Knox College Top Questions

Academics is where Knox really shines. Even in 100 level classes, professors are engaged in your learning and willing to devote obscene amounts of time to help you out. A story that comes to mind is my beginning acting class. Aside from weekly meetings to discuss everything from our progress in class to how our term in general was going, the professor would make meeting at ANY time the student requested. In preparation for our final performance, we got two 90-minute coaching sessions. Because of finals, it was difficult to find common time, and the professor actually met us at 11PM and worked with us until a little past 1 in the morning. This is closer to the exception than the rule among professors. There are occasional clunkers, but nearly every teacher on campus is dedicated to helping students maximize their education. The down-to-earth personality of the student body leads to more practical discussions than the head-in-the-clouds nature stereotype of small liberal arts schools. Discussions are intellectual and heated, but not overly philosophic. This is also how I'd describe intellectual discussions outside of class. I've found myself less likely to pick over the finer points of Kant, and more likely to discuss how cultural differences between myself and my suitemates. The main reason I came to Knox was the creative writing program, and I've not been disappointed. The writing professors are, much like the student body, more down-to-earth than one would expect. I call all my professors by their first names, and in general our relationship is less like student/teacher and more like experience writer/junior colleague. Aside from incredibly focused and instructive intro classes, professors are more than willing to discuss grad school and career opportunities in creative writing, and will even provide you contacts. However, the most striking feature of the program is the infamous workshops, usually run from 7:30 to midnight on a weeknight. It's a unique class, but one especially well-suited to creative writing. 4 and half hours is enough time for everyone to get their story/poem work shopped in depth, regardless of length. I've been told many times that there simply is no page limit in these classes. If you turn in a 30 page story, everyone will read, edit and critique all 30 pages with great attention. In addition to the one, large class, we meet weekly in small groups for a more focused discussion with our peers, and then usually once a week with the professor individually for an intensive workshop of your story. I cannot stress enough how much I've grown as a writer as a result of Knox's unique and challenging program.

Professors at Knox are pretty cool, almost every professor I've had knows my name. They are extremely friendly for the most part. They are very accessible outside of class. Even in non-academic situations (ie. Jazz night, covered in the student life section) professors can be seen and will acknowledge seeing you. Classes: A lot of classes are discussion based, therefore participation is a large part of Knox. It's really hard to choose my favorite class. I really enjoy most of the ones I have taken. I can narrow it down to Neuroscience and Theories of Personality. They were really fun to take and I the professors were cool. My least favorite class so far was Research Methods & Statistics 2...the title should explain it. Academic requirements are hard to fulfill if you are in any scientific field because there doesn't seem to be much planning. I have been waiting for a required class for quite some time, and it hasn't been offered. Some of the requirements seem a bit ridiculous to me (for example, language, even though I took nearly 5 years in high school and am fluent in another). I also don't really see Knox as preparing you for a job. They seem more focused on just learning information. LOTS OF INFORMATION.

I am an education major and a Spanish and History minor. I have professors that I am close to in every field. Academics here are great because they challenge you in a way that traditional "leture hall" education can't do. And another great thing is that we are always taught by professors not TA's. The professors are always in their office during ofice hours and are more than willing to help you.

I'm not going to lie: Knox is a very difficult school. However, I have found the entire experience very rewarding and I would never choose another college. I'm on a first name basis will all of my professors and I know most of them on a personal level. The classes are really fun and interesting because many of them are discussion based. I have only had a few large classes (i.e. more than 25 people), but even those have been manageable and my professors still knew who I was. I have never felt uncomfortable asking professors questions or emailing them with something to look over. A few of my professors have even invited me to their homes for dinner or in association with a club event. Overall, the professors at Knox are truly unique and I feel very privileged to have this experience.

Academics definitely take the focus here at Knox. The professors will know who you are and definitely expect you to participate in class. In every single class I've had here at Knox, class participation was at least 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my grade, and in most it was 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} or more. But NO FEAR! If you're terrified of speaking in front of other people, like my roommate is, just work up to it or talk to your professor outside of class about it. They will love you forever if you talk to them outside of class, at least most of the time.

Knox is on a unique 3-3 calender. The academic calendar has three terms, Fall, Winter, and Spring, and we take three classes during each of these ten week terms. This calendar has its pros and cons, but, personally, I love it! The classes are intense, covering an 18 week semesters worth of material in only 10 weeks, but, because you are so immersed in the material, you learn it more thoroughly. Our class sizes are small; the largest class I've had is my current Astronomy class, which was capped at 34, and the smallest class I've taken is 14, although I have heard of classes with as few students as 6. These really allows you to get to know both your professor and your classmates, which is very helpful come finals week, when you are scrambling to write papers and organize study groups. Your classes will definately extend outside your actual classrooms. I took a Gender and Women's Studies class my first term at Knox, and after chatting and become friends with one of my classmates, we decided to start a feminist radio show and blog!

Academics at Knox are a big part of what makes the Knox experience so memorable, and a large part of why Knox was included in Loren Pope's book: Colleges that Change Lives. Every professor I've had knows my name, and will say hello when they see me in passing. My favorite class was "Women, Culture, and Society," taught by Kelly Shaw. Not only were the readings interesting, but the students were allowed to talk for the better part of every class period. Kelly was informed about the subjects we were discussing, which was helpful because she could provide us with facts and information we wouldn't otherwise have, but otherwise it was up to us to make class time worthwhile, and we always did. I never once missed one of those classes; it was the reason I woke up in the morning. If you come to Knox, you've got to be prepared to work hard. Some people might think that we don't work hard because we only take three classes at a time and we take those classes two or three times a week, but the lack of class time compared to other schools is made up for by the work load, and the fact that each term lasts only 10 weeks. It is a very concentrated learning environment, so there isn't a lot of room to slack off. I haven't seen much competitiveness in my classes at Knox so far. I think Knox does a good job of making sure every student has a voice, and every student has access to what they need to get the education they are looking for, so there is not really a need for competition among students for grades or the attention of the teacher. Some of the most unique classes I've seen offered here at Knox are The Holocaust in Theatre and Film, and Jane Austen and Bridget Jones. There are always new classes being offered for a term by visiting professors that promise to be a unique experience unlike any other classes you might take in your typical schedule. I am a double major of Music and Gender and Women's Studies. The Music Department is a very prestigious department at this school. The choir and the jazz ensembles in particular are very well-renowned, and the faculty who teach music lessons are all very wonderful people. There's something for everyone who wants to be involved. The Gender and Women's Studies department is one of my favorite departments on campus, because the faculty are all great people, and every class I've taken in that department has been extremely beneficial to me in some way. Those are the classes that I can tell have had a profound effect on who I am, which is what drew me to the major. During the first week on campus in your first year here, you are taken out to dinner by the faculty member who is going to be your advisor, at least until you declare a major. It was really great to get to spend some time with a Knox professor at his home in Galesburg within a few days of being on campus. I know many professors who take their students out to dinner or will meet with them over coffee to discuss some work they may want advice on. At the beginning of this year I met with a friend of mine at the home of two of our professors, had dinner, and spent the entire evening involved in six hours worth of stimulating conversation. As more and more students are interested in Knox, the requirements for admission are getting more and more difficult, but I think overall Knox does a good job at knowing who is right for this school and who is not. As far as graduation requirements go, you are sure to have a well-balanced education when you leave Knox. I feel like I will truly have a liberal arts education, because the graduation requirements force you to go outside of your major and take certain courses in other departments that are focused on completely different aspects of education and life than the courses you would take if you just focused on your career path. That is one of the things I love about taking classes here. You are strongly encouraged to do things outside of your major, which is what makes this campus so diverse. There are neuroscience majors in the choir, and there are football players who write poetry and are involved in the theatre department.

Academics at Knox are centered around the relationships formed between professor and student. Class sizes are usually small and so you're able to really form a freindship with your professors and it allows for better overall interactions.

One of the best things about Knox is that we're known for our academics, so it's totally acceptable to be smart here. Classes are small and you get to know your professors very well (whether you want to or not!). Professors I had once more than a year ago still recognize me and ask me how I'm doing when they see me around. The Education and English departments are excellent. I'm not at all biased, of course. There is work that is expected of you, obviously, but professors usually have no problem accepting that sometimes you need something extra to help you or that you do things a little differently than other people. They want to prepare you for life after Knox, and they tell you the truth.

At Knox the class sizes are so small that not only do most of the professors learn your name in the first couple of weeks, but many actually have students call them by their first names. My favorite class has been Molecular Biology and Genetics, because it covered some fascinating material and the labs really helped to demonstrate the topics covered in lecture. My least favorite class was the First-Year Preceptorial. That class depends entirely on what professor you have, and I was just unfortunate in that area. We have independent majors, so you can study just about anything you want. Don't let anyone tell you any differently: even though you're only taking three classes at a time, your work load is going to be huge. It's overwhelming at first, but after your first term you learn to adjust and it doesn't seem as bad. Class participation is usually part of your final grade in most classes.