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In the third episode of our Student Interview Series, Graduate Student Ambassador Christina Barnes shares about her experiences at the U of A. Christina touches on the local community, her love of Razorback sports, unique student support programs, and why the University of Arkansas was exactly what she was looking for.
Transcript:
My name is Christina Barnes. I am a second year Ph.D. student in the department of Psychological Science.
What led you to attend the University of Arkansas?
I spent my entire life in Virginia. I grew up in the same house; my mom still lives there. And then I went to college in Virginia and I was really looking for a big change when I started thinking about going to grad school. There were a lot of great schools in Virginia that I could have considered, but I kind of was like – I want a different vibe. I want a different group of people to interact with. I want a big change. So I was looking at different grad schools out of state, and my undergraduate mentor actually pointed me in the direction of Arkansas. I hadn’t really considered it seriously. Didn’t know much about the school. Don’t know anybody that lives in the state, but I was looking online and I thought the program seemed like a really good match. My advisor seemed like a really good match. And then by the time I came to interview here, I really loved Fayetteville.
How would you describe campus life at the U of A?
Campus is cool. I really, really like it. Everybody’s really nice. And Fayetteville is not a small city, but kind of has like a hometown feel where you can walk into like a whole bunch of local places and see the same people and, you know, be greeted by them. You can stop into the Union and see a bunch of different faces. It really does feel like a fun community. You know, you go to school here, or you teach here, or you’re staff here, and you’re a part of this larger Razorback community, which is really cool and really fun.
What makes our university unique?
I think it’s got to be the sports. I was only mildly a sports fan, but then I came here. Nobody warned me about the Hog Call, so my very first home football game, I was like, “Wow, this place is super weird. What are we doing?” But once I figured out the appropriate timing of the woos and all that, I was like, “Oh wow, this is really cool.” And, no matter where you go, people know the Hog Call. I could go to another country, meet a Razorback fan, and we could “Woo Pig Sooie” until we’re blue in the face.
What has been one of your favorite memories or experiences at the U of A?
When I came to the U of A, I did this program called RISE. Basically, it’s kind of a program for students to get acclimated into grad school. And I met a bunch of really great people, people who I’m still friends with to this day. This one specific day, as a part of our bonding and getting to know each other, we went to karaoke. And that’s my fun memory. Like, it was just cool. Coming to grad school, like I said, I didn’t know anybody when I came here. Didn’t know anybody in the state, had visited the one time that I came for interviews. So, I still was not totally sure what I was, you know, how I was going to fit in, how I would feel about being there. And that was kind of my moment where I was like, “Okay, I can have fun here. Like, these people are my friends, even though I’ve only known them for two days, and we’re goofing off, singing songs, and being completely just free and fun.”
What advice would you give to those looking into graduate school?
I always tell people to look for a place where you feel like you can grow. In my case, I was looking for someplace that was completely different than where I had been, and I was looking for a place where people were really friendly. And I found that a hundred percent in Arkansas. I feel like one of the best things about graduate school is that you’re supposed to keep getting better. And not just in your, you know, academic career and like the research that you do, but as a person. You know, you’re supposed to go through tough things and come out on the other side and you’re supposed to have positive moments and memories that will help you become the best version of yourself.
