Macalester College Top Questions

Yes, professors know pretty much everybody's name. Favorite class: organic chemistry Least favorite: Chinese Art and Culture Students study a shit ton, bro (science majors, at least) Class participation is really common, many classes are based solely on this The best thing about Macalester is the learning that goes on outside of class Students are competitive, but not nearly as much as at comparable institutions The most unique class I've taken? Bioinformatics My major department is Biochemistry, it is a cross between the Biology department and Chemistry department: I spend more time on the Bio side (mainly because that's what I am more interested in (but I still take lots of Chemistry to make sure I understand everything at the most fundamental of levels) Sometimes I spend time with profs outside of class - been to many of their houses, in fact (none of them have TVs!) Our academic requirements are reasonable Education at Macalester is geared toward turning you into a logical thinker - someone who would not be dead weight no matter what the situation (yay)

Most professors won't give you the time of day if you aren't a departmental super star. Some teachers will scare you into not participating or assume far too much prior knowledge of social theory (this is based on my experience in the humanities). The education here is definitely geared for the sake of learning.

College is so much more than academics, and although academics are important at Mac, there's a lot more to our lives than classes. We like to intellectualize everything from food to our methods of entertainment. The whole place is one big learning experience.