If you attend Drexel, you'll know that we do things a little differently than other colleges. If you don't, it may seem like we come from a backwards alien planet in the dark reaches of space, far from normal civilization. Maybe that analogy's a little too extreme, but you get the point. We go by 10-week quarters, not semesters, and we have the co-op program in which we intern with a company that relates to our major for six months. As a Drexel student myself, here's 10 questions I'm tired of hearing from you non-Dragons:
1. So, are you on summer break?
The simple answer is no...unless you're a freshman. Only freshman get a nice long summer break. The rest of us upperclassmen are stuck on co-op or in summer classes. If I have to hear this question again, well, SERENITY NOW!
2. You don't have the semester system?
Yes, we don't go by your precious little semester system. Get over it, people! What some call crazy, others call revolutionary! The Drexel higher-ups have voted to switch from 10-week quarters to semesters, but it was voted as a bureaucratic nightmare. Besides, now we can sync our time in school with a family member's pregnancy.
3. What is a co-op exactly?
In short, it's a six-month internship with a company that relates to your major. If you're a communications major, you'll work with a newspaper or a PR firm. If you study engineering (Drexel's claim to fame), you'll work with Boeing or Lockheed Martin. And so on and so forth. Despite the .gif you are about to see, many co-ops are paid. Also, they go on two different cycles: fall/winter or spring/summer.
4. You need to work, like as in the real world?
Yeah, and you know what the difference between me and you is?
We get to go into nice corporate offices, wearing our best grown-up clothes and get paid for six months while you're in class, son.
5. You're like a real adult now?
Yes, yes I am. One great thing about Drexel's way of doing things is that we get great work experience and a lot of us get hired right out of college.
5. Classes in the summer? That must suck!
It kinda does, but it's also cool to be in Philadelphia during the summer. There's a lot of fun to be had in the city of Brotherly Love like licking the Liberty Bell, for instance!
6. A communications major, huh? What's Drexel's program like?
Like I noted above, Drexel is known for its engineering program. It also has a nice business school too. It's not big on the liberal arts, but that doesn't mean the program is in any way bad. In fact, you learn quite a lot about the communication world, which is quite broad. As a PR major, I've learned a ton from professors who have had years of experience in their various fields. And hey, you can be sure that you'll be able to speak and write effectively by the end of it.
7. Any idea what you want to do with a communications degree?
This one is for all my COM homies out there who get asked this question. Quick tip: just say you want to be Indiana Jones.
8. Your college IDs are called Dragon Cards? Lame!
Oh yeah? What's the most badass animal you can think of? That's right. If you didn't say T-Rex, Cthulu, or dragon you would be wrong. Our school mascot is so cool that it is the stuff of legends. It basically makes us Hogwarts. We're so cool that we keep a Hungarian Horntail in my basement to guard all of our treasure. In fact, you can call us Gringotts University from now on.
I know it's strange to comprehend going to college in a major metropolitan area like Philadelphia. You Binghamton, Rutgers, and Penn State people are all used to small college towns cut off from the rest of the world. It's only a matter of time before a B-movie alien invasion hits those towns and the government needs to get involved, but I digress. Going to school in Philly is cool. There's always something to do and places to check out. It is the birthplace of America, after all.
10. You guys are close to Penn and Temple. Do you all ever do stuff together?
Not really. We usually all keep to ourselves. I usually just go through Penn's campus to get to the grocery store and movie theater. Other than that, we respect one another's borders and go our separate ways. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
All kidding aside, Drexel has been great to me. College is one of the best times of your life and you shouldn't take it for granted. Take advantage of every opportunity and have the most fun. I'll just let Adam Sandler finish off the list for me:
