St John’s University-New York Top Questions

The professors are hit or miss but I think that's like every school Either you get the beat or the worst. That's why students now use Ratemyprofessor.com every class I have taken all the professors learned our Names right away especially in the English department because it is small. You Get to know your professors right away. I do have intellectual conversations outside class Usually at the d Angelo center at Starbucks with my friends. If there is a particular Professor I like I'll grab a coffee with them or visit them at their office.

I love my course schedule at St. John's. I'm an English and Government and Politics major and I just love it. My largest class has 35 students in it, and my smallest has 15. Every professor knows me by name and always encourages class participation. One of my favorite classes, Western Political Thought, was devoted to discussing topics like "friendship, love, justice, etc". Some students disliked discussing these topics and preferred textbook conversation instead, but I liked the open-ended questions and personal opinions that were introduced. We discussed learning for the sake of learning, which is a liberal education, as opposed to learning only for the end result of getting a job. St. John's encompasses both aspects of learning. For example, our liberal arts college, requires students to take core courses in various subjects and encourage students to study abroad. The business school, Tobin, is more strict and not as likely to allow a student to study abroad, and is geared towards getting a job. Although each college host job and internship fairs, it seems as if some college are more interested in jobs than others.

The academics at St. John's University are fairly rigorous, but at the same time, it would not be impossible for a student to skate by for the majority of his or her time at school. The professors are fantastic, in the English department. I have never had a teacher not know my name, and almost all my classes are under 30 students. However, I am a bit of an exception; I am an English major, which naturally lends itself to smaller class sizes and more discussion-based classes than say introduction to biology or something of that nature. Furthermore, I am an honor student, and almost all the classes I have taken outside the English department have been honors courses, which are also smaller and more discussion v. lecture based. As an honors student, and a bit of an English nerd, I've always had plenty of discussions outside of class, even on weekends, but I know this is not always the case. One of my friend groups consists almost entirely of the party-type people, and although they are great, I have never heard them discuss class, or anything remotely academic, in or out of class. Interaction with professors is again up to the student; I have a personal relationship with several of my professors, but I know that with other people, and I hear that in the more science-related departments, interaction with professors, or even understanding the professors English, is not guaranteed. Competition among students seems again to vary greatly from department to department; I never worry about how my fellow English majors are doing, but I have frequently heard my friends, majors in Biology, pre-med, and pharmacy, complain about one student ruining a curve, or needing only to beet a certain number of people to achieve an A, etc.

The academics at St. John's University are very good. I am an English major with a minor in creative writing and the English faculty is always there to help their students with school work, preparation, studying, and skill-building. I have been in contact with several other students who have majors in communications, sports management, pharmacy, accounting, finance, legal studies, and hospitality management to name a few. They all have grades over 3.0 and are pursuing good careers in their fields. Some have internships and part-time positions thanks to what they are learning in class. If a student is struggling with their academic material or with writing assignments the university has access to a tutoring center and a writing center that provides excellent service. I am not the greatest in mathematics, so when I had to take a core class in the subject I went to the tutoring center a few times throughout the semester for help. Thanks to what I learned in the center, I received an A for the class.

Some of these questions I don't feel I could give general answers to, because to start off with, I am an English and French double major, and so the humanities departments are the ones that I deal with most of the time. These two departments are smaller than say, the psychology department, and so each of my professors know me by name and style. I'd say that I have had pretty decent relationships with most of my major professors throughout my time at school, and that's because they take in interest in who I am as a person and not just another student. It's a two-way street, because for the students that aren't willing to put in the effort to go the extra mile with their professors and classes, then they come out like any other kid who went to college and got any old degree. However, because I put time forward to get into conversations with my professors - about my academics or future or otherwise - I think I'd say that their basis for education is geared toward learning for learning's sake as well as getting a job. Most of the faculty have superb educational backgrounds and according connections to give to the students to work hard. I will not waste my time writing that the entire campus is a bunch of bookworms who are all competitively fighting for ranks between their 3.7-3.9 GPAs. There are countless students who I watch text in class each day, knowing that they're flushing their time and money down the toilet; but then the kid a row behind me starts to engage those students who care in a discussion about postmodern politics the effect of Occupy Wall Street on the recent lethargy of the American people. I find myself having conversations like this among my peers outside of the classroom too, but again, it arises in those students who are not in college simply "to get a bachelors degree so they can get a better job." Those students do what they have to do to get by. The students who are there to learn there, they show it. A friend of mine just recently won a position for a national conference for an essay show wrote critiquing our on-campus Writing Center. Another friend of mine is the president of an on-campus group for psychology majors and people interested in working with psychological issues. I find motivation and drive from students like those I've been explaining to propel myself forward. You CAN find intellectualism and great academia; you just have to want it yourself.

The academics in the Graduate English Department have been incredibly stimulating and informative. The department offers a BA/MA program, an MA program, and a DA program; these range in options offer students, in differing academic stages, varying opportunities. Because it is a relatively small Department, fairly soon, students and professors become very familiar with one another. Professors are readily accessible for help outside of class, via e-mail or in office hours, which helps strengthen student/teacher bonds. It is quite common to know classmate’s names, and professors know student’s names because class size never exceeds 25 students. Students study hard and on the Graduate level this is generally expected. Graduate students are often daughters/sons, wives/ husbands/, and mothers/fathers; the program allows for students to work hard and make time for personal matters as well. Preparation is required for mandatory class participation, which is generally very amicable and not competitive. Debates and disagreements are expressed respectfully and continue outside of class, sometimes on blogs. Students are expected to work rigorously to maintain academic requirements (GPA’s etc.), but never to increasingly overwhelming lengths. The coursework is challenging, but not unmanageable by most standards. My most favorite and unique class at St. John’s has been a Postcolonial Studies course taught by Professor Jennifer Travis entitled, Trauma Studies. It was my favorite class because it introduced me to a field I was relatively unfamiliar with. Thinking about this topic, furthered my interest in nationhood and identity, which are currently my dissertation prospects. I have no least favorite course because each class was enriching in its own way. The primary goal of all courses is to educate. While the DA program is heavily invested in pedagogy and theory, it trains academic scholars, before it does teachers and professors. Speaking as a former MA student, I am very pleased with my Graduate experience at St. John’s.

Though St. John's is not the most competitive school to receive an acceptance letter from, it is easier to get in than it is to stay in. The student teacher ratio is 17:1 and so professors are able to get to know students on a first name basis. Coursework is intense and so it is important for students to manage their time, committing a fair amount of hours to every class each week. Most professors have completed higher education, which accounts for the workload of each class. A unique thing St. John's has to offer is its Career Center. Students can reach out to the Career Center in search of jobs or internships and even years after graduating St. John's, you are still able to come back and utilize this resource.

Though St. John's is not the most competitive school to receive an acceptance letter from, it is easier to get in than it is to stay in. The student teacher ratio is 17:1 and so professors are able to get to know students on a first name basis. Coursework is intense and so it is important for students to manage their time, committing a fair amount of hours to every class each week. Most professors have completed higher education, which accounts for the workload of each class. A unique thing St. John's has to offer is its Career Center. Students can reach out to the Career Center in search of jobs or internships and even years after graduating St. John's, you are still able to come back and utilize this resource.

I've never had a large, lecture type of class at St. John's where the professor doesn't know who you are. All of my classes were small, with the largest being maybe 40 students or so for a Biology core. I definitely prefer small classes where you can interact with other students and the professors on a direct and persona level, and St. John's offers that.

The professors make sure that they learn everyone's name and they make sure that all of the students are doing well. The school has a lot of programs for students so that they can start connecting with alumni and find internships. In regards to the students, studying and conversations are pretty subjective, but the school makes sure that there are various facilities available for the students to study and even just to socialize in.