Middlebury College Top Questions

Though I am an English and Theater major (which I think necessitates a closer relationship between student and teacher), I think the academics here are top-notch. Most teachers are very passionate about what they do and that passion is infectious. J-term is wonderful. The requirements are loose enough that one never feels stuck taking a class. Conversations outside of class are the best part of a Middlebury education.

Professors at Middlebury are incredible. I have had only one sub-par professor and I beleive she has been denied tenure. I really feel as though I have a say in whether or not to keep teachers, seeing that every student fills out a course evaluation at the end of each course. Classes are generally small, my largest is about 50 students, smallest is 6. Professors are available, and for the most part approachable. Lots of academic help is around for those in need. Labs for sciences are cool, especially the ones outdoors.

I had several professors who I loved. Who changed the way I thought about teachers-- into real people who could impact my educational and daily life. Who cared about me and my thoughts and passions and dreams. I loved how many smart, creative and excited people there were at Middlebury. Alternately, you hate it, though, it's awful. It becomes annoying or makes you feel small or puts on too much pressure. The theatre department is a special case in terms of Middlebury academics because everyone is so close. Your peers are your family. Your professors are your friends and mentors and life advisors. You can have a 3 hour coffee session with them, and it isn't strange. You pick their brain, they push yours. They remain important after graduation and you rely upon the fact that they had good taste and knowledge. And hope that some of it rubbed off and you will find success in the form of happiness and employment.

Academics here can be great, and can be the most stressful experience of your life. Class sizes are generally small, and you'll find yourself in a lot of discussion classes, which are great if that's the kind of learning you're looking for. The only problem is that although we have a lot of free time during the day, it is filled with work and during midterms and finals weeks, the stress level here reaches a ridiculous level, but again, each major is different, and each class load differs every semester.

I think the classes are excellent, especially the language courses which are often of a very small size. Students are not usually competitive and most likely collaborative. The requirements are understandable except for perhaps the Area studies part, which seems very poorly put together, although well-meaning. The education is definitely geared towards a liberal arts education as opposed to a "practical" one.

The best part of academics at Middlebury: The professors know you. The classes are small, individual attention is huge, and you can really get to know your professors if you put yourself out there. There are not a lot of core rerquirements at Middlebury and students often have a lot of freedom in choosing classes and--barring a double major or 300 minors--taking a number of classes outside of their major as well. Students work hard but aren't particularly competitive, but this might depend on the major. As an English major, I find the faculty to be phenomenal. There is a wide array of classes and a close connection with the Bread Loaf faculty allows for a lot of creative writing opportunities. The strongest departments here are the interdisciplinary ones: International Studies, American Studies, Geography, Environmental Science and--of course--English and American Literatures.

all my professors i have had in my major department know me by name. my favorite class was taught by my advisor, and my least favorite class was in a department unrelated to my studies. class participation is very common, and middlebury students have many intellectual conversations outside of class. students are very competitive, but try very hard not to show it. the most unique class i've taken was a class where we explored new media technology and actually created projects using it. education at middlebury i feel focuses on learning for its own sake, but provides more than enough opportunities to prepare for getting a job post-undergrad.

Classes are generally small to tiny. Profs. are uber accessible. Most people spend all of their waking hours working. Everyone complains but we all in the same boat.

Academics are important at Middlebury, but I don't think any more so than any school of its caliber. People work hard and play hard, and of course you can find people who only do one or the other.

Academics at Midd are HARD. That is until you learn how to get by without working yourself into the ground. i know some people who work tirelessly, seven days a week, twenty three and a half hours a day. i know others who do not even by the books for the class. But by and large, the college demands a lot from you. However, the largest lecture you will find yourself in is forty people, which is broken down to about ten for the discussion session. Most classes are considerably smaller, including any seminars which are rarely over seven people. Professors are readily available, and by and large are invested in the classes they are teaching.

I have had different experiences with professors at school. Some of them are amazing while others are not. I am been underwhelmed in general with the professors and their desire to get to know their students. My favorite class is Chinese or Chinese Literary Tradition. the professors in the chinese department are spectacular and in comparison to other professors I have had here, are way more willing to help you out and form a strong relationship where you feel comfortable to go and talk to him about many things. The education at Middlebury is geared at getting a job for the most part. There is just not enough time for many students to take classes they are interested in when they have to fulfill requirements for their majors.

The academics are basically stellar. I often need to step back from my bitching at amounts of work and realize that in the classes that I have loved I have often been truly moved. I think it speaks to the quality of academics here that kids talk about and are excited about what they are studying. Classes are small and provocative for the most part and the opportunity for dialogue with professors that are readily available is unreal.

Middlebury is so strenous academically that it forces students to half-ass almost everything and not get the most out of their curriculums.

I am a double major, in two relatively small departments. As a result, I know the faculty very well. They seem to develop stronger relationships with their students than in other departments. I also know my departmental peers fairly well, and the friendly atmosphere makes those classes more enjoyable. I am a math - physics double major. I think the diploma requirements are annoying at times, but ultimately, a liberal arts education was a deciding factor in choosing Middlebury, so I think I'll be glad in the long run.

All of my professors know my name. My favorite class was an intro to astronomy class for which the professor was a nut (in the good way). He was super excited about teaching and super intelligent and capable of doing it. My least favorite class I've taken so far is intro anthropology (because I couldn't care less and it's at 8am). Class participation is common (and encouraged/enforced by professors). People have intellectual conversations all the time, but not to the point where it's annoying; there's a good balance. I'm not sure if students are competitive but I think they all are somewhere deep down inside (partly the reason they got into the school). The most unique class I've taken was the astronomy one where they let into physics students use the observatory telescope. I haven't officially majored yet so I don't know all that much yet, but everyone seems intelligent in both econ and bio. I had dinner at my freshman seminar professor's house. Not much other than that though. The academic requirements can be a little overwhelming at times, but definitely manageable. The education is geared towards learning...it's a liberal arts college.

The professors here are amazing. They are so helpful and are always there if you neesd to meet with them. The academics are hard, but everyone takes them very seriously.

Some professors know my name. My advisor is my friend, and confidante. My favorite class is a seminar about Nabokov taught by an old Russian man. My least favorite class was an intro to inernational studies. Students tend to be more competative than intellectual. The education is pretty top heavy and impractical. I think alot of the academic requirements are arbitrary.

Classes here are really what you make of them. You can choose to take difficult or easier courses. I've never taken a class at Middlebury that I wasn't interested in. All my Professors have known my name, but in larger classes, you do have to make sure to be memorable. Class participation is valued in most of the classes I've taken, but there are teachers that prefer lecturing. Midd kids definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class, in my circle it's quite normal to discuss ideas you've been pondering in class and partake in brainstormy banter. You're not considered snooty if you like learning from and communicating with your peers. Students, I think, are more competitive with themselves than outwardly with others. Sharing your grades with classmates, and even sometimes friends, is not usually done. The theatre department at Middlebury offers Acting, Directing, and Playwrighting focuses, and puts up an average of four high-budget plays a year. It's an intense major, and if you're acting in a play, you're basically signing your life away. But all the productions I've been involved with have been valuable experiences. The faculty is quite talented and supportive. They're more like godparents than Professors. We have intimate working relationships, we call them by their first names, and they are always willing to offer advice.

All my professors know me. The portuguese department is pretty small and intimate - you learn a lot in a small setting. Everyone studies sooo much here. Class participation is definitely the norm here. I doubt many middlebury students have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are pretty competitive. No time with professors outside of class, they are really conscious about personal and professional social realms, which is pretty disappointing. Middlebury is geared towards learning for its own sake.

My professors do know me by name and even past professors acknowledge me when I pass them. Students study too much. There is way too much emphasis on the academics and focus on ratings. Who cares if we are not rated number 1 in the country. Fuck that. I enjoy the subject matter of most of my classes. i get really turned off to them, though, when we have a 6 page paper, a midterm, discussion questions, leading the class in discussions, and other miscellaneous assignments and movie viewings within two weeks (for one class). Students are competitive and participate all the time. Sometimes there's talking over each other. I feel that academics are towards getting a job, or towards getting into grad. school. If it was really about liberal arts and knowledge for it's own sake, get rid of the ridiculous core requirements, let us do our own thing. The most unique class I took was called "The Creative Process." It was an arts credit, and when I took it was modeled like a theatre class. We had a lot of fun, and it was about the act of creating something and not the product. I thought it was awesome and I still connect with the students in that class long after it's been finished.