Amherst College Top Questions

The professors at Amherst are fantastic. They make a point to get to know their students. I think in particular, departments can be close groups--especially in the smaller majors.

Professors always know their students names. Students tend to study everyday (on average). a lot of people participate in class, though of course not everyone. I used to spend more time with professors outside of class than i do know. there are no academic requirements which is amazing. it is undoubtedly geared toward learning. students are ultra competitive though not back stabbing or in any negative way, they all just strive to do the best job possible, generally.

Academics here are top-notch: open curriculum means you can take whatever classes you want. Most people do a good job branching out, studying a variety of different disciplines. The professors are so smart and yet able to engage students and make the material palatable. Amherst isn't about preparing you for a specific profession; most people with certain jobs in mind continue on to graduate or professional school anyways. At Amherst, you learn because you want to; picking the classes that you like rather than following core requirements certainly facilitates this process. I can't imagine having to take introductory courses in disciplines that don't interest me.

I never guessed that I would find myself discussing books about human nature at dinner time. this is what amherst does to you. in a good way.

Academically and intellectually I think Amherst is a great environment. Students can either take larger lecture classes with little class participation, or they can take small seminars and really work closely with professors. Most professors are very excited about meeting with students one on one and talking about work. Also, although this will vary among students and groups of friends, I feel as though students have a fair amount of intellectual conversations outside of class. I think education and Amherst is molded by each student to fit his/her desires. If students want to gear their education towards getting a job, then they can take classes that will enable him/her to do that. Students can also work closely with professors and take classes that foster learning for its own sake. The lack of course requirements and the variety of classes help students to shape their own learning experience. Although I think the professors at Amherst are wonderful, I think that Amherst's course catalogue is a bit weak. Amherst tries to make up for it through the five college course exchanges, but I am not sure this is quite sufficient.

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Class sizes are usually small although the recently expanding student body has done much to alter its once small student:teacher ratio. My favorite class was taught by Professor Halgin-- Abnormal Psychology. He is the perfect example of a professor who cares about a student as a whole and their identity outside of class. Classes are pretty rigorous-- usually requiring 5-8 hours of work every week per class.

Academics here can be very challenging and demanding. This is especially true for those who are involved in the athletics. Support from professors here is definitely present, but its just as in any other school where you will always have a select few who are just cold people. With that said the teachers do want to see their students succeed.

Professors will know your name if you ever go see them outside of class. My favorite class this semester is US Economic History. The professor is an absolute genius and extremely funny and even if I tried to not pay attention there is no way I could. The material is extremely relevant too. Students study quite a bit. I tend to wait until the last minute to study, so on a daily basis I don't study that much, but there will be days where I am absolutely swamped with work. In class participation is very common. Education at Amherst is definitely geared at learning for its own sake.

The open curriculum is great for students who want to explore a little of everything and get a really well-rounded education. Intellectual curiosity is fed and encouraged, with many opportunities for students to conduct their own research and experiments on topics of their choice, or work with professors on independent projects. Professors are extremely accessible and approachable, making themselves available for office hours, one-on-one help, and even inviting students into their homes, out to dinner, or to lunch in the faculty dining hall. It's thrilling to work alongside some of the foremost scholars in their fields and actually buy the textbook written by the professor who's teaching the class. The school's general philosophy is opposed to pre-professional tracks of study, but rather aims to instill a passion for learning and and help students establish a base that will serve them well wherever they go. Be prepared to challenge your own beliefs and conceptions, though. You may find yourself with fewer answers than you began with upon entering the college, but this, to me is evidence that you've gotten the most out of your courses here.

Amherst's academics are excellent. There are no graduate students, and the focus on teaching is emphasized. My professors all know my name, and are more than willing to spend time discussing ideas or how to improve a paper. There are no academic requirements, other than taking a first-year seminar and choosing a major, so for the most part there aren't students in your classes who are just there to check something off a list. To do everything correctly, you have to spend a huge amount of time doing schoolwork. Some people spend almost all their time working, most people do most of the work and do fine, and some people do very little work and get by. Amherst is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake (at least in the humanities--I'm not sure about science or economics) but there are also great campus resources to help you get a job later.

When I see them on campus, I always tell prospective students that at Amherst, their experience will depend on them and what they choose to make of it. It is up to each student to manage his/her own time, and to balance work with pleasure in order to stay focused and keep a little sanity. Nobody can do all the reading, but if you don't do any, you aren't going to get as much out of a class as you could be. You may get by anyway, but to really milk an Amherst education for what it's worth (which is a substantial amount), you need self-discipline and a lot of motivation. Fortunately, the school provides a lot of outlets and a strong support network, whether it is at the writing center, through a school-provided tutor, or from the professors themselves, who seem to be available almost 24 hours a day. There is always someone ready and willing to sit down with you and help you sort out your life, and figure out solutions if you are having problems.

Classes go WAY beyond the classroom. I frequently carry on discussions about class in the dining hall or the dorm. Professors often invite students to their own homes for further discussion, etc. and students are able to take professors out to eat for free through the college's TYPO program! Research opportunities for undergrads abound, especially because there are no graduate students. The best part, by far, is the open curriculum! No core...no distribution requirements...Amherst is one of five schools in the country that lets students take classes in WHATEVER they want!

Almost all my professors know my name A lot of students goof around and then cram really hard for tests or pull all nighters before papers. Yet there is enough work that people are still working fairly consistantly. We definately have intellectual conversations outside of class, although not always about class topics, but just about issue at the school, politics, social issues, life in general... Amherst students strive to do their best, but not really against each other. I never know how anyone else has done on a paper or test, and I only know the GPAs of my very best friends, and even that is through the grapevine. I took a really cool class on the Beatles, where for credit, I joined a Beatles band and played songs on the guitar. I love the lack of core requirements. It allows me to take what I want, and not get bogged down in courses that are boring to me. Students end up taking a wide array of classes by choice anyways. The education is much more towards just learning, I really have no idea what kind of job I will be qualified for, but I'm sure that employers will want me just becuase it says Amherst on my diploma.

My professors know my name and most of them are eager to get to know me personally. The majority respond to their emails promptly which is nice, and are always willing to answer questions and facilitate discussions even in a lecture class. My favorite classes were Sociology: Drugs and Society , Music: History of Rock N Roll, History: History of the US Prison System (held in the Hampshire County Jail with inmates as classmates). Students vary in the study time. There are some who are always studying and in the library. And then there are some who play video games all day and never seem to do any work. Class participation is common, especially in a small classroom which is great. My majors are History and Spanish. History has been great with a wide range of topics and professors. Spanish has been more difficult as my first Spanish course was not counted towards the major and my summer abroad courses were not counted either. Sometimes I TYPO (Take Your Prof Out) my professors to dinner, paid for by the school, which is always great. I love Amherst's lack of core curriculum. It has given me freedom to take lots of interesting courses that I like and can excel at rather than difficult/boring courses like Math that I have no interest or skill in. Amherst education is geared toward learning, especially engaging the current affairs and developing a sense of advocacy and social justice. However, it can't hurt to have an Amherst diploma when applying to jobs.

Professors are really good about getting to know students and encourage you to come chat with them outside class even about non-academic subjects. Professors reglarly come to our swim meets. Also a lot of oppurtunities to be involved in their research. Students are not competitive and often form study groups. I am sometimes surprised by how many people are shy or just lazy about class participation. I have intellectual conversations outside of class and I get the feeling it may be common but don't really know. An Amherst education is definitely geared towards learning and not towards specific job skills. It's more up to the student to develop a specialty on their own and gain experience through summer oppurtunities.

Classes are alright, personally, I am in a lot of introductory classes, so there is not a whole lot of interaction with the professor or class participation. But everyone takes class serious and is very serious about their grades, even athletes. Open curriculum is awesome.

Amherst has no academic requirements apart from a mandatory freshman seminar, which really gives students a lot of freedom to take the classes that they want, and also to experiment in different disciplines, without having to worry about scrambling to met requirements if they take a class that might not go toward a major. The idea of an open curriculum seemed overwhelming to me initially, but once it came time to register for classes the first time I really appreciated it.The majority of professors do know the names of their students, especially if you are in a smaller class. Sometimes, with the large lectures (intro classes usually) the professor won't know you , but usually there are some smaller group meetings of the class, usually in the form of discussion sections where the professor will get to know you. As a history major, I have found that all of my professors have known my name in my classes, and the majority of them have known some other things about me. It is easy to get in touch with professors for the most part, and because they for the most part are not dealing with hundreds of students, they are usually available to meet and talk with you. Class participation is very common, although by no means required. Because professors make an effort to get to know you, it is not as intimidating to speak in class as you might think. For the most part, because the professor knows everyone's name, it is easy for the other students to get to know each other as well. The education at Amherst is not pre-professional, but that does not prevent Amherst students from getting high end jobs right after graduation.

Professors definitely know your name. Most students study a lot and class participation is common. It is possible, however, to pass through many of the humanities classes with little effort because of rampant grade inflation. Sciences are another story.

Of course professors know my name! No question. Favorite Class - Playwriting. Playwright-in-Residence Constance Congdon is a riot (not to mention brilliant and loving.) My classmates are really funny writers and the rapport between us is unbeatable. Least Favorite Class - Novels, Plays, and Poems: Waste of my Life. Students study often, I would say. I don't because my classes usually don't demand it of me. But if you're into science, expect to have little to no life. Class participation is very common, although Amherst students are more eager to listen than to jump into the conversation a lot of the time. Amherst students DEFINITELY have intellectual conversations outside of class. We're not that competitive with each other, only ourselves. Most Unique Class - Reading Popular Culture: Girl Power. We got to watch clips from Buffy and Alias, watch music videos by the Spice Girls and the Dixie Chicks and watched movies like GI Jane and Thelma and Louise. Instead of papers, we ran our own blogs. Amherst's academic requirements are fabulous because we have an open curriculum and they're pretty chill in general. I've had no problem thus far. Education at Amherst is definitely geared for learning for its own sake. Otherwise we'd be allowed to take non-liberal arts courses and learn actual skills (which we aren't allowed to do, btw.)