Bucknell University Top Questions

challenging

i really enjoyed my professors, who were really supportive in my unconventional studies (using bucknell standards). there are definitely some bad professors at bucknell, but more so, there are better ones, and in my department, i'm so lucky to have all really amazing professors, who have taken the time to meet my academic goals and cater to my intellectual interests. bucknellians don't really have intellectual conversations outside of the classroom (depending who you are and who your friends are), but ive definitely had some and even maybe one or two heated arguments. if you're really looking for one, it's there. if you expect to have a group of friends that will stimulate you intellectually, "broaden your horizons", do drugs with you, pull an all-nighter, hit up an off-record frat party, and wear the most expensive designer brands, you are probably kidding yourself, painfully. as i did. i feel like most bucknellians are worried about getting a decent job than they actually just want to learn for learning's sake. i especially get that from students in engineering. the people that typically major in business tend to be the most pretentious and i really wonder what they are paying $50k a year for. otherwise, once in a while, you'll meet someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about their academics/curiosities, and it's very refreshing. those type of people are also at bucknell - if someone is willing, again, to look.

I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the thing I like most about Bucknell (besides from my awesome group of friends! Love you guys). School here means getting to know both your classmates and teachers. The school isn’t that large, about 3500, so you will start to realize who is in your major pretty quickly, which makes it easier to find people you can study with. The teachers here are always more than willing to help you with any problems or questions you have. It always shocks me how much the teachers want to help you. I’ve never been one to ask for help, and I always assumed that if I did, I would seem stupid to my professor, but after getting over that fear (this will be necessary for most of you) I realized that everyone of my teachers were caring, understanding and very helpful. And you have every opportunity to get help if you need it. For example, we have Calculus tutor hours from 7-9 every night of the week, where you can go to ask for help on HW from experienced math majors. Great deal, huh? Plus, what better way to learn than to get involved in research. I can’t believe how easy it was for me to get involved in research with one of my professors. I literally looked through different teachers’ research and found a project that really interested me and I emailed the teacher, explaining what my interests were, and how I thought her/his research would help me develop those interests. And to think, my heart was never really into school before college, but now I have this unquenchable thirst for learnin’ (yah, I’m not quite there yet!). Basically, I can’t explain to you how much I enjoy classes here.

As I said before, due to Bucknell's size, my classes have so far been pretty small, and I'm just entering as a sophomore this year! The professors I have had are all nice, extremely intelligent, and have a genuine passion for wanting their students to learn (however, I will say that I've utilized ratemyprofessors.com for each one. Probably saved me a ton of stress). They are not only active researchers in their discipline but active teachers, too. I absolutely love that. My favorite class so far has got to be HUMN/PHIL/ENGL 098 (it's cross-listed), also known as Myth, Reason, Faith. It was my freshman seminar I took as part of the Humanities College. My instructor was Professor Larson, who is also my adviser, and to this day she's my fave. Take her if you can! My least favorite class so far was CSCI 203, or Intro to Computer Science I. Let's just say that I know now that I don't want to be a CSCI major... As a student of the College of Arts and Sciences, I would say that the education at BU is geared toward learning for its own sake. The core requirements are minimal, allow you so much freedom to explore different fields, and learn what you want to learn. I don't know how it is for the engineering college, though.

By the end of the semester, most of my professors will know my name since most of the classes max out at 20 students. It mght be harder in a class with closer to 100 students like an intro level science class like Biology. My favorite class and most unique class was called "Fatal Attractions". It was a 18th century lit and delt with topics such as Libertines, Gothic Novels and sexuality in Literature. My professor loved teaching these topics and was so enthusiastic, even at 8am.

The Psychology and Physics departments at Bucknell are amazing. All of the teachers know an amazing amount of information about their respective fields and they make sure to cover as many details as possible, even when talking about something that may seem inconsequential. Their aim is to make you learn, as that will always make for a better resume and a better person. All of the faculty warmly welcome you into their office at all times, and I have come to know a few on a firsthand basis. They're fun and intelligent! As a friend once said, "They're like inquisitive kids in a grown-ups body."

Academics here span the spectrum. Some of my classes, mostly introductory lectures, have been 100 or more students, while many of my upper level classes have been less than 15 students. By the end of my time here, I've been able to form a close bond with 3 or 4 professors, but sometimes it seemed as though students who weren't exceptionally outgoing (as most students at Bucknell are) were overlooked. The motto "work hard, party hard" has never been more appropriate than here at Bucknell. Students study throughout the week, and on Sunday nights, but always manage to have a good time. One of the good things about Bucknell is you can choose your path in almost anything -- you can choose to be job-oriented, or you can choose to learn for the sake of learning. You can enter without a clue of what you'll be doing in 4 years, and come out feeling like you've earned an amazing education. The general education (Common Learning Agenda) snaps you out of your focus of study and gives you the opportunity to embark on new journeys any way you choose.

My professors are amazing. I've gotten to be very close to so many of them, from taking small seminars and from their willingness to work with me outside of class time. Although a lot of students try to skate by without doing much work, and that can sometimes detract from my own experience, when I've reached out to a professor they've always reached back. The general requirements are very broad, so you are able to make your time here geared toward whatever interests you - either preparing for a job or learning for learning's sake.

Actually I think every professor I've had knew my name. My favorite thus far was History 247 with Prof. Dym. I'm a history nerd and it was on crime and punishment in premodern europe, a new topic for me. Least favorite has been Geology...I hate lab sciences. Hah on any given night you can find half of my team (at least) in the library or study somewhere on campus. I'd say class participation is pretty common, at least for the classes I've been in . Intellectual conversation outside of class: yes, sometimes. Yea we're pretty competitive, pretty driven to due well at least. Most unique class: History of witchcraft. I love being a history major. It's what I'm interested in, and my professors are just as interested. Don't spend time with professors outside of class, but I know people who do. I'd say the university requirements are pretty well rounded. Probably geared towards both between the professors teaching and the cdc working with you to get a job or internship.

All of my professors know my name and make an effort to get to know each of their students. Bucknell students are competitive, but there isn't a cut-throat atmosphere at all.