Wake Forest University Top Questions

The classroom experience at Wake is what seems to draw many in (especially for those of us that need extra help). All of my professors know my name. I've been to many of their houses for study sessions and I have most of them as Facebook friends. I have classes as small as five students. One on one time is readily available and utilized by me on a weekly basis. Professors give you credit for trying here- office hours are a smart move! I used to just go hang out with my econ prof. in his office in between classes.There is a certain air of competitiveness here, but you're either in that group or you're in the "just trying not to fail out" group...i'd be in the latter. he workload is a bit ridiculous, the "Work Forest" nickname being completely on point, but it becomes manageable the longer you're here. Everyone studies all of the time...there is no other option. Someone in my hall is always pulling an all night-er. Coming from a public school I think I studied more than any else my freshman year. It is easy to want to do better here, easier to study for tests, easier to go to office hours, though because that is what everyone is doing. Everyone here is working hard. The divisional general education requirements are kind of great and kind of annoying. For example I loved my First Year Seminar (required freshmen class) on Children of Divorce, but I would rather have Cheetos dust permanently stuck on my fingers than take another Italian class. I guess making us take them all is the only way to gauge that. Sucks. That being said, though the university is truly centered around learning and not simply placing their students into a job later.

The classroom experience at Wake is what seems to draw many in (especially for those of us that need extra help). All of my professors know my name. I've been to many of their houses for study sessions and I have most of them as Facebook friends. I have classes as small as five students. One on one time is readily available and utilized by me on a weekly basis. Professors give you credit for trying here- office hours are a smart move! There is a certain air of competitiveness between pre-med or pre-business students. They are geared towards a final goal. Many of us however are simply trying to do as well as we can. The workload is a bit ridiculous, the "Work Forest" nickname being completely on point, but it becomes manageable the longer you're here. Everyone studies all of the time, there is no way to not study all of the time & do well here. Coming from a public school I think I studied more than any else my freshman year. It is easy to want to do better here, easier to study for tests, easier to go to office hours, though because that is what everyone is doing. Everyone here is working hard. The divisional general education requirements are hard. A 200 level language class? Hard. The university is truly centered around learning and not simply placing their students into a job later.

International business

Wake's academic reputation speaks for itself. It is a top-ranked university, on par with other top-tier universities. Students work hard to succeed, but it is not impossible to do well as some might lead you to believe. If you are qualified enough to earn admission to Wake, then you are qualified enough to succeed here. There is definitely a stress on the liberal arts education here. Every student has to take an array of divisional course requirements, including courses in humanities, the arts, social science, math/natural science, and foreign language. First-year students also have to complete a First Year Seminar and a Freshmen Writing Seminar. These courses are pretty writing intensive, but are also some of the most interesting subjects that professors would not otherwise get to teach. For example, my seminar was called Music of Protest. In the course, we studied social movements in the Western Hemisphere and how music provided influence and social commentary about those movements. Two of my papers for that class were analyses of the music of Bob Dylan and Green Day. One of my favorite things about the academics at Wake is that I get to know my professors really well. My largest class has been about 60 people, and that was an introductory biology course. Most non-intro courses are much smaller, allowing professors to learn everyone's names in just a week or two. Unlike some professors at larger state schools, professors are genuinely interested in getting to know and connecting with students. I have even had professors invite the class to their houses for lunch/dinner on multiple occasions.

Unless you like being a social security number instead of a name, you can't hate the class size here. The largest class I've had held about forty students and the smallest I've been in had eight. The average class size probably lingers around fifteen to twenty. This creates a fairly warm and inviting atmosphere in which to express your opinion. Don't be fooled though, just because it's cozy, doesn't mean that it isn't competitive! No one will try to sabotage your grade, but be prepared for them to compare what you got to what they got when you get your exams back! Everyone gets a rough professor that does what they want because they have tenure, but for every one professor that you have that you don't like, you'll have eight that you adore and hold a relationship with even after you turn in your final.

A good percentage of the time professors will know your name. Classes tend to be small so there is an expectation for you to participate. If you're looking for it, you will run into people willing to engage in intellectual conversations. Many of the people here are receptive, thoughtful, and curious about your views (if you have any). Studying makes up a large part of the academic culture here. True story, i've seen people reading textbooks while doing sit-ups and walking on the treadmill at the gym. So this is definitely a place intended for the intellectually curious and disciplined. I'm double majoring in English and Philosophy and it's inspiring to see how cultured and learned the professors are in each department, and others as well. Many speak more than one language and have an intimate knowledge of topics peripheral to their field. Though there are somewhat high expectations so be ready to be challenged. Much of Wake Forest's intentions are geared toward making sure you have opportunities to succeed, which means they provide many connections for job placement. Several students secure jobs soon after graduating.

Professors generally know your name unless they're super old and have a hard time remembering. My favorite class this semester is Shakespeare; my professor is a BOSS. My least favorite class was Calculus. I failed. Students study a lot; we have to. We're constantly updating facebook and twitter accounts about retarded things that happen to us in the library. Class participation is a must. Students aren't intellectual outside of class- we have a crap ton of work all the time, that's why we rage so much. Students can be competitive depending on the major. The most unique class I've taken was the World of Opera; it was my freshman year seminar, and I absolutely loved it...even if I had to listen to Don Giovanni at 8am. I'm double majoring in English and French. The English department is awesome, intelligent, and biased. The French department is miniscule; I want to get my PhD in History so I can teach French history here. I go to lunch and get coffee with professors on the reg. Academic requirements are tough, but this is a great academic university. Deal with the hardships. You'll live. Our Career Services Dept is awesome at helping students find jobs after graduation. I would know, I'm on their student committee.

Wake students are driven individuals and the work load at Wake reflects that. All majors are rigorous and require a lot of work outside of class. It's not unusual for the ZSR library to be completely filled most nights. Most students would agree that if you work, you get a B. A's are much harder to come by. Luckily, Wake has a great faculty that, for the most part, is willing to meet outside of class to help students. As an English major, most of my professors have even required scheduling a meeting with them once or twice throughout the semester. Class sizes are small and strictly lecture style classes are rare. In my experience, professors are interested in facilitating class discussion and participation is almost always an important part of my final grade. Also, since Wake is a liberal arts school, students are required to complete a series of divisional courses that extend to all the major areas of study provided at Wake. Sometimes this can be a little frustrating when it requires an English major, like me, to take classes like statistics and physics, but I think it also requires you to be more well-rounded, which in turn makes you more eligible in job markets.

One of my favorite aspects of Wake Forest are the smaller class sizes where the professors make an effort to at least know your face. The academics are harder than the average college may have, but it is this that better prepares the students post-graduation. Since I know that my hard work will pay off, I do not mind devoting more of my effort to my classes. In the end, the amount of attention paid to studying depends on what each student wants to allot, but it automatically affects their grade. One of the best things about Wake students is that they keep to themselves where their education matters. There is no competitiveness to the point where it is detrimental to other classmates. Wake Forest is also very attentive to transitioning their students into the workforce and have a lot of resources to do so. The alumni network is very strong around the country and in some international countries like England. One of my favorite classes what a political science class about contemporary India. I learned so much more than I could have ever imagined about one of the most diverse countries in the world. Due to this class, my world perspective has shifted and affects how I see politics in a global perspective. The professors that I have had are passionate about what they teach, and there is nothing better in the academic sphere than learning from someone who loves to teach in their field--and Wake Forest is full of these kinds of professors.

One word: rigorous. You will work hard to receive a good education here. It's not impossible to get a high GPA, but it is tough. You will often see students studying into the wee hours of the morning on any given day of the week. The students are competitive only insofar as they are intelligent, which almost every person at Wake is. It is common to see lines at a professor's door for office hour discussion. You will have to fulfill a number of divisional requirements for any degree from the university, and the requirements for each major are different.

Students here often call the school by its endearing nickname, "Work Forest". Yes, the academics at Wake Forest are intense. Yes, you will have a lot of work in a lot of your classes. Yes, you will be stressed sometimes. But in my opinion, the workload is entirely manageable if you practice good time management skills and-this is important-become familiar with your professors! Wake professors are all so helpful to their students. Every professor I have had is completely willing to meet with students to provide help on assignments, give advice, or just talk. I have even had a few professors who have invited students to their houses for casual dinners. The professors here know that Wake Forest students are intelligent, so they don't baby us. The work they assign is challenging, but they are never unwilling to provide their services in the forms of clarification or just support. Students here are very involved in their schoolwork. Students study a lot and do very well in their classes, but unlike some other schools known for high academic achievement, I feel that Wake students know when to relax and the importance of relieving stress by having a good time. Every department has amazing professors and staff (but personally, being a Psychology and English double major, I may be a little biased towards those departments!). Generally, Wake demands a lot of its students academically, but in the end it is to the student's benefit. I have learned so much during my time here, and no amount of stress that I have felt over the years can sway me to bemoan the rigor with which professors teach their students or the greatness that the professors expect of the students.

Work Forest: work hard, play hard. Admittedly, I was intimidated by this play on words as an incoming Freshman. However, from my experience, I've found that professors' willingness to invest in students often counteracts the somewhat daunting work load characteristic of a "Top 25" university. It's not uncommon for professors to invite students into their homes for dinner. My professors know my name and care whether or not I participate in class--especially as an English major. Even my "pre-med" friends, who have larger, lecture-style classes, value their one-on-one relationships with professors as an essential part of class--which also speaks to the difficulty and demand of the pre-med track. As far as I can tell, pre-med students, as well as Calloway Business School students, study more than anyone else on campus. These departments are especially geared towards getting jobs whereas I find that humanities departments are geared more towards learning for learning's sake. However, regardless of department, students are competitive. We are also required to dabble in all areas of academics thanks to a liberal arts curriculum. For this reason, I've taken unexpectedly unique classes such as my freshman seminar, Life Perspectives. Based on psychology, this class revolved around a variety of books and memoirs that express different world views. The class was made up of all types of majors and backgrounds but proved driven by the same Wake academic spirit of eager discussion and desire to place learning in the larger context of life. At Work Forest, this learning spirit is summed up in our mission: Pro Humanitate--for humanity.

We are commonly referred to as "Work Forest," meaning that the work load is definitely rough. However, I find that all of the work I do is worthwhile and beneficial to my overall education. Students study around 4-6 hours each day, which can seem daunting but becomes a habit of life here. I have thoroughly enjoyed almost all of my classes. We have a liberal arts curriculum, so the first two years of college are largely spent fulfilling divisional requirements. I have learned so much through these divisionals, particularly the educational policy and practice course that I am currently taking. I have been pushed intellectually to really consider the educational issues our society is facing and I have slowly formed my opinion of what needs to be done to create change. This class has really developed my interest in education, to the point where I may go on to pursue a career in education. This class was mostly discussion based, so I have had many opportunities to debate my ideas with other students who were going through the same intellectual thought process as me. Almost every one of my professors has known me by name and met with me personally in their office hours. I never imagined I would get this personal of an experience at the college level. I have been invited to two professors' homes for dinner and another professor has set up times when we can meet him at a local bakery to talk. Overall, the environment has been very nurturing, but still challenging and intellectually stimulating. The professors do an excellent job of guiding students along in their thought process, while not babying them along the way.

Student-teacher ratio at Wake is small, so your professors will know you name, and are very accessible. Students are generally motivated to make good grades, but unfortunately, few are interested in learning or engaging the material in class. Most of the people here are studious, but learning isn't a huge priority for most of them. The professors at Wake are definitely geared toward teaching the subject for learning's sake (as opposed to training students for a job), so if you're actually interested in being educated, a little self-discipline will get you there.

Academics? Tough. But not impossible. It's how I imagine it to be at most top-tier schools. Wake continually 1-ups itself in academic significance - the Dean's List requirements were raised my junior year to make sure the students have to work harder to earn such distinctions. Students are competitive and will leave you in the dust. But it's rarely a personal matter. Good minds inspire others, so being surrounded by a diligent student population causes the one-time slacker to often evolve into a hard-working success story. The size of the school is important. An average of about 16 students per class means high personal interaction with the professors. I even helped a professor edit a book she had published, and having dinner with professors isn't far-fetched by any stretch of the imagination. They love to help, and they most often have the ability to help because they only have to deal with 16 kids per class and not 200.

Bad grade deflation, but very good reputation makes up for bad GPA. Classes are nicely sized. Good professors. Lots of group projects and teamwork. Students are not very competitive.

The Wake academic experience is one of only a few in America. You are taught by really great teachers who are experts in their fields of study. I have also always felt comfortable in approaching my professors. The student:teacher ratio of 11:1 is also very attractive for a particular student. I am very happy with my academic experience here at Wake Forest and it has definitely equipped me for the different opportunities I will undertake after graduation.

Almost all of the classes are small, less than 20 students. Students spend a large amount of time studying, but I don't find that they are extremely competitive. I think certain majors are more geared toward getting a job, like Business, but then there are the humanities where learning for its own sake is highly valued. Wake's emphasis on a liberal arts education is very important; as students, we enjoy the benefits of a well-known school (in the working environment) as well as a solid background on a variety of issues that we normally wouldn't encounter in a large public school.

Very challenging - where your best has not been good enough since 1834. Absolutely no one wants a "B." Everyone is out to get "As" - and they all can - everyone is very very bright at Wake. But they work hard for it. No one really goes out during the week, only on Wednesdays. It is not unusual for students to stay in one weekend night and do work.

Professors know their students. My favorite class was my First Year Seminar because my professor was the most intriguing person I've ever met and made everyone interested in the topic. Students tend to study in large chunks because the social scene is still so apparent. Students are very competitive, both socially and academically. I think the education at Wake is geared toward learning more than getting a job, at least in the liberal arts school, but I also think students are able to take that knowledge and apply it to jobs to be successful after graduation