Wesleyan University Top Questions

Professors are so helpful and willing to accomodate you. They want to see you succeed and are passionate about what they teach. Students are not competitive at all, which was a really nice relief after high school. I was able to determine my own standards of what a good performance in a class went. Looking at the course selection my Freshman year was very exciting. I am able to take classes that I want to take. This makes college something I do for myself, rather than for my family, grad school, etc. (as selfish as it may seem).

Academics can get to one's head because they are often stressful, but just like at any school, if one works one will learn.

I wish it was easier to get into the classes we wanted...people pay so much money..and get stuck taking something they don't want to take. I am a science major who needs to take an English class. I have not taken an English class since high school--and the only one that i could get into was Nonfiction Techniques--which requires skill--skill that I feel I don't yet have and I'm worried I will drown.

The education at Wesleyan is definitly more geared toward learning for it's own sake rather than for a job. Although this is sometimes criticized I have found that job markets are more appreciative than ever to have libral arts students. I think it gives one the ability to learn in a multitude of ways instead of just one. All of teachers have known my name and how I am doing in the class. I believe that there are only a few intro lecture classes where teachers have no idea who is in their class. I have found that teachers are always willing to help you. How well you know your professors depends on how much effort you put in to seeking them out. Class participation is also almost always important, again, unless you are in one of the few larger lecture classes.

You can be a very serious student at Wes. You can also take a class that examines global warming through interpretive dance. Your call.

people generally take academics seriously and so do the professors. without trying really hard it is definitely difficult to get a GPA over 3.5, for example. A lot of the professors are very smart and reknown in their respective fields but that does not necessarily mean that they are great at teaching. some are actually terrible

Professors at Wesleyan are the shit. As long as you don't get the shitty ones.

this is the best part. there are so many incredible classes to choose from, and no requirements. if youre into art, you can take art classes and use any of the great facilities that the school offers. if youre into astronomy, you can take astronomy classes and use the big telescope that wes is so proud of. there are very few, if any, weak departments. Humanities are strong, arts are strong, sciences are strong. Music and Film are especially strong, which makes life better for everyone, since there are always concerts and film screenings, and who doesnt enjoy concerts and movies? English and History are also very strong... but the point is, you can take anything. Last semester i took a class in Gamelan, a twenty-something person Indonesian percussion instrument, a class in modern architecture, a class in german fairy tales and a drawing class. they were all great, most of them difficult, and i was very glad to have taken all of them. How many college students can say that about their classes as a freshman?

Okay, this survey is f-in long and that 10 minutes is a lie. That said: Academics is tight. Sure, slackers can weave an easy path through it all if they like. You can also bang your head against knotty, soul-draining problems, questions and schedules, if that's really your cup of tea (you know you're out there). Taking five courses happens a fair bit, and if you can swing it, it's dam useful, and occasionally fun. Most of the people I know definitely converse with substance. I wouldn't call it 'intellectual' though. More like, Wesleyan students are generally intelligent, and they're articulate enough to express what they got in they heads. I've had wonderfully approachable professors. I've heard of curmudgeons, but have yet to meet them in person. I know there's some kind of academic requirements, but I seriously don't pay attention to them. That's not what the place is about.

The professors are really cool, and really personable, for the most part. There are so many interesting courses that it's really easy to take a little of everything and then panic about picking a major sophomore year, but it's also really important to explore the options, because most colleges don't give them to you. I got my Science requirements out of the way with an Intro to Environmental Studies class and a purely applied science class called BioChem in the Modern World. It was learning about what and how germs cause diseases, and how the medicines that cure them work, and things about why all sorts of drugs affect the body. If you've ever sat in a science class wondering "when am I ever going to use this information?"... well, that sentiment is really easy to avoid at Wesleyan, while taking a lot of interesting classes.