Washington and Lee University Top Questions

The classes here are uniformly challenging. My experience has been mostly in the Music and Computer Science departments (my majors), but every professor I've taken has had high expectations. Especially in the shorter Spring Term, you can expect at least as much time in homework as class time. Class participation/discussion is generally good. Students are polite, and make reasoned arguments. There are often academic discussions outside of class, and a general feeling of being around a bunch of persons who enjoy learning.

The professors are by far the best thing about Washington and Lee! They almost always know all the students names by the end of the first week or two, even in the few science classes with more than 90 students. Some students study all the time but most seem to get by with a few hours a day and have plenty of time for other things. Class participation is usually really encourage, if not required, but that all depends on what class it is. The student don't tend to be competitive, in my experience everyone tends to keep most of their grades to themselves unless they are asked an everyone is usually really supportive about helping each other with difficult concepts. I am close to a lot of my professors in a professional manor and will actually be taking care of the children of one of them this summer. They are all very open and willing to be both your mentor and your professor while still being respectful of the relationship.

Academics are the top selling point of this University. Don't let social life at W&L get in your way of excelling academically. It is possible to do both; however, it is a very very very delicate balance.

I can't say that professors are always exceptionally qualified. Many definitely are. The sciences, the art history department, politics, economics, etc. But in the art and journalism departments, for example, no professor's resume will blow you away. At first, I thought "uh oh" because it seems like a very small department with unremarkable professors. But then you realize that your experience will be very different than a big-name school with big-name professors. And in my opinion, it has been better. My professors and I are dear friends, and you are a big fish in a little pond. By my sophomore year, I had anchored for the W&L local news station and been editor-in-chief of two campus publications. You don't have to wait till senior year to get out of the lecture hall -- from day one, your professors guide you as you dive in to work with your hands in real-world situations. Comparing the education I've received with those of my friends, I am so pleased with the broad development and depth of study that I've never seen evidence of anywhere else. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I feel like I'm a more well-rounded person AND extraordinarily prepared for my career path.

Academics here at Washington and Lee are different from many large institutions that hold classes of 80 to sometimes 100 +. My biggest class this year was about 25 in a math class and the smallest was about 14 in a spanish class. The professors are very concentrated in making sure that our experiences here at W&L as a student are of a high caliber, challenging and at the same time enjoyable.

The academics at Washington and Lee are absoultely top-notch. The professors are prepared, engaging, and genuinly interested in forming a relationship with students. The faculty is accessible, welcoming, and always willing to go the extra mile for you. The English Department is exceptional. The classes are very demanding and the grading is harsh to say the least, but you do become a better writer than you ever thought possible. And if you're willing to sell your soul to Leyburn Library, the English department at W&L will give you the kind of liberal arts education most schools can only dream to.

After going to a small and academically challanging highschool, I was looking forward to, well, slacking off in college. The rumor was that the hardest part of college was getting in. I was SHOCKED then to find myself right back in the small and challenging class atmosphere of highschool. Professors know the students and know what they are capable of, and they absolutely hold their students to that standard. There is no grade inflation. The first meeting we had as a freshman class, the dean addressed the class and said, "90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of you were the top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your class. Now only 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of you will be". A seemingly obvious statement, but for the type A over achievers that flock to W&L, it was a bit of a shock to see that come into realization. BUT while professors are very demanding and classes are tough, they are incredibely interesteing classes. Some classes are hard to get into, but if they are neccessary for a major or graduation professors will always let you in. Often students can get into "full" classes (and by full, i mean about 25 students) by e-mailing the professor and showing legit interest in the subject. Also, even though students tend to by Type A, there is no competition with fellow students for "class rank" or elite academic standing. The pressure is entirely internal. As far as the student/professor relationship goes, I can say with confidence that all of my professors know my name and they--consistent with speaking tradition--will always stop to talk outside of class. They're available for help at ALL hours (I actually called a professor at 3 in the morning for help on a group project and she helped no questions asked).

Professors definitely learn your name probably by the second week of classes. They are always available for help, which is really great.

I have enjoyed most of my classes here and almost all, if not all, of the professors I've had have known my name and still say hello to me if I run into them on campus. Professors are incredibly approachable overall and willing to help me if I'm struggling in a class. Most of the classes I've taken have actually been easier than I expected, and the workload is generally very reasonable. Some classes though, like art history and Spanish literature, seemed that they would be easy but ended up being much more difficult than I expected. Students do participate fairly frequently in class, although some classes are much more discussion-based than others. I think that most students tend to study a lot, although there are those types who never seem to study and still make straight A's. The best class I've taken here so far was probably Brain and Behavior, a psychology class with an excellent professor that made me want to be a psych major. I think W&L's academic requirements are very reasonable and not at all burdensome. I also find that most students really do care about learning, but some don't seem to display the thirst for knowledge that I think should characterize a student at this school. I have heard and participated in interesting intellectual conversations outside of class, like during meals. Students don't seem to compete with each other for grades but rather just with themselves, trying to always do better than they have before.

I love how small the classes are. My first term here, my largest class was 18 people! Compared to the 500-person lectures my friends in other schools are taking, that's incredible. The professors take the time to get to know everyone's name, and they are always available to help you out or just to talk. Many teachers even give out their home/cell phone numbers on the first day of class. There is definitely no grade inflation here, the classes are hard and the professors aren't afraid to give poor marks.