed me with a couple of questions that I thought I'd post some of my answers to. They are regarding Theology and religion here at ND:

1. As a freshman, it is required to take 1 semester of Theology. The course is called Introduction to Theology and it's a pretty basic course. Of course, I have heard many opinions depending on the professor. As a tip, try to get Professor Jon Foreman. He is extremely intelligent and easy-going professor. There's not a lot of reading to do and since he doesn't like the idea of giving a final exam, he makes it count as little as possible and let's the students take the final online. So, he practically gives out As. Over your four years here, you must have completed 2 courses in theology (6 credits) as well as 2 courses in philosophy (6 credits). You may space them out as you like, but they must be fulfilled no matter what. Don't worry, First Year of Studies is very flexible and will help you with your requirements. As a sophomore, it's up to you whether or not you want to take theology. Personally, I have already completed one course of theology and am planning to complete my second course in my senior year.

2. To put it bluntly, there are absolutely no discriminations against people who aren't religious here at ND. Although most people are catholic, you really don't have any pressure to be like everyone else and attend mass regularly, ect. I'm Baptist and my roomate is in the women's liturgical choir. I have never felt pressured or obligated to be Catholic so don't worry, you're free to believe in what you like. (If you're concerned about being non-religious and having to take Theology courses, don't sweat it. Many people have been/are in your same position. If you find you're struggling in class, just visit your professor during office hours. Theology is still a class.)

If anyone else has any questions, remember, you may also email me at atsen@nd.edu

colinization · 02-02-2009, 04:08 PM

Atsen- I'll be visiting Notre Dame this week (college of science open house) and after that, the only school on my list I won't have seen is Rice. As a Texan, I'm guessing this school was on your radar, so I'm curious-in what respects is Notre Dame more appealing? Is there anything about that school I should know?

atsen · 02-02-2009, 05:26 PM

Hi colinization,
I practically have a list of reasons why I came here:

1. Well, I originally applied because my father came here. But after visiting, I thought it was absolutely gorgeous. When you get here, you'll see what I mean. Especially during the beginning of fall, before the snow, the campus is just beautiful.

2. I wanted to come to ND because I wanted to get out of Texas. Although I did apply to other schools in Texas (Baylor, Austin College, Trinity, Rice, Texas Lutheran) I thought that it would be better if I left the state and see more of the world. South Bend is different and it is very very cold in January that's for sure, but I absolutely love the change. I have had little to no problem adjusting to the weather.

3. I also chose ND because ND is notorious for rolling out exceptional science and engineering students. The science programs here are academically outstanding. The new Jordan Hall of Science is a great place to learn the sciences. It's beautiful and complete with up-to-date technology.

4. ND students are known to be well rounded individuals. They are able to balance academics and sports. This is probably my strongest reason against going to ive league or ivy-type schools. At the Ivies, it's nearly constant cutthroat academic competition (and like Johns Hopkins and WashU). Here, I have never felt the pressure of competition. In fact, everyone wants to help everyone out. People aren't just focused on their studies. They are involved in sports and other activities and thus are able to be extremely well balanced.

5. The size of ND is perfect. It's not the 48,000 people like at Texas A&M, but it's also not too small like high school all over again. I have friends who have friends that I know through certain events and other people. There's always some subtle connection within my friends. However, there's enough people to know that you won't be able to ever know who everyone is.

6. I wanted to go to a university with a christian background. In my eyes, ND was perfect because it was very Catholic (take a tour of the Basilica, where else are you going to find a more beautiful place?) and strong academically as well as athletically.

Overall, ND is full of students who are well balanced socially, spiritually, academically, and physically. I want to be like them and I feel like each day I'm closer and closer to being a true ND student.

colinization · 02-02-2009, 08:36 PM

Thank you- I couldn't have asked for a more comprehensive response. Though I disagree about the size thing (this is one of the appeals of Rice for me) the rest of what you said, particularly regarding the lack of cut-throat students, is appealing.

collegeprep976 · 02-03-2009, 10:06 AM

It sounds like same sex friendships develop easily because of the same sex dorms. What about opposite sex friendships? Do the guys and girls mix and develop friendships? And if so, how and when?

atsen · 02-03-2009, 11:53 AM

At first, it was difficult for me to make friendships with guys. This was particularly uncomfortable for me because back in high school all of my best friends were guys. You learn, though, that your first and your most treasured friendships here are with the people in your dorm, specifically your section of the dorm. I was fortunate enough to be best friends with my roomate. We work especially well together. After that, I made friends with others in my section, then gradually expanded to meet people in my classes. I came with the expectation of meeting most of my friends through my classes but this is most often not the case. I developed most of my friendships with guys when studying with a group of people. I also am a big fan of studying in the LaFortune basement and have made many friends, both guys and girls, there. As of now, I have a very good mix of guys and girlfriends. You must try to get together and have dinner with each other once in a while, hang out during the weekends, or study altogether. Don't worry so much about opposite sex friendships though. You'll eventually make friends with them because they too are in the same boat. Also, it's a good idea to make friends with the guys in your brother dorm or sister dorm who have the same classes. I live in Welsh Family and I have found it great to have friends in Keough, our brother dorm. Another point, people with the same major or like majors tend to make friendships quicker. So the majority of my friends are science or math or engineering majors. I am, though, friends with many history and business majors. Let me know if this gives you a good picture.

iomr · 02-03-2009, 07:31 PM

How does Notre Dame help students who would probably not qualify for need based aid, but still would have a hard time paying to attend? How strong is the work study program? Do many students graduate with debt?

atsen · 02-03-2009, 07:41 PM

Hello iomr,
To be honest, this would be a question to ask the experts. Call the Office of Financial Aid at 574-631-6436. They can definitely give you a more informed answer than I can. Since the cost to attend here is pretty high, there are plenty of students on loans and other financial aid. It's hard to imagine many people who do not graduate with at least some sort of debt. Since I haven't had to worry about my expenses much, I don't know that much about the financial aid.
Quick note: ND does not offer any academic scholarships, although there are many athletes here on scholarship.

iomr · 02-03-2009, 07:44 PM

Ok thanks a ton! I'm actually visiting on an overnight this Thursday, so me and my dad are definitely going to stop by and talk to the Office of Financial Aid. Hopefully we'll get some good news and I will end up at ND in the fall!

collegeprep976 · 02-04-2009, 12:35 AM

atsen,
Thanks for your response to my question. It does give me and my d (who is considering Notre Dame) a good picture.

golfer_08 · 02-07-2009, 10:42 AM

Actually, there is just one thing wrong with what you said regarding Theology. While it is certainly suggested that freshmen take a Theo or Philo class, it is not required. I know this because I am not taking a Theo or Philo my freshman year. The first semester, my schedule was basically done by my adviser, who didn't give me one. Second semester, I had four required classes I had to take plus a seminar. By the time I got to register for classes, there were no Theo or Philo seminars available. Instead, I am taking a political science seminar. You certainly have to take your six credits of each before graduating, though, just not necessarily any as a freshman.

kevdude · 02-07-2009, 11:18 AM

Also, another note on the the Theology classes: you don't necessarily need to take a Christian/Catholic theology. There are other options, as well, such as comparative religion, Buddhist spirituality, and other such non-Judeo-Christian alternatives.

colinization · 02-07-2009, 04:53 PM

What about Greek/Roman mythology? This should be legit, I would think- afterall, mythologies are just religions that have fallen by the wayside.

Cup o' Buddha · 02-08-2009, 07:43 PM

Hey-

I am a current junior, and Notre Dame has been one of my dream schools for a while now - My dad went there, so I have been exposed to ND (especially the football team) for my whole life.

Anyway, I was simply wondering how the Anthropology or History department is, I know its rated high, but I really want to know what it is like. Also, I got my PSAT scores back, and they were not the best. Do you have any tips to raise my scores for the SAT (my mom wants to take me to a hypnotist, because I freak out before tests, and she thinks that is what lowers my scores...), and what score do you think the ND admissions would not even consider? Besides my theoretical test scores, my application is good.

Thank you so much!