Berea College: Pros vs Cons (SENIOR YEAR)

Summary

In this updated video, JC Brady reflects on their senior year at Berea College, sharing a comprehensive list of pros and cons compared to their freshman year's video. They discuss the challenges freshmen face, such as limited class selection, mandatory jobs, and strict rules, while highlighting the benefits of free tuition, diverse student body, and abundant resources. JC also touches on the college's unique aspects like wellness classes, swim tests, and the small-town environment, offering insights to prospective students.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker is a senior at Berea College and is updating a previous video about the pros and cons of the college experience.
• 📚 Freshmen at Berea College do not have the freedom to choose their first set of classes and face challenges during registration due to seniority-based priority.
• 🏢 All students, including freshmen, are required to work on campus, but they do not have a choice in the type of job they receive, which can be frustrating.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Freshmen are mandated to take two wellness classes and pass a swim test, which the speaker found unnecessary and time-consuming.
• 🚗 Freshmen are not allowed to have a car on campus unless they live exceptionally far away, which can limit their freedom and opportunities to explore.
• 🍽 The dining options at Berea College are described as limited in variety, especially for vegetarians and vegans, and the food quality is not always satisfactory.
• 🏫 The small size of Berea city means students must travel to nearby cities for a more diverse range of activities and shopping options.
• 📈 The academic workload at Berea College is intense, and attendance is strictly monitored, which can be challenging for students adjusting to college life.
• 🌐 Berea College offers numerous free resources and services to students, including counseling, career development, and internship funding, which greatly enhance the educational experience.
• 🌱 The college emphasizes environmental sustainability, offering various programs and initiatives that promote eco-friendly living and learning.
• ❤️ The speaker expresses gratitude for the supportive community at Berea College, highlighting the diversity, free tuition, and the strong sense of camaraderie among students.

Q & A

Why does the speaker feel compelled to make an updated Berea College pros and cons video?

The speaker feels compelled to make an updated Berea College pros and cons video because they are now a senior and have gained more insights and experiences since their freshman year when they made the original video.

What is one significant challenge freshmen face regarding class selection at Berea College?

Freshmen at Berea College do not get to choose their first set of classes, and even during the spring semester registration, they have the lowest priority, often leaving them with limited options.

How does the speaker describe their freshman year job experience at Berea College?

The speaker describes their freshman year job experience as challenging and isolating, having been assigned a janitorial position which they found repetitive and not enjoyable.

What is the requirement regarding car ownership for freshmen at Berea College?

Freshmen at Berea College are not allowed to have a car on campus unless they live more than seven hours away from the school.

Why does the speaker mention the swim test as one of the cons of being a freshman at Berea College?

The speaker mentions the swim test as a con because it is a random requirement that all freshmen must pass or else they have to enroll in beginner swimming classes.

What is the significance of Berea College being a labor college as mentioned in the script?

Berea College being a labor college means that all students are required to have a job on campus, which is part of their educational experience and contributes to their work-study financial aid package.

How does the speaker feel about the academic workload at Berea College?

The speaker initially found the academic workload at Berea College to be very challenging and intense, especially during their freshman year, but has learned to handle it better as a senior.

What is the policy regarding opposite sex visitation in freshman dorms at Berea College?

Freshmen at Berea College could not have the opposite sex in their rooms during the first semester, but there is a possibility that this policy might change in the future.

What are some of the free resources available to students at Berea College according to the speaker?

Some of the free resources available to students at Berea College include counseling services, career development, internship funding, writing resources, and various clubs and organizations.

How does the speaker view the diversity and inclusion at Berea College?

The speaker views Berea College as being very diverse and inclusive, which has allowed them to learn about different religions, cultures, and perspectives, enriching their educational experience.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 College Life Reflections

The speaker, JC Brady, reflects on their college experience as a senior, noting the passage of time and the desire to update their freshman year video on Berea College's pros and cons. They plan to focus on the challenges faced by freshmen, such as limited class selection, job assignments, mandatory wellness classes, a swim test, and restrictions on having a car on campus. The speaker empathizes with the struggles of freshmen and intends to provide insights that could help prospective students and their parents.

05:02

🚫 Freshman Year Limitations

The speaker elaborates on the restrictions and challenges faced by freshmen at Berea College. These include the inability to choose one's first set of classes, job assignments without preference, mandatory wellness and swim classes, and prohibitions on having a car on campus. The speaker also touches on the limitations of job opportunities, with students only allowed to work on-campus jobs and not being able to hold a second job off-campus. The small size of Berea city and the strict workload of the college are also mentioned, along with the mandatory attendance policy for classes.

10:02

🤔 Debatable College Experiences

The speaker discusses aspects of Berea College that could be seen as either positive or negative, depending on individual perspectives. These include the close-knit community where everyone knows each other, which can be both comforting and embarrassing. The college's liberal arts education requires students to take a variety of perspectives and general studies courses, which can be both enriching and challenging. The speaker also mentions convocations, which were mandatory before the pandemic and varied in their appeal to students.

15:02

🌟 The Positives of Berea College

The speaker highlights the positive aspects of Berea College, starting with the free tuition for all students, which creates a diverse and understanding community. They mention the college's diversity, the abundance of free resources available to students, such as counseling and career development, and the funding for internships. The speaker also appreciates the college's emphasis on sustainability, the free gym and laundry facilities, and the affordable healthcare services. They share personal experiences with outstanding professors and the opportunity to engage in community service, concluding with an encouragement for prospective students to consider Berea College.

Keywords

💡Berea College

Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. It is known for its tuition-free policy for all admitted students, which is a central theme in the video script. The script mentions how the college's labor program, academic policies, and campus life are all part of the Berea experience, shaping the student's college journey.

💡Pros and Cons

Pros and cons refer to the positive and negative aspects of a situation, in this case, the Berea College experience. The video script uses this term to structure the content, discussing both the favorable and unfavorable elements of attending Berea College, providing a balanced perspective for prospective students.

💡Freshman Year

Freshman year typically refers to the first year of undergraduate study. The script emphasizes the unique challenges faced by freshmen at Berea College, such as limited class selection and strict campus regulations, which are part of the college's educational model.

💡Work Program

Berea College is known as a labor college, meaning all students are required to work on-campus jobs as part of their education. The script describes the freshman work assignment process and how it can be a challenging aspect of the college experience, with the speaker sharing a personal anecdote about working as a janitor.

💡Academic Intensity

Academic intensity refers to the rigor and workload of a college's academic programs. The video script mentions how the academic workload at Berea College can be overwhelming, especially for freshmen, but also how it prepares students for future challenges.

💡Campus Life

Campus life encompasses the experiences, activities, and environment outside the classroom. The script discusses various aspects of campus life at Berea, including social dynamics, the small-town setting, and the limitations on having a car or a side job.

💡Free Tuition

Free tuition is a significant benefit at Berea College, where no student pays tuition fees. The script highlights this as a major pro, explaining how it creates an inclusive environment and减轻s the financial burden for students, which is a key selling point for the college.

💡Diversity

Diversity in the context of the video refers to the range of backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives represented within the college community. The speaker appreciates the diversity at Berea College, which enriches the educational experience and exposes students to different worldviews.

💡Wellness Classes

Wellness classes are courses focused on health and well-being. The script mentions these as a mandatory requirement for freshmen, which the speaker found unusual and somewhat unproductive, reflecting on the college's approach to holistic education.

💡Registration Priority

Registration priority determines the order in which students can enroll in classes. The script uses this term to illustrate the hierarchy at Berea College, where seniors get first pick, leaving freshmen with limited choices, which can be a point of contention for new students.

💡Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability refers to practices that maintain ecological balance and reduce resource consumption. The script praises Berea College's efforts in this area, such as composting in dining halls and sourcing food from local farms, reflecting the college's commitment to environmental responsibility.

Highlights

Introduction to the updated Berea College pros and cons video by JC Brady

Mention of the time passed since the freshman year video and the growth experienced

Emphasis on the cons faced by freshmen, particularly the strict rules and regulations

Lack of class selection freedom for freshmen and the stress associated with it

Description of the class registration process favoring upperclassmen

Freshmen's inability to choose their on-campus job and the potential hardships

Requirement for freshmen to take two wellness classes and the perceived lack of value

Mandatory swim test for freshmen and its randomness

Prohibition of having a car on campus for freshmen, limiting their exploration

Restrictions on holding side jobs outside of campus jobs for freshmen

Intense workload and time management challenges faced by freshmen

Mandatory attendance in every class with strict penalties for absences

Restrictions on having the opposite sex in freshmen rooms

Debatable cons like the small community size and its impact on privacy

The requirement of diverse perspectives in the curriculum and its challenges

The hit-or-miss nature of convocations and their impact on students

Highlighting the pros of Berea College, starting with free tuition for all students

Diversity and exposure to various cultures and religions at Berea

Availability of free resources like counseling and career development

Opportunities for internships funded by the college and their benefits

Mention of clubs, culture, and the vibrant community at Berea

Writing resources and support provided by the library

CELTS program and its focus on community service and engagement

Outstanding professors and their role in student success

Free gym and wellness opportunities for students

Environmental sustainability initiatives and the eco-friendly focus

Free laundry services in the dorms as a perk for students

Accessible healthcare services with a sliding scale fee for students

Encouragement for prospective students to consider Berea College

Transcripts

hi everybody i hope you're doing super

well welcome back to my channel or if

you're new here hello my name is jc

brady and i

rarely make videos i like to do it but i

just haven't had like a lot of good

ideas

and time i guess but there's one i've

been wanting to make

um a lot of people on campus always come

up to me and they're like hey i

recognize you from youtube and i think

back and i'm like oh

i wish i would have added so much more

especially as a senior

and i'm referring to my berea college

pros and cons video that i made freshman

year so like i said i'm a senior i feel

like i know so much more than i ever

could have imagined i can't believe i'm

a senior still

time has

went by extremely slow and also

extremely fast at the same time

it's been a crazy ride and yeah i

thought i would just make an updated

break college pros and cons video

so for upcoming freshmen and parents and

you know everyone concerned

i hope this video can help you without

further ado let's get right into the

video so i'm gonna start out with the

cons um specifically the cons that deal

with freshman year in particular because

for some reason freshmen just have it so

rough like there's so many rules and

regulations that they have to like

follow and they don't get to say in

certain things and so yeah i just wanted

to start out with that so the first

thing that i can think of is

classes

you don't get to choose your first set

of classes

now you can come in and be like hey i

want to be a

biology major and they'll try to put you

in like classes that have to do with

biology so for example i came in as

pre-vet so i was in animal science and

chemistry at the same time

and that would have not i guess been my

first choice it was very hard i had no

idea what i was doing as a freshman

somehow i made it through but it was

very stressful to not be able to have a

say that first semester of what my

classes were going to be you know i kind

of just came in and had to deal with it

and i got through it but it's just a

little frustrating you know not being

able to choose what classes you want to

take and then also

when registration comes around spring

semester you can choose but seniors have

top priority

so

it goes like seniors one day and then

juniors the next day and then sophomores

and then freshmen are left with like

basically whatever's left which isn't a

lot you're always going to be able to

get into like the

freshman only classes of course because

it's only freshmen applying but even

then it's super stressful it's like the

hunger games almost like you're just

waiting to put your code in and hoping

that you got it before everyone else

and i'm sure that's how it is at other

schools too um i'm not for sure about

the seniors junior sophomores and

freshmen but

yeah as a freshman you just feel like

nothing works out

but as a senior now

i'm like yeah i love registering first

yeah this is awesome so

yeah i guess you win some you lose some

you also don't get to pick your job

freshman year brie college is a labor

college like you everyone on campus has

a job and it doesn't pay super well

there's five pay grades and you can

actually look up online what they are i

believe they start out at like five

dollars an hour so yeah when you come in

you don't get to say what job you want

now you can submit a resume they can

kind of fit you in where you have most

experience

i did not do that and i wish i would

have because i got stuck as a janitor

freshman year if you watched my first

video you know that so it was really

hard

um yeah my job was honestly one of the

hardest things i had to overcome here it

was miserable i didn't have a great time

with my boss it was just repetitive

cleaning i liked it because i was alone

and i could listen to music and call

family but it was very isolating and it

was just cleaning it felt meaningless

and

i'm thankful it happened i've definitely

grown and realized i can do a lot of

things and i'm stronger because of it

but it was very hard and i wish i could

have had a say in like what i kind of

wanted to do you know also as a freshman

you are required to take two wellness

classes which was kind of weird and felt

like a waste of time you just me i can't

remember if it's like once a week or

twice a week

and it's just like this really weird

like health

class

thing i don't know obviously i didn't

retain anything because i can't even

tell you what it's about

i think we just learned about like

healthy habits and like the body and

all that stuff but um that was really

weird as a freshman i definitely did not

want to be there and on top of that you

are required to take a swim test which

is also super random like you have to

pass a swim test or you have to be in

like beginner swimming classes

and i just think that's super weird i

passed but it was just like a super

weird i didn't understand why it was a

thing i think

they won i don't

yeah i don't even have a theory i don't

know

also as a freshman you cannot have a car

on campus

unless you live i think it's like seven

hours away then you're allowed but if

you just live four hours away like me

which is still super far you still can't

have a car which is super frustrating at

times because like being here all the

time 24 7 it gets tiring you know you

want to go out and explore

and go to different cities but unless

you have like upperclassmen friends or

take the shuttle that the college offers

like you're pretty much here speaking of

that berea itself is a super small city

like there's no shopping mall there's

not a movie theater there's not much

like that so we have like a walmart and

a few restaurants but besides that

you're going to be traveling to richmond

or lexington which is like 15 and 45

minutes away to really get like a true

city experience berea is like a super

small city another thing is when you do

have a job here you are not allowed to

have a side job anywhere else so you

can't like work at mcdonald's while

working here you're not allowed to have

a second job outside of the college

which is frustrating at times because

it's like i need money and i'm not

getting paid a lot here and we're all on

labor contracts so it's like you can

work 10 hours a week or 15 hours when i

know like other jobs i can be working

like 25 and getting paid way more but

that's just the college's rules i'm sure

it's because you know it's super intense

here the workload is crazy here and i'll

talk about that in a second i'm sure

that's why there's caution for it you

can get approved to have a secondary job

if like you have a reason now you can't

have a second job on campus they're

called like secondary positions and

they're usually like five hour positions

so that's a little bit of extra money

but you cannot search for a job

elsewhere like i mentioned earlier

classes are

very intense here as a senior i've

learned to handle it and i kind of

forget like how much it is yeah they

were really hard freshman year i didn't

have time to really do much i didn't

have time to hang with friends i had to

choose between like eating and doing

homework

and it was really hard to get used to i

don't think i actually got used to it

until maybe the second semester of

sophomore year like it was crazy and now

i'm thankful for because it does prepare

you for like upper graduate things like

master school um i maybe will go get my

masters and i'm not intimidated by it at

all but it is a little you know

frustrating for people who don't plan to

go do that and it might just feel like a

lot but i do think that you learn so

much here that you really have to

challenge yourself have to like

challenge your barriers and it really

pushes you to do great things and i am

happy for that but it was super hard and

a really hard thing to adjust to also

attendance is absolutely mandatory for

like every class pretty much every class

i've had has been like you can miss

like two classes but once you miss like

a third one you get points taken off of

your final grade so i know a lot of

colleges i've talked to a lot of my

friends and they're like yeah you don't

really have to go that's not the case

here teachers will absolutely know when

you're not in class and they will hold

it against you maybe there's a few that

won't but in my experience i've never

had a teacher like that i've had to go

to every single class finally i put this

one at the end it's because there might

be a change coming next semester next

year so originally freshmen could not

have like the opposite sex over into

their room so like i couldn't have a guy

over my guy friends couldn't have me

over and that was really frustrating as

a freshman it's only first semester but

it's like what the heck what are we

doing like why can't i have my guy

friends over in my room it makes no

sense and thankfully this semester um

the entire campus voted on changing

visitation hopefully by the time you get

here i believe it will be changed or

altered in some way and my final con and

it's gotten i think better since

freshman year i don't know the thing is

i went from

eating meat to being a vegetarian so

it's also still kind of hard now but i

do notice a lot more diversity in dining

but regardless it's not super great most

of the time it's hard to like find

sustenance sometimes in there it's

dining food it's free food so that's

awesome but it's not like super tasty

sometimes or i don't feel like there is

a lot of variety still for me as a

vegetarian so then i just think about

people that are vegan and i'm like oh my

god

like they have like one section and if

they don't like it then they're screwed

for the day basically it's pretty scary

but i think they're working on it and i

think they're making progress but yeah

it's dining food so i think that is all

of my cons um

i have some that are debatable like they

could be probably could be clients so i

guess i'll start with those so the first

one i thought of was that everyone knows

everyone which can be super cool because

it's close knit you know and you're

always going to run into your friends

and people that you know

but it can also be a pain when you just

want to like go out and you're dressed

like super weird because you're just

like so cold and you run into like

people you know and it's so embarrassing

yeah that's not fun um also i feel like

everybody knows everybody's business

here

it's pretty weird i kind of wish it was

bigger just so i wouldn't you know have

to deal with that but some people love

it some people love like a big family

um so yeah it's whatever you make of it

i guess another thing that's hit or miss

is that um to graduate here it's a

liberal arts college so you have a lot

of like perspectives and required

classes

so like you have a western history

perspective a religion perspective and

like all of these perspectives that you

have to meet on top of that

you have like all your gstr's which is

like you basically take like gstr 110

your freshman year in gstr 210 uh

usually your freshman year two the

second semester

and then gstr310 is foundations of

christianity but then you have to take a

religious perspective where

understandings of christianity doesn't

count so it's a little confusing

um i will say i've learned a lot of

really cool things because of this

perspective the arts perspective was

super cool

i took appalachian literature for that

one and it was so much fun i learned so

much about appalachia

and i read so much and it was such a

good time but like next semester i'm

having to take my practical reasoning

with quantitative emphasis and

i'm nervous because like it's math and

i'm a calm major so i'm a little

confused but i know it's to like have a

well-balanced education

so it's another one of those things

where it's like oh i don't want to do it

but also i'm thankful that i am you know

finally this one i put at the end

because since kovitz happened they've

not been required and i'm not for sure

like if we will go back to them

convocations used to be required here

they were seven a semester and they were

so hit or miss i mean it was rough like

sometimes you would go in and you'd hear

like a super cool one and then sometimes

you go in and you'd just be sitting

there for an hour listening to someone

talk

and you can't like be on your phone you

can't be reading you can't really do

anything during convocation you will

like get in trouble and get kicked out

it's basically just sitting there for an

hour and listening to a speaker and to

do seven of them every semester was

pretty tiring especially when most of

them were super boring there were some

really cool ones but i think overall i

would have preferred not to have

convocations but some people might love

them because they learned so much so

yeah it's definitely up to the person

and finally to the pros we finally made

it guys i will say i definitely have a

lot more pros and cons first and

foremost i think the coolest thing about

berea is that it is free tuition so no

one here pays tuition which is super

cool you have to meet

the

financial threshold so a lot of us our

families didn't make enough or we are

first generation college students coming

from families so that's really cool to

be in like an environment where everyone

kind of gets it you know like you never

feel

like embarrassed or like weird everyone

like has been through hard times and i

think it's a really cool place to like

get your education and like be with

people who get it it's also super

diverse at least from my viewpoint so i

come from a super small town in

tennessee so coming here i got to be

introduced to like all kinds of

religions and cultures you know there's

so many just different things going on

all the time and it's amazing coming

from a small town like i never would

have imagined there was so much and i

just love learning every day and seeing

you know how people live and what their

beliefs are it's really cool also so

many free resources for students i've

only wrote a few and i know i'm missing

some because there's so many so the

first one that really just helped me so

much was counseling so we get free

counseling as students and i've had a

really good experience

i know some people haven't but my

therapist

she actually left this year which is so

sad they really care for students i feel

like

at least in my experience and really

helped me through a lot of hard times

that i don't know what i would have done

without them so that was really cool

there's also like career development

which helps you

like figure out what major you might

like or figure out what job you might

want to do after your major and along

with them is like the office of

internships which helps you like figure

out maybe what you want to do for an

internship so berea college funds two

internships completely that's like

living arrangement like food everything

which is so cool i've never heard of

another college doing that so

basically like you are building your

resume like crazy here not only do you

have jobs on campus all the time but you

can do two internships and you leave

here with your four-year degree with so

much under your belt the hope is that

you will just flourish after college

which hopefully is what happens they

also help you with like preparing for

grad school they do mock interviews

there's like a funding that helps you

get professional clothing

so yeah there are so many resources here

to help students on top of that there's

so many clubs with so much culture and

it's just a really cool place like you

are just bound to get into something

here also there's writing resources in

the library that helps you with like

papers or getting a paper started i've

definitely had to use them a few times

because sometimes it's just hard to get

started or to finish a paper celts is a

really cool program here it's based on

helping the community so i know that

there's like adopt a grandparent habitat

for humanity i believe that they help

with that a little bit i did bria

buddies which is where i got paired with

a kid in the community and i believe

like every wednesday we would like eat

lunch and play for a little bit so it

was really fun and yeah it was a good

way to give back to the community since

covets happened i'm not for sure if

they're doing it but i'm hoping that

once you know we get through this

pandemic and everything's situated out

there we will go back to doing that i

hope that you get to experience that all

of my professors here have been like

outstandingly

awesome

so many of them have just become my best

friends or my leaders and mentors i know

like a few professors that my friends

have had that have not been good but

luckily for me i have had just the most

amazing experience with professors in

like school i think what helps me a lot

is before i apply for classes i go on

like rate my professor or things like

that and i check out reviews just to

make sure that like they seem like a

decent person but yeah i have just been

blessed with the best professors also we

have a gym on campus that's completely

free for students

we have

free yoga sometimes i believe like once

a week and this was pre-covered but

there were like free yoga classes that

you could go to and attend maybe it was

two times a week i don't know but they

were so awesome and also the local yoga

studio would offer yoga for like an

extreme discount for students i think i

paid like three bucks every time i went

to a session so yeah it was super cool

also something i really love about berea

college is that i feel like it's super

environmentally friendly it tries to be

so

everything at dining is composted and

also a lot of things from dining come

from our farm which is super awesome i

actually live in deep green known as the

eco-friendly dorm on campus the office

of sustainability which i work there

first semester they have all kinds of

events to promote sustainable ways of

living there's so many ways that you can

educate yourself about the environment

and ways to live so it's a super cool

learning environment another thing i

want to mention is that in the dorms we

actually have free laundry i know a lot

of colleges that don't offer free

laundry so yeah that's a pretty cool

perk to have as a college student the

final one and that doesn't mean it's

better or worse than the others but

in regards to like healthcare there is a

hospital on campus called white house

clinic and students get like a sliding

scale fee so that helps pay for like all

your medicine it gives you like a really

big discount or even free sometimes so

like we all get like free checkups if

you need like certain medications or

like a shot or something it can cost a

little bit but because of the sliding

scalfie it's reduced like dramatically

which is pretty cool so i never have to

worry about like being sick and having

to go to the doctor and having to fork

out a lot of money which is a huge

stress reliever so that's just a few of

the pros and cons i could think of as a

senior um i hope it's a little different

than my first video i hope you found it

super helpful

and yeah overall i would say if you're

feeling the call to come here you should

come here um i'll be here until next

december so december 2022. so yeah um if

you see me around feel free to say hi i

hope to see you around campus and i hope

that you have a good time at berea

college if you choose to come thanks for

watching guys

bye