Here’s another review of the second TSW!
After checking into the event and registering for an advising session, all the students and parents were ushered into the auditorium to listen to Tulane president Michael Fitts speak. He had a very friendly and approachable vibe that made Tulane seem extremely welcoming. From there we moved onto a tour with a small tour group of four or five other people and their parents. The tours were pretty basic but did include interesting tidbits here and there that kept our interest piqued.
From the tours, we went to the faculty lunch where students sat at tables focused on their major. I was expecting this to be the least interesting part of the entire TSW for me, because I am undecided and didn’t think I could gain anything from sitting with a professor in an area that I may or may not even end up pursuing. However, this turned out to be the most helpful session and my favorite part of TSW! I ended up sitting at one of the three Psychology tables which had both a professor and a current Tulane student as well as two other TSW students and their parents. The professor was very good at asking all of us questions about ourselves and making sure we all had a chance to engage in the conversation, but the real star of the show was the current student that sat with us. She went through the basics about herself and answered all of our questions, from questions that were specific to the Psychology major to more abstract and personal questions such as “why did you choose Tulane?” or “what is your least favorite thing about Tulane?”. She was very well spoken, respectable, and friendly, and when it came time to move on to the next event I didn’t want to end the conversation!
After the lunch everyone chose three sessions to listen to people lecture. The three sessions I chose were “Saving Human Rights”, one about Tulane Alumni and Extracurriculars, and Academic Advising. While the speakers were engaging (especially the very humorous professor who gave the “Saving Human Rights” lecture), the subject matter was very basic (the latter two sessions) and didn’t interest me very much (all three sessions). From there, students went on to spend the night with their overnight hosts which I opted out of, so I can’t offer any insight on that.
The next day (Monday), I had my academic advising meeting right off the bat. One other TSW student and I met with our advisor who was very friendly and offered great suggestions to the both of us. Signing up for classes afterwards was easy to do on the Gibson portal. After that, I went to see a model dorm room at Monroe and Sharp. The girl whose room was used as a model in Monroe gave us a little speech about Monroe and included helpful tidbits like how to get stuff from your home to Tulane, using the Tulane shuttle to get supplies from Target and Walmart, and even told us about the event that Tulane holds where students can buy storage containers from students who don’t need them anymore for dirt cheap. The boy who had the model room in Sharp seemed friendly but just silently went on studying as families walked around his dorm room, although I’m sure he would’ve also answered questions had they been asked.
Overall, I thought the TSW was very useful. Obviously, the ability to register for classes before even current Tulane students can do so is a HUGE advantage. Every class we wanted was available to us, even after students at the first TSW had already went through and chosen all of their classes. Everyone at Tulane (and in New Orleans in general) is so helpful and friendly, from professors to students to even the receptionists working in the different buildings. I was glad that I was finally able to see the school in person and tour the campus. Tulane truly seems like a one-of-a-kind university, and I’m very excited to be spending the next four years there!
