Lewis & Clark College Top Questions

What are the academics like at Lewis & Clark College?

Brett

All of my professors know my name and that is not true of many of my friends who attend other colleges. The academics are fairly rigorous, and you have to do the work to be able to keep up with the pace of the classes. Any class that I have needed extra explanation in has been gladly given by the teacher. There are very few TA's within the school and no class will be taught by a TA. If there is a TA it is their job to help with one on one help in classes where the teacher cannot help every student all of the time. In computer science, or lab classes they are very common.

Melissa

I feel Lewis and Clark has a relaxed academic environment, yet there are still people interested in learning. People here have a lot more intelligent opinions than I would have thought just by looking at them. Their viewpoints are mostly liberal, but they're very informed and up to date on news. International affairs is a common topic of discussion outside of class. The professors are very accommodating and supportive. I had one professor who crammed seven of us into her 5 passenger car to see a movie. It's nice having small classes, but you should be expected to participate in a lot of class discussions. Class participation is very common since the majority of classes are small. Students are not competitive at all, it's very relaxed. I'm a psych major and I've heard the psych dept is very good. A lot of people come here for the international affairs dept. The academic requirements are mostly reasonable, with the exception of Exploration and Discovery, the core class freshman are required to take. There is a focus on analyzing literature, writing essays, oral presentations, and research papers. I feel like I already had a good foundation from highschool in these areas, especially with taking AP Lit. I think a lot of people already have these skills and it is redundant to take this class. Much of the literature were books I had covered in highschool.

Chris

The classes at LC are very small for the most part. I think IA classes and Intro science classes are the biggest classes, hitting almost 100 students. Yet the rest of the classes are between 20 and 35 students. The teachers know the names of all the students and a lot of classes are discussion classes where participation is important and counts as part of your grade.

Kelsey

The classroom is about the only place Lewis and Clark students seem to take competition seriously. Students are always trying to out do each other, which gets frustrating, especially in small class settings. The good thing about small class sizes is that professors most often know you by name, and many times, Professors prefer to be on a first-name basis with their students. As a freshman, you're required to take an intro class, they call it "Exploration and Discovery," which is basically an English 101 class, and is for many students, unnecessary. They have good intentions, though. Also, because it is a liberal arts college, there are general educations requirements in the sciences, math, Art and humanities (2 years of a language or the equivalent). Personally, I don't like the requirements, but the major programs for many of the areas of study are not as rigorous as they could be because they factor in the general ed. classes.

Annie

All of my professors so far have asked me to call them by their first name. They are super nice, obviously care that I am learning something, and know my name too, even when I didn't think they would. People talk in class. It isn't the usual three or four people talk every class, but instead everyone participates. I wouldn't say it's the most difficult school. I consider most of my classes to be at medium difficulty, but then again, I went to a college prep high school. That being said, students here study a lot. In fact, study parties are quite popular: we gather and bring treats or make treats while we study. I wish that LC had fewer requirements, but I've gotten most of them done already. LC really aims at teaching students things they want to know, and wants students to do what THEY want to do. It's focused on right NOW.

Casey

Lots of work, but lots of fun. Its not brutally hard, but don't expect to breeze through your classes.

Jess

The Professors definitely know you by name and make an effort to learn them very quickly. I think there's a great relationship between students and professors, and many professors invite their students to their homes for end of the year parties. Lewis and Clark's general education requirements are fairly easy to reach, leaving most students a lot of freedom and flexibility in figuring out their majors. Class participation depends on the class, though most of the discussion-based classes feature a lot of participation from the students. Exploration & Discovery (the required freshman seminar) definitely teaches students how to feel comfortable speaking and discussing in class, in addition to teaching students how to write. In my experience, LC students aren't very competitive, and tend to be more laidback. Most students respect each other for getting into the school (with the academic criteria), and don't focus on individual grades in classes.

Kelly

During my Exploration and Discovery class, a core course that all students are required to take, my professor told us that the express purpose of a liberal arts education is to take everything we think that we know, rip it to shreds, and force us to rebuild ourselves. She said that by the end of it we should be able to find a way to relate Aristotle to an electrical outlet. Classes are mandatory and small, attendance is a must, and professors know all of their students, always. Courses tend to be discussion-based and the worthwhile discussions tend to spill out of the classroom and take hold of your conversations for the rest of the day. So long as you are engaged in your studies, you will be well-rounded and well-educated when you graduate.

Jacque

Profs are awesome. The math dept is like my family. Classes are challenging, but fun. But, like everything, it's not for everyone.

Daniel

Professors here know your name, unless they think they're better than everyone else. Then they feel that they don't have to. Whether they remember your name once you aren't in their classes is another story. Best class here is New Testament and Early Christian Literature. No Joke. Don't take ethics unless you really know what you're in for. People tend to study most right before finals, otherwise, I think they don't feel the pressure. Class participation varies depending on the size of the class and the subject. If its something like history, its mostly lecture, but if its psychology or any kind of lab science, participation is in some cases the biggest part of class. I continue to be surprised by the strange things we all talk about outside of class, we're always able to bring in something we learned that day and relate it to whatever we're talking about. Students here don't seem to be very competitive. Most unique class I've taken was probably Cross Cultural Psychology (That doesn't mean it was very good). As a psych major, I think the psych department is pretty diverse and that the professors are all very good at their specific fields and generally enjoy them as well. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class, though I do run into a professor from the philosophy department at the weirdest times...The academic requirements here are pretty standard: You need to know some math, you should speak another language, you have to do some chemistry or biology, etc. Also, we have a core class known as Exploration and Discovery, which is sort of English heavy and teaches you how to write. Different sections of this class are taught by professors in different departments, so the level of interestingness depends on that. LC is all about liberal arts, so it is geared towards learning a broad range of things that you can build on later. In other words, it is not as geared towards job life after college as some schools might be.

Aleta

Lewis and Clark is no walk in the park. Classes are tough and challenging, yet engaging and informative. Most classes work on a 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} discussion, 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} lecture basis, but every professor has their own style. I have found a few professors who I wish I could take every class from, and a few that I would rather not interact with ever again. One of the great things about LC, is the lack of competition. At most private schools, it seems that everyone is striving to do better than everyone else, but I honestly do not get that feeling here. I the best class, that I recommend to every single student, regardless of your major, is Buddhism with Alan Cole. I took it as a freshman and was scared out of my mind when he tore apart my first paper with a red pen. But he always gives you a second chance to fix mistakes, and to learn from them. Rather than just being upset with my paper, I was able to develop my writing skills to a level that I never thought I could achieve. Professors are approachable and helpful.

Maggie

For all of the disadvantages a small school creates in the social scene, it more than makes up for it on the academic side of campus. All of my professors know their students' names and are willing to meet and help with the material anytime. Professors at LC are very accessible and are concerned about their students and passionate about what they teach. There is very little incentive to skip class because of the small class size, and most people I know don't skip because they want to get their money's worth! I actually do have intellectual conversations with my friends all the time outside of class, which is amazing because I don't have that with my friends at home. My friends here are educated, intelligent, and want to learn but also love to have a good time. There is a good balance between partying and getting schoolwork done.

Dylan

Professors are legit as fuck. Gotten drunk with my freshman core teacher, talked about smuggling marijuana with my philosphy teacher. They are really down, and being in such a secluded enviroment they almost take up a parent role. My core class teacher checks in on my every now and then just to see how i'm doing, what other classes im interested in. I would show up to alot less classes if my teachers didnt all know my name and call me out on not being there if i don't show up. Students are not at all competitive. We are here to learn and expand our minds, and help each other better understand the world. Everyone is incredible animated about learning and expanding there minds and teaching each other new concepts and ideas outside of class. REally stimulating conversations. number of courses needed for a major are not as large as at other schools which allows for a more liberal arts education with more electives, so i'm allowed to take alot of music classes and philosophy classes just because i want to learn more about subject, even though they are outside of my major.

Lindsay

Professors know all of their students because class size is very very small!! Because classes are so small, we are able to spend time with professors outside of class. Professors invite their students to dinner at their homes or even at local hang out places. Students are very competitive because they were all the top students of their school that are all pooled into one place.

Madeline

Overall, classes at Lewis and Clark are top notch. All are challenging, and all are interesting. All professors learn your name and are usually pretty interested in how you fare in there class. Students tend to have an internal drive that compells them to do well, but are generally supportive of their classmates, not competative. That is not to say that other students do not play a part in raising the academic bar. The intellectual conversations that occur both inside and outside of class with both professors and students are what the LC education is all about. LC promotes learning for learning's sake. The goal is for all students to be prepared for success and happiness in all aspects of their lives.

Kelsey

All of my professors know my name. My favorite class is 2 Dimensional Design Foundations because I really like to chill out and do art. Students study a lot in addition to procrastinating a lot. Participation is common but it also depends on the class and what is being discussed. Students don't seem to be competitive at all. I'm a psych major and the department seems great so far. I wish that they had more class options and that people got into classes more frequently than they got waitlisted. I do spend time out of class with professors talking about papers and advising. LC is definitely about learning more than getting a job.

Ava

The classes are tiny and amazing. I came from a wonderful school in central new jersey. So I was used to a dedicated staff and small classes. However, I was still so impressed with the faculty here. Students have so many intellectual conversations outside of class. Being smart is definitely admired and "cool" here. The general ed. requirements are very easy. The only kicker is you have to have a language proficiency (test out or 3 semesters of a language).

Madison

All my professors know my name and i have been over to their houses before which is nice. My fave class was BIO 100, the prof was amazingly interesting. Least fave is macro econ. it kills my brain. I study all the time but i don't know about other kids. Class participlation in IA courses is pretty common. LC intellectual converstations are often just empty liberal rhetoric. They don't seem to be able to actually black up their thoughts or really have any of their own when it comes to those kinds of issues. Students seem competative but nothing over the top. Arthurian Romance Lit was the most unique course i took. The IA department is pretty cool. All the profs are really on top of their stuff and i like talking with them. Where else is one of the Shaw of Iran's former advisors a professor? I usually don't spend a lot of time with them outside of class but when i do it is interesting. The PE requirement is stupid but i feel like they are trying to get us ready for a job.

Craig

If you do not want to participate in class, then you should not go to LC. The biggest class I ever had was around 50 students, and most of my classes in my major had only about 20 students. I think this is great because you develop relationships with your professors and it is just easier to learn when you have more of a chance to interact. I honestly think the learning environment at LC is quite laid back. We are not competing with each other for grad school entry or jobs, so everyone feels free to help each other out as study groups are really common. It is liberal arts, so the classes aren't really geared at specifically acquiring a job right out of school, but if you are entering college having no idea what you want to do then that is not necessarily a bad thing. But students should know what they are getting into when they decide to go to LC, it isn't right for everyone.

Alex

Academics are very strong at LC and I find myself spending the majority of my free time doing homework and very rarely have time to watch TV or a movie. This is especially true when I am in season and on top of taking a full load of classes have 5 hours of practice a day. Professors do take the time to really get to know their students and love to have people drop by their office hours even if it's just for a little chat. My biggest complaint as far as academics go at LC is that the Career Advising help is not very useful and many seniors find themselves not knowing what they are going to do after graduation.