Union College-Schenectady Top Questions

The academic life at Union is top notch. The trimester system splits the year into three 10 week semesters with three classes taken each semester. I absolutely love this system. It's definitely a change and ten weeks goes by pretty fast but as long as you stay on top of your work and know what week it is, it's a great schedule. It also allows you to concentrate more on those classes as opposed to spreading yourself thin with many. The class sizes are small and mostly discussion based. The professors are so involved and passionate and always available. Education at Union is not just learning for learnings sake. The academic opportunities that Union provides for students are unending and students are well prepared for the world after leaving Union.

At Union, academic life is very important. The small size allows all your professors to get to know you and your unique strengths and weaknesses quite well. All teachers know their students by name and they don't forget even after a long time. The library is one of the most popular places on campus; it's nearly always packed with students studying. And that's not a wonder since the College has invested so much in a beautiful and advanced library. As a biology major, I take class with a very competitive group of kids. A large amount of my fellows are on a pre-med track like myself, so we all work very hard. We do whatever we can to move forward on our career goals and the College makes that easy through close relationships with professors.

The academics are wicked awesome! I have great relationships with the majority of my professors. They know my name and I keep in contact with many of them after I'm done with their class. I've spent time with my professors both during and outside of class. Every professor I've had has been supportive, consciously engaged and concerned with me and my growth.

The professors at Union are some of the kindest, most intelligent, and most helpful people I have met. We have small classes so they know you personally and by name. It is never nerve racking going to speak to one about a grade or something more personal. My grandfather died first term and they helped accommodate me in terms of missing classes and work. They asked me how I was doing and made sure I was OK. They are one of the reasons why I love the school so much.

Yes I spend time with professors outside of class. The Minerva system at Union host many events that professors speak at and hang out with students. For example last night there was an event at a Minerva house for Colleges Against Cancer where a professor discussed the effects of cancer on families and then we watched My Sister's Keeper with her. Professors get to know you on a personal level, they you can have discussions about many different things besides what you are learning in class.

On the first day of class, my first term at Union, I walked in the room and sat down. The professor welcomed us to the class and told us he had but one rule, we had to call him by his first name. Later in the term he invited us to his house for dinner. I feel like something like this does not happen everywhere and it is because of Union's small size that it did here. We have much smaller classes here making a lot easier to get to know your professor which helps greatly in networking. In addition to the professors' being very personable they are also very brilliant, constantly challenging you to take it to the next level, and always available outside of class for extra help.

The academics are average at Union. The students are not generally competitve and the gen eds are annoying. Getting into the clases you actually want/need is a real hassle though as an underclassmen. I have never once heard an intellectual conversation at Union before, but that's why we love it! The education is certainly not geared towards helping us get jobs which doesn't matter because our short summer schedule is a good way of screwing us out of many job and internship opportunities anyways. The teachers are easily excessable but what else do you expect from a small school?

Great classes, professors know your name, small classes, favorites were french, english (Bonnie MacDonald is a favorite english teacher) and dance classes. Class participation is common, spent time with professors occasionally, education in liberal arts area is geared towards learning, engingeering and marketing more geared towards jobs

Professors know your name, even in large classes you get noticed and there are opportunities to participate. Students aren't very competitive but academics are tough and with the trimester system, the work piles up if you are not on top of your priorities. Lots of outside work. Expect to manage your time well but do not get discouraged from extracurriculars.

At Union classes are small and all professors know your name by the end of the term. All teachers are extremely helpful outside of class and show personal interest in each student. Students typically study for a max of 4 hours a day, which is pretty short for an average college student. Also, we only take 3 classes at a time so there are fewer things to prepare for. The education is largely geared at learning for learnings sake, without specific attention to careers or job placement.