Connecticut College Top Questions

Academics here are all about incorporating intellectual conversation outside of the classroom. While I enjoy most classes and the work I do for them, most of my productive conversations happen at lunch with a professor or during a program in one of the residence halls.

Professors most definitely get to know your name at Conn. Some of my professors even studied pictures of us so they would be able to say our names to call on us in class. Studying is really all up to the individual. Conn is a work hard and play hard kind of campus. When kids have work they chose to stay in on a Thursday night instead of going out with their buddies but most people make sure they get their work done so they are able to go out every thursday and saturday night. Students aren't too competitive. Most people don't share grades and friends are really supportive if you aren't doing well in a class. People will read over your papers for you or help you study for a test because that is just the kind of people that go to Conn. Good People. The education at Conn is definitely learning for its own sake and then the CELS office is what helps students get internships and jobs during the summer and after they graduate.

Great, small classes -- easy to get to know professors. Great career center.

The academic atmosphere is profoundly engaging here. I took both biology and chemistry this past semester and both professors were great and knowledgeable. I learned a lot in both classes--the material was not especially difficult, but tricky sometimes. While both these classes had 100 kids in them (as entry level science courses, when everyone seems to think that they want to be a doctor, there's bound to be a lot of people; then they realize that maybe perhaps this isn't for them). Both professors knew my name and they were very accessible. Both labs were fun, while I found the chemistry labs more engaging and difficult. PICK YOUR LAB INSTRUCTORS WISELY...search around and try to find out about them. My bio one was kinda of wierd, but a nice person and I absolutely loved my chem one. I also took intensive elementary spanish which was GREAT. I have learned so much and my proficiency with the language is impressive according to people who have mastered the language (either in high school, or its their native language). We went to our professors house and she cooked us food and it was great. Every freshman must take a freshman seminar and mine was cool: Seminar on Socrates. It was very thought provoking and I think I have improved my writing skills through it. I like the professor and he seemed very, very intelligent on the subject.

As I said before, professors here know their students' names, and they genuinely care about the classes they teach. There are NO TAs! I've enjoyed my academic experience at Conn immensely so far, but if you want information regarding a specific department, I can only tell you definitively that our Chem and Bio departments are where its at. If you're a prospective sceiences major, you need to check Conn out.

The academics at Conn are one of its huge draws. Your education at Conn is really what you make of it. If you want to challenge yourself, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. If you want to slack off and slide by doing very little, you can do that too, the professors aren´t going to hound you to get your shit together. At the same time, if you want their help, all of my professors have been really open and willing to provide any guidance. I´ve found the academics to be challenging, but not insane. I work hard every night, but I always have time to hang out with my friends and party on the weekends. It probably helps that all of my friends are in the library with me every night so we can hang out there. Since Conn is pretty small, most of its classes are pretty small also. The biggest class I´ve taken at Conn is PSY 101, and even that wasn´t bad at all. The professor knew all of our names and we had plenty of discussions. I´m a Sociology major and have really liked the Soc. classes I´ve taken here. I´m also in the international studies certificate program, CISLA. It´s a rigorous program, but one of my favorite classes I´ve taken here has been one of my required courses for the program, International Studies: Perspectives on Modern Global Society. We studied current global issues from historical, environmental, economic, and religious perspectives. Not only has what I learned in that class been beneficial for my overall knowledge, but I have been able to apply themes that I learned in that class to my work in other classes. The intellectual environment at Conn is not competitive. Yeah, people care about their grades but they care about their own grades. They are motivated to work hard for their own self fulfillment --to learn for learning´s sake AND to prepare themselves for the future.

In almost every subject, professors know your name so well that you will not find yourself being able to skip class. Chinese class and East Asian Studies 101 have policies that if you skip more than three classes the professor "reserves the right to fail you." I think it makes me a better student- what's the point of going to college if you don't go to class? Of course, their objective is not to fail you, and exceptions are made. My favorite classes so far include Film with Nina Martin, East Asian Studies 101 (Mark Silver will no longer be a professor at Conn but he was great), and Anthropology 104. I will confess that ANT 104 was a larger class and I didn't attend every day, but what I learned applies to everyday life in a way that most high school education cannot. I took ANT 104 and EAS 101 at the same time and they enhanced each other because the subject matter coincided on many occasions- I could always make connections between the two that reinforced what I had learned and made my understanding of the subjects even deeper. Conn students definitely take what they learn to the outside world so much so that I was surprised when I got to college. In high school people laughed at me for talking about school outside of the classroom, but that's the difference; in college you are insired and interested in what you learn and people thrive off of intellectual debate. There is a certain level of competitiveness in each class but it varies with the subject. There was definitely competition in Chinese class among some top students but everyone else seemed to be more relaxed. Conn's academic requirements are much more manageable for me compared to high school. It makes such a difference when you take four classes at a time, ones you're interested in, compared to eight of completely different subjects. Also there are Gen Eds but, for those of us like myself who are not mathematically inclined, there are alternative math classes that fulfill the math requirement.

Class sizes are perfect, the professors know who you are and are always there for help whenever you need them, again you aren't just a face. People try extremely hard and I rarely see slackers or people who don't care about learning. The system of only needing to take one class from a bunch of general areas is nice because there is a lot of freedom to choose what you want.

disappointing and not that hard. they need to do a far better job hiring more engaging and qualified professors.

I love that professors get to know my name. As far as studying goes, students make what they want to out of their classes. By this I mean that one could potentially get by and earn decent marks by going to class and not studying too much. On the other hand if one chooses classes that interest him/her, so that they are willing to invest time into studying and reading, then one can earn good grades. The professors usually notice and appreciate the individual's efforts. Class participation is common.

Wonderful- if you are willing to push yourself, and take harder classes than your buddy Ray-Ray, you're are going to find a lot of work, and a great sense of accomplishment. That's because even though there is a great disconnect between admins and students, the professors bridge this gap through professionalism, passion, and knowledge. So many good professors- and they get better as you hone in on your major, and meet specialists in your field that will blow you away.

The small class sizes, and relatively small departments allow for good contact with professors throughout the four years. Many professors I never even had were willing to answer questions, or advise on future courses. Although I sometimes wish that more courses were made avalable, the fact that it is a smaller school determines much of the course selection, and the courses i did take were informative, stimulating, and helped me to understand that subject in more depth.

Academics at Conn is definitely taken seriously. There are classes that you can afford to miss and skip but you quickly find out which ones and which professors are okay with it. I think the clearest indication of Conns academics is the activity one see's in the library. The library is practically a social scene Monday-Wednesday nights. People definitely take work seriously but they also know what they can get away with not doing. I constantly hear students continuing conversations from class out into the greens and in Harris.

Classes at Conn are pretty small, especially the upper lever. I was a science major and my senior classes had generally 5-10 people. It's great but the professors have a lot of attention to give you...and you'll get it. The labs can be excruciatingly long. Chemistry is an extremely difficult and time consuming major, especially if you love science but do not have a natural knack for it. Only incredible motivation and a tolerance of B's will get you by. I hear physics is equally difficult. Biology and Neural Science are a degree easier and I've seen some incredibly untalented students get by. Environmental sciences is the easy way to do as little science as possible and still call yourself a "science major". The quality of the science education is excellent, you can have as much one on one time with your professors as you like. Some professors are more willing and friendly to help you than others. In chemistry, to drop a few names, Colleen Kaczmarek, David Cullen, Bruce Branchini and Prof Lewis are incredibly kind and wonderful people to talk to for advice. The best person to do research with is Timo Ovaska, you might get published. Stanton Ching is VERY socially awkward, but generally a nice guy. He's a little too laid back on his research so don't expect to accomplish anything exceptional. For biology, if you're thinking about a senior thesis APPROACH THE PROFESSORS BY THE END OF FRESHMEN YEAR. The department is incredibly disorganized and the professors overworked. To drop a few names: professors Eastman, Owen, Askins and Warren (all I really know) are very kind and helpful. Mardi Grossel is a huge bitch to put it bluntly. Find out for yourself if you like, but I don't recommend crossing her path. Connecticut College will equip you with a great science education. It is excruciatingly painful at times due to the heavy course load and small classes, but it will leave you prepared for anything. You can expect to get a great research job from your lab experience. Also be prepared to feel a little smarter than most kids at the school who do about a fourth of the work that you do.

The academics are Conn are both good and bad. it all depends on what department you're in. The Psychology department was really strong and I got to know my professors. They were all very helpful and patient. Some even host dinner parties outside of class, at their houses or restaurants. It's fun to talk about interesting things we've learned in class with friends, and, at least in my circle of friends, it happens a lot. The students are all pretty competitive, but not ruthless. The only thing I don't like is some of the requirements. I didn't like having to take a language or math. The best thing about the academics are that they're geared toward learning about what you like and not just getting a job.

Academics at can are really what you make of them. You can ultimately coast through your four years at Conn with minumum effort with low C's and the occasional B. However, the proffessors are always there and, thanks in part to the small class size, you can become engaged in any of your classes in a way not possible at bigger schools. If you want a challenge there are classes and proffessors who will push you and make you work. The bottom line is that for Conn there is an easy route for those students who wish to cruise through at the bare minimum (I think it's called the American Studies Major), but there is also a harder, more challenging road that will take you into close contact with proffessors and engage you in small, discussion based classrooms.

Most classes besides the intros to bio, chem and psych are fewer than about 30 people; more specialized and higher level courses can have far fewer. Professors are generally helpful and personable and open to talking with you outside of class time. There are some stellar professors and the occasional dud.

Academics are very important to the students at Conn. We work hard before we play hard. One of the most valuable aspects of a small liberal arts school like Conn is the small class size. You get to know your professors in and out of the classroom. The opportunities to assist in faculty research are numerous. I worked two summers researching the effects of nutrient enrichment on salt marsh vegetation with my botany professor in the salt marshes of the Plum Island Sound and continued working one on one with him into the fall of my Junior year. During my senior year I was fortunate to co-author a poster depicting our research for the Estuarine Research Foundation meeting in Providence RI. I can't imagine attending a university in which I was one of 500 students in a class. At Conn, you are not an anonymous face in the crowd. Professors know you by first name. You see them around campus and ask how their kid is doing or how that sweater they are knitting is going. Connecticut College truly is a community.

Academics at Conn are very good, at least in my experience. The professors all really know their stuff, and there are no TA's. There are big science lectures, but any other class is under 35 students, and the professors know everyone's name. Class participation tends to be limited to a few people, especially in intro classes. It is really easy to transfer out of classes, so if you get a professor you don't think you'll like, you can switch. Unfortunately, it is surprisingly difficult to get into classes you want to take. The average amount of classes one takes is four per semester, which is less than other schools. You can take five, but not many people do.

The academics at Conn College is unlimited...if their is something you would like to learn you can. The class sizes are perfect and you really get to know the professors which is nice because they always try and make sure you are succeeding inside and outside the classroom and get to know you for who you are. Yes, the majority of students participate in the classroom and usually have intelluctual conversations about what was learned outside the class. Students are competitive but only with themselves trying to push yourself to the farthest limit and always making sure they set challenges and goals. Yes, there are many opportunities to spend quality time with your professors, either getting tutoring help or going out to lunch. I feel that Conn's academic requirements are challenging but at the same time are obtainable. The education at Conn College is geared toward learning for your own sake and later applying what was learned to the great job that you get after the life of Conn College.