Colorado College Top Questions

Academics at CC is great. Classes are for the most part limited to 25 students, and they are very discussion-oriented. Most students here are exceptionally gifted academically, however this is not the case for everyone. SOmetimes I've felt that classes have too much discussion, especially if dumb people talk too much. Professors are very approachable and love talking to students.

Academics at Colorado College are special, teachers are on a first name basis and because class size is small they know who you are and remember. Because of the block plan one can have the best three and a half weeks of their lives or the worst. Things can also get intense, especially with lab classes like Organic Chemistry, the plus is that it will all be over in a matter of weeks. Some ask do you learn the same, I couldn't tell you but in my experience you remember what excites you and forget the boring stuff, so in that sense there is retention.

Professors always know my name. They are very accessible and always willing to put in extra time. Students study often but at the same time any day of the week you can find people to party with. I do have intellectual conversations outside of class, sometimes even when everyone in the conversation is under the influence. Students don't talk about grades and they are not competitive. If they are competitive, very few talk about it. And that is not a lie, because at a lot of the top liberal arts schools they say the students are not competitive, but they really are. That's not true here. One of the very best aspects of the block plan is the ability to go on field trips and not have to worry about it interfering with other classes. I am thinking about majoring in geology because you learn by going all around the west to see real-life examples of what you are studying. It is hard to believe as you are driving through the mountains, seeing this beautiful landscape, and camping out at night that this is class. It's awesome. The drawback of having three hours of class in one day (if you're not in a class that is on a field trip) is that towards the end of the three hours, people tend to participate less and are anxious to get out of class. Ecofeminism is the most unique class I have taken so far.

Yes, professors know your name. Class preferences N/A. Student studying varies by class and student. Class participation is the norm. Intellectual conversations outside of class, again depends on student. Competetive - not overly so. Classes again n/a, ditto with major. Yes, spend time with professors outside of class. I don't like the academic requirements, but they make sense for a liberal arts school. I'd say geared towards both.

most professors know everyone names... i would say most do because the classes are so small... and if they dont know your name in a class of 25 then they cant really give you a bad grade can they... haha its their fault for not knowing everyones name you sort of have to partispate a little bit in most classes with the classes being so small essp. history and philsophy classes. students are really laid back... i dont know too many kids who are overly competitive about school work. most of the professors are really amazing and really chill.... they invite you to do stuff after class. A lot of kids become pretty closs with some professors

Professors do know your name. I have liked all of my classes at CC. Some students study a lot, some very little, but on average students are often quite studious and engaged in their subjects. Class participation is incredibly common. I have intellectual conversations outside of class everyday. Students are not very competitive at all. The most unique class I've taken is a history course on Islam from Muhammed through September 11, 2001. My major is Philosophy. I will often talk with professors after class. CC's academic requirements are quite nice. More toward learning for the sake of having well-rounded intellectual skills.

Classes are tiny at CC. By default, a class has to be less than 25 students, and that’s only for the really popular classes like General Chemistry and Intro to Psych. I have not had a class of over 20 students this year, and my FYE (first year experience) course had only twelve. This breeds great student-professor relationships. Professors will usually learn your name by the second day of class or so, and almost always go by their own first name. The block plan is difficult for visiting teachers to cope with, but the ones who really know how to work with it are wonderful. There are definitely some duds, but most professors are extremely bright, friendly, and excited about their subjects. They are almost invariably easy to talk to as well. I have had dinner at a few professors houses, and some will throw their students post-final parties at their homes. Small class size also means high participation, because you aren’t just a seat number in a huge lecture hall. The sparse requirements for graduation at CC mean that generally the kids who are in a class genuinely want to be there, and so discussions abound. The fact that we are in class for three hours with no bells or other classes to worry about helps too. CC students are a hugely intelligent and more importantly intellectual group. Even chilling in dorms you may hear conversations about early Asian art history or the works of Machiavelli or maybe Wagner. Students aren’t competitive at all though. CC is about the least cutthroat place out there; I think students take pleasure in the fact that their peers are driven and intelligent, and don’t want to take that away from them. CC is not a job-feeder school. People are here to learn, not to go straight into a CEO job or become the president’s aide right out of college. Because of this desire for learning, the block plan allows for some pretty cool classes too. My FYE class was world music, and my professor Victoria Levine did an incredible job of bringing in performers of various traditions literally the world over, from Denver-based Irish band Colcannon to Shona Mbira players Cozma and Beaulah Dyoko. We ended the course with a class concert put on for anyone on campus who wished to attend where we played songs and dance from many different countries. My experience is not the exception either. Almost all classes involve something unique. Graduation requirements are pretty easy and allow for great flexibility. We have West in Time, which is any course dealing with Western culture, from Art history to Jazz history to 20th century modern literature of Europe. Science requirements are more of a general lab requirement that can be fulfilled in more or less any subject pertaining to sciences, from psychology to geology. Diverse cultures and critiques is a study of foreign traditions, culture, and art. For instance, my world music class fulfilled that requirement. There is a language requirement, but you can fulfill it with four straight years of a high school language. All majors and minors have their own requirements, and science majors can get pretty hectic on the block plan, as can language majors (I’m a geology major, and the sheer amount of Chemistry and Physics classes is pretty daunting).

Academics are why this school shines. Every professor you have remembers you because classes are relatively small. We study hard during the week and go crazy during the weekend. Students are competitive in certain majors, but overall not really. A lot of students spend time with professors outside of class, they are really accessible.

Does my professor know my name? I would hope so considering that right now I am one of four people in my class. Thats one of the great things about CC, and the block plan. All classes are capped at 25 and classes as small as four students are not uncommon. I am just a freshman, but so far all of my classes have been extremely discussion-oriented. Teachers know that you only take one class at a time, and won't hesitate to give you 6-hours worth of reading in a night.

The main standout component of CC is it's rare Block Plan system. This academic schedule of taking one class at a time for 3 and 1/2 weeks, then a 4 day break, and then starting a new class for 3 and 1/2 weeks etc. works wonderfully for me. I'm able to fully immerse myself in the subject and feel like I'm able to retain information better because of the daily repetition and connections made from something learned the first week to something studied on the final day. And it sticks with you even after you've moved on to a new course, which is a testament to how ingrained the knowledge of a topic becomes within you. I've been able to draw links between concepts studied in a West African Literature class, an Intro to Feminist Thought course, and a sociology class called Deviant Behavior. I've been amazed by my new found ability to discover some common threads between three seemingly very different classes. One of the most interesting classes I've taken has been Renaissance Culture. It was a two block course that met our West in Time requirement and I'm proud of how well informed I now am about this time period. We learned about the science, the literature, the art and the music of this creative age. I enjoyed writing sonnets, seeing the stars through a telescope and studying Galileo's discoveries, viewing the art of Mannerists, and listening to development of music from 13th century plainchant to the complexities found in pieces composed by Dunstable. We embraced this time period and also learned how it has translated into architecture etc. today. I think the small class size is very helpful, professors are very accessible and helpful even outside of class time. I feel like professors here care about you learning as much as possible in the short amount of time they have you for a course. Class discussion is very important and students are encouraged to participate as much as possible to enhance their understanding of topics. I wouldn't say that students here are competitive in the traditional sense, where people compare grades etc. but instead everyone is motivated to learn so you're compelled to do your best as well. I'd say CC is very focused on giving its students the ability to think critically. This will provide a basis to deal with all variety of situations, not just gearing you towards a specific job.

Professors: yes, I feel I know all of my profs. pretty well. Favorite class: heavily based on discussion, poli sci mixed with shakespeare and drawing on xenephon (really interesting), challenging exams that forced us to think differently about the subject we were being tested on. Least favorite class: I've liked them all, but I guess I got a bit bored in antrho when we'd spend an hour or so of class in a lecture-like state. The prof. was a visiting professor though and I really liked the class anyway. Class participation: yes, it's the basis of most classes at CC and a large part of many classes' grades. Intellectual conversations: yes, all the time. Competitive: Not really...everyone is here to learn and not all the concerned about their grades as long as they took something valuable from their class. most unique class: civilizational collapse--an anthro class in which we studied the effects of global warming on civilizations and how climate change and other environmental factors (along with political and cultural) often caused collapse (ex. maya, easter island, chaco canyon). Major/Dpt: n/a. Time w/ prof: I haven't yet other than going in for chats or help during office hours. Academic Req's: I think they cause you to take a wide spread of classes but are loose enough that you can still take what your interested in. I'm a big fan of how math isn't a core requirement. Education geared toward: I think it depends on the department, but at least to some degree I believe that all departments here are primarily concerned with educating for the sake of knowledge and becoming a rounded and intelligent being.

CC's academics is defined in two words: Block Plan. It's the only academic structure of its kind in the country and is the primary reason kids come here. Here you take one class at a time for three and half weeks and you meet every day, Monday through Friday, for three hours. Classes are divided into 8 'blocks' separated by five 'Block Breaks', winter break, and spring break. Do not be fooled, the Block Plan is intense. Really intense. There have been many nights where I've had to read an entire book one night and write a thesis paper on it the next. Most classes end at noon, which leaves you plenty of time for all sorts of activities but also means the professors know you have at least 12 hours to do their homework. All classes are strictly capped at 25, unless team-taught with two professors in which case the most is 32. This makes for a great discussion-based atmosphere and you are guaranteed to get to know your professor personally. However, it also means tough competition for some classes. For example, Intro to Physical Geology and Intro to Psych, both capped at 25, have waitlists upwards of 50 students for any given block. The biggest advantage to the Block Plan is that it offers experiences impossible at any other school. When I took an environmental science class, I went on a field trip to the Wet Mountain Range in the Rockies, hiked a mountain, took tree samples, hung out with my class, and got to goof off in a real wilderness setting. I've also gone to the school-owned cabin and know plenty of people who have gone on week long trips to Baca Campus, a beautiful swath of land in southern Colorado which houses a few CC classrooms and a dorm. There are also countless international blocks, which are classes offered in other parts of the country or overseas. My friend went to Chile for a block where he studied Latin American literature. Because of the Block Plan you can easily take a block abroad, jetting off to another country for three and a half weeks. Built into the tuition is also a 'wildcard' summer course. The summer courses here are extraordinary, the most popular being a classics course where you sail around the Eastern Mediterranean going to the actual places mentioned in the Odyssey. I am personally am taking a six week intensive Italian language and culture course in Florence and the Tuscan countryside. My friend is learning about and working the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver. Another friend is going to Eastern Africa to learn about Hemingway's travels there. Sciences at CC is huge deal. I would recommend any student interested in science at a liberal arts school to seriously consider CC. For the most part science goes right over my head, but the lab class I did take was both the hardest and most intellectually stimulating course I have ever taken. On top of the three hours every morning, labs usually occur at least three times a week for at least two hours. This sounds overwhelming - and it is - but it's incredible to learn something in the morning and actually experience it an hour or so later. The Geology department is famous for it's incredible week-long fieldtrips, CC is the smallest college to have a fully operating cadaver lab, and every intro class is infamously guaranteed to kick your ass. However, beware. If you do get gypped and end up in a not-so-exciting class, you will have to trudge through it for three weeks without reprieve. Skipping class is largely not an option; not only will your absence be very much noticed, your professor will probably email you about it, and you miss the equivalent of a week's worth of 'normal schedule' information. On top of that, three absences in any class is an automatic fail. Motto of the Block Plan: never get sick. Visiting professors can also be a blessing or a curse; they will never know how to handle the Block Plan so you end up getting either a class with barely any work or a class in which you drown from readings.

All my professors remember my name and greet me when they encounter me around campus (and one even came to my dance performance!). My advisor knew me by name and sight after one short meeting. Favorite class: Advanced Fiction Writing. Least favorite: Intro. to Shakespeare. I have never seen so many people studying outside as I did when the weather was warm. 10 to 15 percent of the grade of every class has been based on participation. I have had countless philosophical, literary analyzing, gender-related, and futuristic conversations with friends and other students outside of class. Students tend, on the most part, to be more supportive than competitive, but it still happens. Most unique class: Theory and Literature of the Borderlands. My major is creative writing, which is essentially the English major plus creative writing classes. Includes two to three creative writing blocks, introduction to poetry, intro. to lit. theory, Shakespeare, 19th century lit., 18th century lit., minority lit., and a few more. The department is filled with helpful and amazing teachers and staff. I actually had a visiting teacher for my advanced fiction class: bestseller Jeffrey Lent. I go and visit my professors outside of class when I need help or clarification about class topics or discussions. Academic requirements: I love that the curriculum is diverse, but that one can choose which class in the division one can take (you can choose which science, which foreign language, etc.). I feel that most learning is for learning's sake, but that basically just applies to my interests anyways.