Kenyon College Top Questions

Academics are really challenging, but that is the main reason why I came here. I enjoy the classes and professors. I have really been able to get to know my professors personally, which I do not think I could have done at a larger school.

academics are of utmost importance at kenyon. the professors push every student to reach their potential. this also results in heavy work loads. the classes can sometimes become so intense learning is not fun anymore, and becomes a burden. the competitiveness of the students depends on the class. some classes work together to become better acquainted with the information while other classes have students who gloat at others' misfortunes.

There is no better place for academics. You won't really appreciate how outstanding the teaching really is unless you have taken classes at other universities. The professors are excellent teachers, as well as enthusiastic about their subjects and their students. There is a lot of discussion in class, which can make the classroom experience laid back and enjoyable. Even in the lecture classes questions and discussion is encouraged, and the classes are small enough to let every student voice an opinion or question. Professors are readily available outside of class and encourage you to go see them. They love to speak to students and I couldn't write of them more sycophantically if I tried. Basically, I am currently studying abroad and greatly miss Kenyon professors. Only by taking classes away from Kenyon can I truly appreciate how amazing are Kenyon classes. Many of them are especially interesting as well- from critiques of Roussea to problems with renewable energy.

I'd say education here is geared more towards learning for its own sake and to become and more well rounded and intelligent person. Professors definitely know your name, and usually they know it by the end of week one, even in a lecture class. The professors are extremely nice and helpful in office hours. It's just dumb not to go to them and get help on papers or studying for finals. IPHS is a really sweet department. Some Faculty will have students over to their houses, but that only happens with small seminars usually.

The academics are great!!! They're what originally attracted me to the school and out of 19 professors, I've only had 1 I didn't get along with. Even classes I had to take for requirements weren't bad at all because the professors are so knowledeable about their field that they really try to make the students excited to learn about what they're interested in. The 18 professors I've gotten along with have always been willing to help me out when needed. I recommend any class by Tazewell for drama, and I've heard Kramer is excellent as well. Lester and Reinhert are also very enjoyable and knowledgeable!! For English, I've had Mason, Matz, and Mankoff, and they're all been incredible. Some people get competitive about grades, but no more than at other schools. I'd say the most competetive aspect of Kenyon is getting into the classes you want. English and Art can be difficult (unless you're a major). Also, music groups and plays are competetive to get into, but if you're persistent and get your face out there it's totally possible to do.

Classes are small. I've yet to have a class with more than 22 students, and many classes are much smaller. The professors are great; they all have lots of office hours which students are encouraged to come to. The atmosphere is probably not as competitive at comparable colleges; student work hard for the sole purpose of learning. The difficulty of the grading varies a lot from major to major and professor to professor. Some classes are an easy A-, while others require a lot of hard work just to get a B. Sciences tend to be harder than humanities and fine arts.

Professors Know your name. Even in intro classes, just a small effort can go a long way to getting to know a professor. You don't have to put up with bullshit professors, usually you can transfer classes easily and most teachers have their reputations so picking classes is pretty simple. Lots of participation, even lecture classes become participation grounds, and most teachers have at least 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the grade riding on participation. Students are competitive, but no overly zealous. There are those few cut throats, but generally if you want to find someone to study with or get some info from it is possible. Political Science is a great department, lots of neo-conservative opinions within the teachers, but for a very liberal college, this supports a lot of political dialog.

It is important to know that Kenyon is an intellectually challenging school. The teacher are very personable and love to get to know their students. The teachers also hold you to a high standard too. They know what you are capable of and they expect you to accomplish it.

Great academically, one of the best. English major may be TOO hard. Professors are great, take you out sometimes. Definitely liberal "learn for learning's sake" pedagogy.

Also, I have to say that I have gotten along very well with all the professors I've had. I am also in two majors (PSCI and MLL) where the classes are usually smaller. However, I have found professors here to be exceptionally approachable and encouraging. And of course, it is always nice to meet people who actually care if you study or not (again home-trauma...) I love all of my PSCI classes. I feel very lucky that I could take political science at Kenyon. I had no idea of the fantastic professors when I applied, but I guess I lucked out. I am also pretty impressed with the number of intelligent conversations among students that I've heard. It is definitely not uncool here to be smart and to like your classes. From this point of view, I think Kenyon is a special place and is doing a good job of maintaining academic standards, as well as creating an environment where learning is important.

Kenyon has great academics. One can find joke courses or less-than-par teachers who seem uninspired or of the same or a less level of education the the average student; but, if you care about what you study, you will rarely fail to find something great.

The English department, our largest and most well respected department, is highly overrated. The creative writing program is particularly bad. Visiting writer positions (visiting writers are the lifeblood of any small program) are handed out for political reasons. The staff poets are not especially accomplished, either as poets or as pedagogues. The students like to think of themselves as writers, but, on the whole, are not well read and not very talented.

The small school size allows for small class sizes. Professors know all their students' names (except for intro level lecture courses). Most students study a lot, and in general the academics are difficult, but manageable. Students are not very competitive. Also, it's fairly easy to get into the classes that one wants. The requirements are acceptable by my standards.

Professors here are great. The majority of the classes here are twenty people or under, but even in the larger classes the professors make an effort to know your name. And they all have office hours where you can go in to talk about an assignment, a test, or just to chat. One time I went into my creative writing professor's office and he ended up pulling out journals he had from when he was a little kid and we swapped tales about the ridiculous stories we'd written as kids. Pair that with my /Paradise Lost/ teacher, a class with about 70 people in it, who knew my name when I went into his office and said to me as I was leaving, "Ms. Day, please forgive me for poking fun at you, it's all in good spirits." Almost every professor I've ever taken a class with still remembers me and says hello to me around campus. They probably know their students so well because class participation is a big focus here--teachers often don't lecture all the time, but instead insist on students adding their opinion and occasionally engaging in debate.

Academics at Kenyon are close-knit and very important. Everyone at Kenyon has some kind of academic pursuit that they care about, and you do find kids having conversations about classes at dinner tables or even parties - discussing the Civil Rights Movement or the merits of a stream-of-conscience narrative over beers. Professors are laid-back and honestly care about getting to know students, especially in upper-level classes. I've found them all to be very helpful during office hours, even if you're a non-major, if you put work and time into the class. Participation if very common, but the academic atmosphere is friendly. My favorite classes have been in the history department - Roman history and African American history, and also Creative Fiction (short story writing). The education is the part of Kenyon that I value the most (and the reason I haven't transferred) - it's a true, classic liberal arts education that is not pre-professionally geared, but for the sake of learning itself. That said, I would NOT recommend the freshmen IPHS class.

The distribution requirements can be tricky to follow--read the course book carefully. Also, if you want to major in certain fields (Bio, Chem, maybe Eng), you just about need to take an intro level class as a freshman. Some of the classes that are meant to help people get distribution requirements done (Intro Psych, Art History) can be bad or good, depending on the prof...try and talk to people about it! All of that aside, I've loved most of my classes. Most professors really enjoy thier subjects and are willing to discuss points of interest. Class participation really depends on the class and the professor (and the time slot!). Several of my profs give daily reading quizzes to make sure that everyone's done the reading, which is really good in a seminar class--it means everyone is prepared!

The academics of Kenyon are top quality. The professors here take time to get to know you and will look as you as peers. As a result, the typical Kenyon professor is dynamic and and wants to see you improve as a student. The students here are (generally) not competitve.

The professors know who you are very quickly, since many of the classes are small. There's a lot of studying that goes on here since the level of academic excellence they expect you to be at is high. The academic advisers for the most part are helpful as well, though I have heard stories from people whose advisers are unhelpful. Class participation is very common, especially in seminars. In a way, most people are competitive, but it's never verbally discussed, as are grades. Intellectual conversations take place anywhere at anytime. There's never a dull moment when it comes to talking politics or philosophy. I love my seminar on the Black Public Sphere this semester because it takes a topic people rarely hear of and looks at it from different angles. The writing portion is hard, but it's a skill we need to learn. Kenyon's academic requirements aren't too bad. I don't have to take math or English or chemistry anymore. I plan to major in International Studies and Sociology. The Sociology program is awesome, but I don't like that you cannot focus on an established area of the world (i.e. Western Europe) for International Studies, so I've had to work my way around that. I wish they would offer minors in languages such as Spanish or French or in Political Science. The education is geared towards more education as well as getting a job.

The professors know their students well. Classes are small and supportive. Some professors can even tell how a student is feeling based on the work that student turns in. Of course, that kind of knowledge depends on class, how much you interact with a professor, and in some cases, the department. I'm an English major, and despite the fact that it is one of the largest departments in the school, class sizes are still pretty small- small enough that all the professors know the kids in their classes and remember them from year to year. We're not a very competitive school. No one knows their class rank until graduation, and it doesn't matter. Academic support can be found in a number of different places, and the first place most people start is with their friends. Kenyon is definitely about learning for its own sake, to the extent that some departments discourage professors from talking about practical job hunting skills or career opportunities. It can be stressful when you're an English major with no direction.

The relationship between professors and students is one that is very intimate. I have been over to multiple of my professor's houses whether it was just as a visit, or to eat dinner with the class. The classes are generally challenging although there are certain classes which are harder than others. I have learned a great deal, and have been able to reach out to many areas of academia which I may have not been able to at a different school.