Wake Forest University Top Questions

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