Carleton College Top Questions

Professors are wonderful on the whole, the small classes are really conducive to discussions. Most classes are paper-heavy, expect to do a lot of writing if you are not a science or math major. Many professors have close relationships with students and invite classes to their homes for occasional dinners etc. Learning is generally geared toward learning for its own sake rather than career-oriented, which, being a senior, is now a little frustrating. However, there is a large amount of freedom about what kind of courses you can take, both within and out of your major's requirements.

Phenominal. Professors know your name and most care, but the education can be inconsistent at moments if you get a prof who isn't all that great, which happens sometimes.

The academics are extremely rigorous and there is a lot of work. However, the professors are very helpful and try to help you succeed. Most profs go by their first names in the classroom. There is absolutely no grade inflation.

Carleton excels at academics. The class size is small in all but a few courses, and those are mostly intros. Even in the larger classes, students participate with equal fervor in arguements about the structure of a noun phrase and discussions about a Spanish film's theme. All of my professors have told me to call them by their first names, and they are universally friendly outside of class. Students tend to help each other out rather than compete for grades.

Carleton has incredible academics, but classes are so demanding in terms of workload that it makes me dislike the class.

Classes are hard, but fun. The professors are great, and every professor knows your name, and has probably invited you over for dinner to their house at least once by the end of the term. Students are competitive, but only within themselves. It's a great atmosphere of having everyone want everyone else to succeed. Every class I've ever had has challenged me in one way or another. The coursework is hard, but certainly manageable.

All the professors at Carleton know your name. You're academic life is totally up to you here.

Academics here are the best. All the professors are accesible and get to know you. Classes are SMALL and personal. Prof's doors are always open and they always want to talk. Participation is encouraged and discussions are great. Students are always looking for a good intellectual conversation. The distribution requirements are not hard to meet, save the language requirement which is a bitch. Education is geared toward learning.

All my professors know my name, and I call them all by their first name. My favorite class so far has been my geology classes (into and then paleobiology), because my professors are just so excited and into what they are teaching. Students are not competitive, which I love, it makes it easier for everyone to do well. I think that Carleton's academic requirements are good and that they really emphasize getting a liberal arts education, however, I'll admit that I wish I didn't have to take P.E. in college.

Every professor I have ever had has known my name, first and last. Most professors personally approach you to talk about academics in general. You generally can access professors home information, and there are few professors that would be angry if you called them at home. Professors like to know their students. Class participation is everything, sometimes it is 40 per cent of your grade, that makes reading the material for class all the more important. Students study constantly because the work never stops. Yes, you can have a good time if you prioritize accordingly, but you better be ready to talk about the hundred pages you were assigned. Even if you aren't studying you are talking about something intellectual. It is highly likely to run into people debating politics, religion, or even relativity. Intellectualism isn't about being in class here, it is your way of life.

The Profs at Carleton are fantastic for the most part. Almost all of the professors I've had have been willing to give me as much time with them outside of class that I needed. If I didn't have such close connections with the professors, I think the work would be much less enjoyable. My favorite class so far has been Archaeological Methodology. It is taught by a wonderful professor, Nancy Wilkie, who was the president of the American Institute of Archaeology. She really knew her stuff, and pushed us to really master archaeological techniques. My least favorite class was Calc II. It is by far the most failed class at Carleton. It was a ton of work and the tests were killer. Thank goodness for the Math Skills Center, which was what saved me. One thing that is so great about Carleton is that most students don't compete with one another. The overwhelming majority of my experience is that we all get together and help each other out. One thing I hate about Carleton is that it does not help students who are pre-professional. It's like the school is shying away from the practical side of education. Yes, it is very very important to get a broad based education (which Carleton excels at), but those of us who know we want to be doctors or lawyer or business people get a little screwed because Carleton does barely anything to help us prepare for these paths.

My favorite class was Introduction to Religion with Lewis Newman. Class discussion was always interesting and well-led. I think that leading class discussion is one thing Carleton professors can struggle with - I've been in a lot of classes where professors just ask, "Well, what do you think?" And we sit in silence for a few minutes. It's painful. However, generally speaking, lessons have been good and reading has been interesting and relevant. Students are competitive - not necessarily overtly, but there are a lot of discussions after tests/papers/etc about grades. My Introduction to Modern Indian Fiction class was pretty unique - the professor taught us some history surrounding Indian independence to give us some context for the books we were reading. I learned a lot. I don't really spend time with professors outside of class. I know one or two people who do.

Carleton is a liberal arts school, so we are encouraged to experience a variety of classes. The graduation requirements help to enforce this experience. Professors encourage us to visit their office hours on a regular basis and get to know them well. They are here to be an educational resource both inside and outside of the classroom.

Professors know your name. Class participation is common and I have had many intellectual discussions outside of class. Students take their studies seriously. I once asked my favorite prof if she could suggest some outside reading for me and it eventually turned into an independent study course. We met one on one every week or so for coffee and discussed what I was researching. It was wonderful and epitomizes the level of faculty-student interaction that can take place here.

Last term I took a class entitled "Music and Film", and I am sure it will reside in my top five favorite classes upon graduation. The connections made between visual and aural stimulation as well as associations to the music and film industries as entire aspects of society introduced me to many areas of study I would have never known about. Semiotics and postmodernism are now two areas I explore on my own time and discuss with my former professor.

The classes are small, and you know your profs. Academics are heavily stressed, and it's rigorous, but not unmanageable. If you budget your time, you can do well in school and still participate in sports, have a campus job, and do other extracurriculars. The learning here is definitely not job-oriented, at least in the humanities.

Academics are definitly intense. It's not too unusual to hear that somebody has to study on a friday or saturday night. However, we have lots of fun, you can always find a party if you want or just hang out with friends.

Most professors are quite friendly with students (though not all), and get to know their students on a personal basis. Most of the classes are taught very well (though not all). Most students work a lot, maybe too much. However, this seems to be about grades and studying for a future career. When taken in comparison to their intelligence, the student body doesn't talk about academic or "smart things" outside of class very often. People aren't very competitive however, and are always willing to help other people out.

The professors are awesome. They are very accessible, intelligent, and passionate about teaching. I am amazed by how quickly professors get to know their students and take a personal interest in their academic development. They are tough, but they also provide the resources(including their own knowledge and time) to succeed. Most of all, they are fun! Every Carleton student knows that every other Carleton student is smart, otherwise they wouldn't be there. However, they also recognize that people have different strengths and passions, so there is almost no sense of academic competition. In fact, I find other students(as well as profs) to be quite helpful.

Professors here are fantabulous. They'll know you, they'll go to lunch with you, they'll invite you over for dinner. And they teach well too. They get to know you well too -- I easily got four recommenders for grad school who knew me inside and out, and I could have easily upped that number if I wanted to. A "bad" professor is one who doesn't make you actively enjoy class -- I haven't had any truly objectively bad profs since I've been here, and a lot of fantastic ones. Classes are small -- I've had none with more than 30 people, and at least four with less than six people. The workload isn't too bad (at least outside Math & Science) -- a lot of the weight is put on class discussion, which is good. Grading, on the other hand, is quite difficult -- it's not difficult to get a B, but getting over the hump to an A (or even an A-) requires you to buckle down. But students are not at all competitive here, and they really do enjoy learning.