Wake Forest University Top Questions

Due to the size of this school and its small classes, Professors become closer with their students. My favorite class was a seminar on the founding of Virginia and my least favorite class was Calculus. Students here are constantly studying and getting little sleep. Class participation due to the size of the classes in almost mandatory. Education at Wake is intense.

overall I like the academic setting at wake...although sometimes I struggle to get the classes I want and I have a lot of school work

My least favorite class was Calculus 112. I got a five on the AP Calculus AB exam (somehow) and in return received four credit hours and was placed into the higher level calculus when I got here. My adviser recommended that I go ahead and take the class, but when I did I had a terrible teacher. He hardly taught and had incredibly confusing exams. I ended up failing the class. In class participation is extremely stressed. Most of my classes include participation as a large portion of the grade and nearly all of them have attendance policies. For older students Wake has required a ridiculous amount of core classes. The students just coming in don't have to take nearly as many, but also don't receive credit for their AP's anymore. I personally would have rather not received hours for AP exams and had less core classes to take. That being said, most majors and hours are not hard to attain, nor are they very restricting. I'm a communications major and while there are concentrations, you can pretty much do what you want with it. The ones that really want to kill themselves are the business majors.

Most of my professors know my name, the class sizes are small enough for them to get involved with their students. It is not an easy school, the library is usually pretty crowded and I know I at least was used to a much lighter course load coming into school. Education is both aimed at learning for the sake of acquiring knowledge and making connections to find a job out of college.

I hate going to class, but who really likes class? All nighters and adderrall. Unfortunately, thats how it is. Class participation is terrible. Every teacher requires it...so you are always stuck in class with the annoying kid who never shuts up.

My professors know my name. Favorite class is biology. Least favorite is History. I study for at least 3-4 hours a day. Class participation is very common. Students do have intellectual conversations outside class. Students are very competitive. Most unique class would be RAD. My major is biology. I do not spend time with professors outside class, however I intend to change that. Wake's academic requirements are very rigorous, but i think they have to be that way. I think the education is geared towards both.

professors know names almost always. students study a good bit, but also make plenty of time for going out/partying. there is definitely a balance of the 2. wake students do have intellectual conversation outside of class and the students are competitive. depending on the major, Wake can either be geared toward learning for its own sake or for getting a job- but i think almost any wake graduate has a great opportunity to get a decent job upon graduation if they try hard enough.

Professors know my name. My favorite class is biological anthropology -- combines my interest in history and genetics. Least favorite -- any and all physics. Students study all the time. Participation is common and expected of students. Wake students have many intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are definitely competitive. Most unique class -- Art History. Major department -- history..generally small department. I do not spend time with professors outside of class but I know of students who do. I feel the underclassmen academic requirements are too much. Geared towards learning.

Challenging! The classes here are hard...you will work harder here for a 3.5 then you would at Duke, UVA, Vanderbilt, or BC. But also you don't have TA's teach you, you get to know your professors, and you are getting a legitimate education. They aren't teaching you to get a job - if they were they would try to boost your GPA - they are teaching you to make you think.

Students are type A and very competitive. The most unique class that I have taken was my first year seminar in the theater department. It focused on creativity. Wake has too many academic requirements. I think that the education is geared more toward learning than getting a job, at least in the chemistry department.

yes, class size is great. ive been able to get close to a good amount of my professors. students study very hard here, class participation is very common and strongly encouraged. very interactive-type teaching methods. students are competitive, but mainly within themselves...students are very helpful and encouraging with one another. most unique class: psychopharmacology. im a psychology major. i spend time with my psychology honors professor outside of class. liberal arts education is about learning for its own sake (wake forest)...but they do a great job of giving opportunities for teaching outside the classroom which helps in getting a job.

Yes professors know their students names because classes are usually somewhat small. I love my political science classes, and dislike foreign language. Students study all the time, we are always working! Wake students are intelligent and interested in world issues and have intellectual conversations in their everyday lives. Students here aren't really that competitive. I feel like the foreign language requirement is entirely too much! I like the liberal arts aspect though.

yes; business law; study time depends on major; heavy class participation; yes for intellectual conversations; very competitive; first year seminars tend to be unique; common to meet with professors outside of class; both academic and practical focus

Most of my professors this semester know my name, and in the past, the majority has known my name as well. My favorite class was last semester- Human Physiology. It was so interesting because you sit there and think, "that's all going on inside of me right now!" My least favorite is Philosophy 112 because it's very complex and difficult to understand. Students study every single day. Class participation is common and expected. Students sometimes do have intellectual conversations outside of class, with some of these conversations even straying from talking about a certain class. Students are extremely competitive, yet willing to help eachother. The most unique class I've taken is Anatomy because we get to work with cadavers. I am a Health and Exercise Major on a pre-medical course. It's very difficult and demanding, but interesting. My HES classes have been my favorite classes thus far and the faculty in the department is phenomenal. I have started seeing professors outside of class during office hours, and spend about an hour a week outside of class with one professor with whom I'm doing an independent study. Wake's academic requirements are strenuous and tedious, but do make for a well-rounded liberal arts student. When someone comes in to Wake knowing what they want to study, the divisional requirements seem annoying. However, these required classes allow students to think in different ways than they might be used to. I think the education at Wake is geared toward getting a job when you get into upper level classes. It's hard to see how Biology 112 will prepare you for a job. I want to go to medical school, so I'm not really thinking about getting a job! The divisional classes (if they are outside of your major) are geared toward learning for its own sake because you can develop critical thinking skills and can have a small taste of the various departments on campus.

I'd say most of my professors, if not all, know my name. My favorite class this semester would probably have to be photography and my least favorite philosophy, which i am only taking as a divisional requirement. Students study a lot here, too much, which is another thing I would change about it-it's a great education, but too much work-students need more of a college/party atmosphere throughout the week. I dont spend time with my professors outside of class. Wake helps you in terms of looking for careers, which is nice, and I'd say its mostly geared toward that as opposed to the joy of learning.

Class size ranges, and obviously gets smaller as you delve deeper into your major requirements, but even my Psychology 101 class didn’t feel too large for me to feel uncomfortable asking questions. Just like everywhere else, your relationship with your professor is pretty much up to you. Most professors make a big effort to get to know names and they all encourage students to come by during office hours. If you’re struggling in a class or just displeased with a test grade, it is so easy and helpful to stop by the prof’s office to let him or her know you’re really trying. Class participation is usually a must, even in large lectures. Like I said, Wake is filled with a lot of driven people, and internships and job opportunities are a frequent topic of conversation. But let’s be honest, seeing as it is a school of mostly elites, these internships are generally gained through familial connections. Nevertheless, the stress level and the pressure to get work done are usually very high.

See above. Professors make a serious effort to learn about each student - more than knowing each student's name. Class participation is expected, and is very good and classes always benefit as a result. The students all work very hard, but there is no sense of competition among students like at other schools (Duke).

Professors within my major knew my name and a handful would still remember me now (3 years out). Didn't study as much as I should- but still did decent! Classes are normally small and set-up to encourage class participation. Students within the Business school were definitely competitive. Wake is liberal arts, meaning that you are forced to take classes outside of your major. I would suggest taking what interests you and really try to enjoy those classes because you will most likely never have an opportunity to take those classes again. If you aren't good at science/math/reading (insert your weakness), make sure that you do not get in an overly difficult class because you do not want it to ruin your GPA. The career development center was very helpful, but I think the Calloway Business School was more geared towards helping people get jobs.

My professors know my name; students study a good deal; class participation is generally very common; I have intellectual conversations with my friends outside of class and I know of other people who do, but I have a feeling that it is uncommon practice; students are not all that competative; my major is great-- the Bio department here is strong with great professors, great research opportunities, and a fair selection of classes; I do spend time with professors outside of class- two in particular are good friends of mine now and we go to lunch every month; Wake's academic requirements for the current class are fine; Education here is more geared towards learning mostly, but some classes have a different mindset

My professors did know my name. Students study four times a week. People did participate in class. Students are competitive. There are a lot of core requirements.