College of William and Mary Top Questions

If you aren't willing to commit time to studying and academic life, you should not come here! W&M is known for its rigorous courses and intense science program. Unless you take Intro Biology, none of your classes will be over 150 kids. And most classes are about 40ish kids, unless it his a higher level specific course. I don't particularly like any of my professors this year. They can be kind of harsh. Most are pretty average. Smart, reasonable, and typical lecture teaching. I've heard there are some amazing professors though. Students are fairly competitive, especially if you get around the pre-med bunch. I haven't seen anything too cut-throat. But most kids are very concerned about their GPA, grades and how their transcript looks. I wish there were more intellectuals. Plenty of kids are smart, but most are just concerned with getting a good grade and their work done. I haven't noticed much intellectual conversation happening. The Kinesiology dept has some really fun classes like Adventure Games (which is ropes courses, rock wall, and zip-lining), kayaking, yoga and judo.

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Many of the classes here are interesting, but I wouldn't say any of them are easy. The professors are great, in that they're always willing to meet and answer questions, however, they do expect you to work at their class in order to get good grade. Class participation is important, and usually part of your grade in any given class. I was shy in high school and didn't participate much, but I haven't really had trouble with it here. Everyone, including the professors are very accepting of others opinions. I haven't really noticed a competitive air in any of my classes, but I do notice students talking about academic topics during meals and others times outside of class. I haven't personally spent much time with some of my professors, but I do frequently see students talking to them. I think the school is very helpful in working to get people jobs. In conclusion I think the academics here are difficult, but it pays off, because of the relationships, connections, and opportunities we get out of it.

Academics at William and Mary are definitely a primary focus for both students and the educators there. Requirements and expectations are exceedingly high, and many students find themselves pressed to earn a B with significant studying, where they may have made straight As in high school. Sometimes, it appears that it may be less pressure created by professors to succeed, but by students on themselves. Most students plan to continue their education in graduate school of some sort, and high GPAs are a premium. However, there is a noticeable deficit in competitiveness among students, especially considered the emphasis placed on grades. Most people within a friend group will all be studying completely different topics, and it is understood that some departments and classes may be harder than others (e.g. organic chemistry vs. introductory economics). It's difficult not to overhear at least one serious academic conversation going on in the dining hall or on the way to class, which was really exciting for me. It was a really great feeling finding a university where students were as passionate about learning about things that they may not have necessarily known much about. In terms of my academics, I usually study about 4 or 5 hours a night, and this would hardly be considered uncommon. Many students study approximately as long as I do, and study habits vary on whether or not midterm or final season is upon the school. 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of classes are taught by a professor, and i have never had a class which wasn't taught with one. Meaningful class participation becomes increasingly common as the difficulty of classes increases and the number of students in each class consequently decrease. For example, in a lecture heavy class of 250 students, individual attention by the professor and class participation may be hard to come across, but a seminar-style class provides much more professor interaction and the need for participation in class becomes more important. That being said though, there are still opportunities for the professor to get to know your name, but much more effort may be necessary. It isn't common for underclassmen to spend much time with professors (other than occasionally bombarding their office hours before an exam), but this becomes more common in smaller classroom settings, with an increased level of intimacy. I am currently an Economics major, working toward a minor in Mathematics. I never thought that I would major in Econ, since I was always more interested in English and History in high school, but I had a great professor freshman year, and my interest in the subject was piqued. William and Mary has a great Economics department; they make the material accessible and easy to understand for those just getting their footing in the field. In introductory level classes, calculus is not expected to have been learned, so classes are much heavier on algebraic manipulation than other universities' Economics classes. In my opinion, this helps keeps some students interest in the subject who would have been turned off otherwise, either due to a lack of understanding, or not having a solid enough mathematics background. My favorite class was my freshman seminar, which I took on Game Theory and Experimental Economics. My class only had 6 people in it, which made for a really fun time, and we got to interact with the professor on an intimate level. The most unique class that I took was an upper-level nonfiction writing seminar that my suitemate and I placed into as freshman. It really gave me an opportunity to challenge myself as a writer and make upperclassmen friends that I still see every now and again around campus.

As an English major at The College of William and Mary, I have taken many classes that are based mostly in discussion. Because of the large amount of student participation, most of my professors have known the name of at least those students who are most active in class, and most have known the names of a large portions of the class. The work load of most of my literature classes is very heavy, requiring a lot of reading in a short period of time, with a good number of essays due throughout the semester. Most professors are very clearly passionate about their area of expertise and find ways to engage the class, though discussions are sometimes dominated by the most competitive students who feel the need to have a say about any point made in class. The academic requirements cross many disciplines and include a limit on the classes a student may take within his own area of study. This allows students to explore what disciplines other than their major have to offer.

Small class sizes and smart, passionate teachers are the norm. There are exceptions to that, but not many. Classes are difficult and students are competitive, but we care about what we're learning and the teachers want you to participate. This isn't a big lecture class type of school, this is discussion and articles and papers. I am a government major, and our Government/International Relations departments are the heart of our school (I'm not biased at all on that, of course). The teachers present the information in such a way that forces you to re-examine the world around you. Classes with boring titles engage you and make that 15-18 page paper seem like less of a stretch. They know bullshit when they see it, so tread carefully, but when you're done, you'll have a degree from one of the top schools in the country, and that means something when you're applying for a job. Most Unique class I've taken? Television Sports Today, taught by the former Vice President of ABC Sports. Favorite class? Tie between Survey of Modern Political Theory and Acting I.

The faculty at W&M are off the charts good. With the exception of the few 200 person classes that I have taken (microecon, intro to computer science), just about every professor makes an effort to know your name and provide ample opportunity to meet during office hours. If it seems as if a professor is intentionally trying to make it difficult to succeed, it sticks out because of how rare it is. In my experience, and ESPECIALLY in classes where I have started off poorly, professors reach out to help me get back on track. It is extremely rewarding to go to a school where you know the professors genuinely care about your education and will go to just about any length to make sure that it is a positive experience. I'm a finance major within the business school. The B school here is two years with almost all of the students applying at the end of sophomore year and starting at the beginning of junior year. There are only a few prerequisite courses- stat, calc, micoecon, macroecon, and accounting. The school offers 4 majors- finance, accounting, marketing, and process management and consulting (PMC)- with a number of other minors and concentrations such as entrepreneurship and organizational leadership. No matter your major, everyone takes the same 11 credits in their first semester, often called the "block" semester. This includes the intro classes to finance, marketing, and PMC, and a couple 1 credit classes. The faculty in the rest of the College are amazing but are still somehow surpassed by the ones in the business school. I have never encountered more dedicated people than those like accounting professor Jim Irving. I had no interest in accounting but had to take the class and heard that he was the best one to take. That was one of the best decisions I've made in four years here. He knows every single one of his students by name, makes the class inviting, and takes an interest in his students even after they have left his class or graduated. Like every one of his former students, I received his Christmas card via email this past semester, two years after taking his class. He still stops me when he sees me in the hall and strikes up a conversation. While he is one of the best examples I can point to a dozen more including my entrepreneurship professor. This isn't limited to the professors either, as the administrators in the BBA office are extremely friendly and effective advisers to all business majors.

The academics at William and Mary are exceptional. In entry level classes, professors are vary between awesome and terrible, however as one progresses through the ranks, the quality of professors undoubtedly increases. Many classes are made or broken based on ones professor. I found Sociology to be an awesome class because it was taught by an engaging teacher who learned all 700 of his students names and made every class extremely interesting. Conversely, I found my Philosophy class to be a struggle because my professor was boring and had a terribly hard time conveying his message to the students. Furthermore, students study non-stop. We have had stampedes to get into the library during finals. I'd say students study too much, however, many have to if they want to maintain +3.0 grade point averages. If a student needs help, though, professors are always more than willing to aid students in need. The great thing about a school with such high caliber academics is that the students are intellectual and are always willing to engage in debates outside of the classroom that are often more mind-opening than most classes. William and Mary is truly a liberal arts university, so, a large part of the education at W&M is learning for the sake of learning. Unless one is in the Business School or a pre-med or law program, this university will not give its students an education geared towards a certain job. William & Mary is brutally hard, however, life is hard.

The academics at William and Mary are exceptional. In entry level classes, professors are vary between awesome and terrible, however as one progresses through the ranks, the quality of professors undoubtedly increases. Many classes are made or broken based on ones professor. I found Sociology to be an awesome class because it was taught by an engaging teacher who learned all 700 of his students names and made every class extremely interesting. Conversely, I found my Philosophy class to be a struggle because my professor was boring and had a terribly hard time conveying his message to the students. Furthermore, students study non-stop. We have had stampedes to get into the library during finals. I'd say students study too much, however, many have to if they want to maintain +3.0 grade point averages. If a student needs help, though, professors are always more than willing to aid students in need. The great thing about a school with such high caliber academics is that the students are intellectual and are always willing to engage in debates outside of the classroom that are often more mind-opening than most classes. William and Mary is truly a liberal arts university, so, a large part of the education at W&M is learning for the sake of learning. Unless one is in the Business School or a pre-med or law program, this university will not give its students an education geared towards a certain job. William & Mary is brutally hard, however, life is hard.

Some. Academics are really bad in william and mary.

The academics are definitely tough. The student-to-faculty ratio, however, is only 12:1. All my teachers know my full name, and my nickname, and the professors are very involved and helpful to the students. I study a few hours a week, with a lot more time put in before I have an exam or a paper due. Since I'm a double major in Marketing and English, I've been lucky enough to get support from the humanities side of campus and the business side.

I went to a private school that required a lot of work to get an A. My first semester at W&M was tough figuring out how to manage my time, but I ended up doing fine. I was also very intimidated when I got here, but now I get mostly A's and think it's almost easier than high school.

W&M is not a party school, it is a study school. The faculty is top-notch and most of them are focused on being good teachers rather than being good professors, which is crucial for students. All of them are open and easily approachable. They are friendly and take students' concerns close to their heart. You definitely have a lot of opportunities to spend time with professors outside class and establish closer relations with them (not just professor-lecturer). Usually the academic requirement are high and students need to put a significant effort.

Apparently our academics are good. People do study a lot. I find the environment less than stimulating, intellectually. My classes are too easy; if I read the textbook and go to class, I am not challenged at all. Professors are great, very willing to engage outside of class, but classes are just not as interesting/difficult as I was expecting. I'm bored.

Most classes I've had so far were great. Of course, the school has some boring professors who drone on, but for the most part, they generally care about their students and what they have to say. The workload is not a joke; you can't show up to a few classes and expect A's, but the assignments are generally interesting and rewarding. In stimulating classes, students interact with each other and the professors as colleagues, and discussion about the topics continue after class. Finals get pretty stressful, but if you work hard and show dedication good grades are possible.

Academic life is a different story. While some of my courses, regardless of level, were disquietingly easy, others were very challenging and intellectually invigorating. Most importantly, you have to find the right major. Don't listen to those preachy zealots telling you how important or enviable a double major is. Pick one and stick with it. Get to know professors and fellow students in the department. Get involved in internships, and derivative student organizations. Most major require between 28 and 36 credits for completion. Take 45. Then with all your other credits, many of which will be eaten up by GER's (General Education Requirements), take courses that just plain strike your fancy. Don't get corralled into a rigid curriculum because you're trying to meet the requirements for 2 majors. Its showy, and it'll give you some bizarre right to brag, but that's it.

Classes here are decently hard, but most of the professors really care about what they're teaching and who they're teaching it to. They are more than willing to find any time to meet, work with your grades to try to help you out, or just grab dinner or something outside of class.

Academics at William & Mary are tough. But because the professors are so great and because students are so supportive of one another, everyone survives. As at any school, time management is key (especially because the students here are so involved in other things), and students do spend a good deal of time in the library. As a liberal arts school, the education you will get here is very comprehensive and more for the sake of learning than job training, although William & Mary's students have a very high success rate of finding jobs and grad school admission. The most unique aspect of a William & Mary education is the faculty. Professors definitely make an effort to get to know their students and to be there when help is needed. Most are very talented teachers and incredibly knowledgeable scholars in their fields.

Class participation is extremely common and the professors know your name. Intellectual conservations happen frequently outside of class and a good chunk of time is devoted to studying.