Blog Entry from Heidi the JWU NODA Intern

Since I completed my undergraduate degree at Rutgers, Rutgers is all I really know and am familiar with in regards to attending and working at a university.  For my NODA internship, I really wanted a completely different experience.  I most certainly got what I wished for.

How is Johnson and Wales Charlotte different from Rutgers?  Let me count the ways…

It’s a small school:  There are only about 2,000 students on the Charlotte campus and they do not have graduate students.  (JWU has four campuses:  The first and largest campus is Providence and the other two at Denver and North Miami are smaller than Charlotte).  Rutgers New Brunswick has over 40,000 students and we have multiple campuses within our New Brunswick campus (an obvious need for our wonderful bus system).  Also, I would argue that JWU feels more urban since it is comprised of just a few buildings in the middle of Uptown Charlotte.

It’s a private institution:  Yes, it’s more expensive, but more importantly I have noticed differences in some policies (such as what the Res Life staff can do here, for example).

It’s a new campus:  The Charlotte campus was established in 2004 which makes it almost one decade old.  The university as a whole will be reaching its centennial at that same milestone.  Given how young the Charlotte campus is, I’ve heard a lot of my colleagues and students discussing how they can get some traditions started here because they don’t really have any.  Rutgers, however, is full of traditions and is even older than the Queen City itself (est. 1769).

It’s very professional/business oriented:  There is a professional dress code for students and signs denoting proper attire are posted in all the classrooms.  There are several headquarters located in Uptown Charlotte (such as the headquarters for Bank of America) which means you always want to be looking your best in case you meet someone important!  They also wear nametags here that are color coded based on whether you are faculty/staff, student leadership, or regular students.

It’s mostly a culinary school:  More importantly…I know lots of people who can make me really great food!  It really is interesting to hear about their lab classes and I’ve never heard people talk about food for so long.  Although there are tons of majors at Rutgers…culinary or baking & pastry aren’t on the list.

Needless to say all of the differences between JWU and Rutgers make this summer such a truly enriching experience!  I have learned so much already and am so thankful for the opportunity to work with such outstanding people.

By Heidi Nicklaus