Case Western Reserve University Top Questions

There has never been a class in my past 6 semesters at Case where the professors did not know my name. Oftentimes, a student will not even need to make too much of an effort for professors to know their names. Some professors actually study the pictures of students and know their names the first day of classes. Students at Case are highly competitive, but this is primarily a result of where these students want to end up after graduating. If it is medical school, law school, or some graduate school, students are all striving to get A's and B's. However, competition between students is not very great, because the grading system supports a collaborative learning environment where there are no set numbers of A's, B's, or C's a student will be able to assign at the end of the semester. This is quite a relief and it makes Case an even more powerful institution because of it.

Professors are very personable. They are also some of the top researchers in the country. Classes are hard work. You should expect a lot of homework, but you will learn more than you could ever imagine. The materials engineering department is especially good. We not only have our own foundry but a state of the art imaging center. The student to faculty ratio is almost 1 to 1 in this department.

Classes at Case are hard. It's not too uncommon to go to the library on Friday night - if you have to do it, you do. There's no denying that we do our share of work at Case, but in the end it's worth it. We get a great education, amazing friends, and good jobs after college.

there are not many people in my nursing class, so most of my teachers know my name, but not all do students generally study every weeknight, but study more some nights compared to others i am excited about taking my photography class next semester i am not sure yet how i feel about sages, i think that i am more for them than against them, but i wish that there were more availble(they are all at the same time) i especially like how for nursing i am in the hospitals from week 1, instead of junior year like other schools

The best thing about Case Western Reserve University is the opportunity for students to get to know their professors. The student-professor ratio is often 8-1 in labs, seminar classes, clinical (nursing) or research. Professors at Case Western Reserve University have a genuine interest in the lives of their students. Students feel supported in not only their academics, but in their personal endeavors and extracurricular activities. Case Western Reserve University is a powerful learning environment that focuses on the whole educational experience of the student. Students at Case Western Reserve University are competive, but supportive. We work together because classes are challenging and students know that they must give each other support academically and emotionally. There is no sense of cut-throat competition, but students try their best to achieve their maximum potential. Students are serious about learning how to be a better student and how to make the world a better place through their education. Students take advantage of internships and co-op opportunities that are offered through the university and the greater Cleveland area. They know that if they work hard to intern now, they are one step closer to the door to the professional world. Case Westen Reserve students are almost always offered jobs upon graduation at their place of previous employment. Employers are continually impressed with the work ethic and passion Case Wester Reserve students possess.

Academics at Case is highly respected. The work load is rather heavy, but professors are more than willing to help you understand the material. It's important to build a relationship with your professor and go to their office hours. Most students study engineering or other science fields but there other avenues you can pursue as well.

We also have SAGES - Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship. Everyone has to take certain seminars (with some flexibility in choices of seminars) and pass a portfolio review. I find that this has been really helpful in improving the atrocious writing skills of some students, though it can be a pain to people who already know how to write.

The science program here is strong. Many of my professors in smaller classes know my name. They are very open to talking and welcome students into their office, during office hours and otherwise. My program, the Bachelor of Science in Biology, has a rigorous curriculum and has required me to take mostly classes that I like, but also a few that I didn't like!

Case is known for its rigorous curriculum. Being smart isn't good enough here - you have to work really hard and have to be proactive and curious. Professors tend to know your name, even in the big lecture courses. Students study a great deal. It is very competitive at Case, but it isn't cutthroat and almost everybody I've met here has been kind and helpful. Case is very good at preparing you for the work-place...alumni tend to be very successful. So, most of the education at class is geared towards getting a job.

The academic environment of Case is something closely approximating hell. Everyone wants to leave their mark. Double majors are common. Triple majors are here and there. Single majors with multiple minors are the baseline. Students at Case work themselves to death, often voluntarily. The University Counseling staff handles, almost exclusively, short-term stress recovery. Midterms and finals are a form of trauma. If ever you wish to see a picture of human suffering, wander down to the Kelvin Smith Library at 3am on the Wednesday before spring break and see how many people will still be there hunched over a textbook or laptop. Thankfully, for all the nightmares that our homework load creates, nine times out of ten there's plenty of good information waiting to be found in the classrooms. Professors are usually friendly and open, excepting the occasional curmudgeon or fool, and the resources available to students through the library system or over the Case network are nothing less than extraordinary. You'd have to be brain dead to not learn something here. In the true spirit of liberal education, however, what you learn will be a mish-mash of practical skills and abstracted theory. I began at Case as an electrical engineer and left the department because I discovered that in my four years as an undergraduate, I would never get to engineer anything electrical. The TI-89 takes precedent at every turn over the soldering iron or the screwdriver, and I didn't like the idea, so I took up English and Theatre, hoping and praying that I would get to do my own work. I occasionally get my wish.

Coming from a very small department in the dusty humanities corner of campus, I've had a lot more personal interaction and support from my professors than most science and engineering students. I've had primarily small, seminar-style classes with wonderfully intelligent, engaging professors, many of whom I am friends with outside of class. The few duds were disappointing, but overall I've had an excellent experience with the academics in my own field. The gen-ed fueled steps outside it have been slightly less warm, but interesting nonetheless.

The academics at Case are widely known and respected and for that I'm grateful, because I know that when I graduate, it will be much easier to find a job. On the other hand, because Case is so well respected and because it is a research one institution, the emphasis is not always on education, at least for undergrads. It has been my experience that I am paying $40,000+ a year for book suggestions. I realize that I am in college and need to do a great deal of work to learn the material on my own, but a lot of times it feels like I'm doing all of the work. I don't mean to insult all of the professors because there are some out there that are great teachers but the vast majority, especially in the engineering field just aren't very good at it. I have had professors that graduated from MIT and Harvard, they're brilliant people, but they know the information so well that they can't imagine how a lowly undergrad like me wouldn't be able to understand the information within the first 5 minutes.

The best part about Case is that I have never had a class taught by a TA. Professors are all very hands on and want to get to know their students. There is a real sense of academic integrity and desire to learn for the sake of learning. Engineering and the sciences are really strong, but personally I'm a religious studies major and I love the department here.

I like small classes and Case offers them. Of course, my major not being BME or another "hard science" track offers me smaller classes and more contact with the professor. I just finally chatted with my chemistry professor for the first time and it meant a lot to me. Knowing that your teacher has some idea who you are means a lot when you really are not happy with the class in the first place. Class participation is common, no matter the size of the class, and I really like that. Case students DO have intellectual conversations outside of class, and I LOVE it. Brilliance illuminates the sky.

I have been in large and small classes at Case.. classes where professors know everyone and classes where professors know no one. A lot of times it takes effort on the students part to get to know their professors and really stand out. I came to Case looking for a rigorous academic environment and I am getting what I paid for. My professors push me to do my best and they attempt to instill values like professionalism and maturity in all their students. I haven't met a professor who doesn't care about the students. I am working on the committee that gives awards to undergraduate professors for their teaching abilities and I was surprised by how many are nominated. There were even professors who I had had who I didn't think were the best when I had them who were nominated and it made me realize that not every professor is my 'cup of tea' but they are all outstanding and have been selected to teach at this school for a reason. I have learned important career related skills but I have also gained a lot of knowledge about the world and about life from my time at Case.

The political science department is pretty small, so most of the professors I've had class with know my name. The classes range from extremely boring and useless to pretty darn good, but it's not consistent across the board. Most of the professors here don't really like to teach and are just here to do research, especially in the maths and sciences. Most students here think they are a lot smarter than they really are, and walking around campus you'll hear lots of people talking about classes or how dumb their professors are. The truth is though, that Case accepts more than three-quarters of their applicants so they don't really weed out any of the dumber kids. I feel like my education is geared towards learning for the sake of learning, because there sure isn't any help getting a job for kids in the social sciences.

Academics is a major focus here at Case. Students spend a lot of time studying. Professors expect a lot of their students both in terms of work load and difficulty of course concepts. Students are very invested in their work, and tend to be very competitive. However, students are willing to help out and study together. My major is polymer science and engineering, and it is a great major. The department is small, only graduating less that ten students a year. My professors know my name, and I have a close relationship with my advisor. I also have had the opportunity to work in a research lab since my freshman year, which has helped me to decide that I would like to pursue a Ph.D. after undergraduate.

some of the intro classes are pretty big, but the biggest room only holds about 300 people, so no class will be bigger than that. even so, most of the professors i've had are very nice and approachable. even my professors from my 200+ classes know my name, because i have introduced myself to them. many people i know study A LOT. the education at case is geared at preparing you for grad/professional school.

In all classes the teachers learn your name, if you go to them and are not just face that they see 2 to 3 times a week. Case students are studying quite often. My favorite class was sign language. I liked it, because it was a fun class that I didn't have to worry about memorizing reactions. I worked hard, and I did well. It was great, because it was a break from my usual set of classes. I sometimes wonder if Case where is guiding me, and I realize that Case isn't guiding me, I chosing where I want to go, and Case is helping me go there. Some schools its all about getting a job, other schools are about getting into med school, Case is about helping me find out what I want to do, and where I should go to do it.

They're great. I learn a lot and remember a lot. My best profs have been Dr. DiIulio, Dr. Pearson, Dr. Demaree and Dr. Toman. These are some of the few people I've run into who care about my education and hope that I succeed. I've recently been studying for the MCAT and so far, I think I'm well prepared for it. The unfortunate thing is that admitting the types of people Case is now admitting, is that the students care less about the academics. The academics, as a result, suffer. Students goof off a lot more and gripe about grades. It seems like their focus is much more on getting into med school than actually learning the material. I attribute all of that to the university's shallowness in who they allow to come here. People who are more serious about Case's lousy sports teams than helping people through their education really don't have a place here. Most of the professors care a little bit more about their research than their students. They're forced to teach so do a mediocre job and use the same powerpoints for years...not devoting much time to it.