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.