Wesleyan University Top Questions

If you are over being crazy about grades, you can really take advantage of the academic system. Getting straight A's requires a ridiculous amount of dedication; a student can explore the subjects they love extensively and learn a lot from their teachers and peers. The classes, other than large introductory science classes, are small and inclusive; the professors are enthusiastic about engagement with the students. Time with professors outside of class is encouraged.

Over 4 years here, I have developed tons of close relationships with distinguished professors. It's safe to say I have four mentors, among dozens of other close relationships with professors. The Wes culture makes for a tremendously rigorous academic environment. Students here learn critical thinking about social issues (which they can apply to *every* possible discipline) in ways that never happens at most schools. The academic requirements are easy to fulfill but ensure a breadth of education. Students in every major benefit from the liberal arts education, learning how their studies fit into a larger social framework which allows for fruitful opportunities of collaboration. Students have academic discussions outside of class all the time, and a huge part of your education comes from your peers. The academic environment is largely supportive, not competitive, and you never hear people asking about one another's grades. It's all about the education.

Wesleyan is known for its academic excellence, and for those students who take advantage of what the school has to offer, the education is a great one. I personally feel that I got the best college education for me here, and have no worries about finding a job post-graduation. Our Career Resource Center is wonderful, and Wesleyan alumni generally tend to do interesting things with their educations (for example, the writers putting together this college guide!). There are, of course, several caveats. I'm a music major, and in my four years got to know several of my professors well enough to call them by their first names and eat dinner at one's house. One even played with me in my senior thesis recital. However, the music department is on the smaller side, with only about 50 students at any one time, so I can't speak for students in larger departments like English or Government. What I can say is that many of my friends in other departments are happy here, and aside from the occasional bad professor (ever school has them), the academics are great. In fact, my boyfriend told a me a story about Harvard alum he worked for who went to both Harvard and Wesleyan reunions (his wife was a Wes alum), and said that the only difference between the alums was that those from Wesleyan were more interesting.

pretty fucking useless. a lot of mental masterbation and generalizations by rich white kids and white washed ethnic kids. "i feeeeel like..... i feeeeeeel like.... well... i feeeeeeel like, well i just have something to say and i feeeeeeeeeel like you all give a shit." even the studio arts classes are USELESS. its hard to be that excessively useless in an already useless environment but too bad, its possible. i took a sculpture class and we didnt even cover mold making. it is all theory and nothing practical. i cannot say i left wesleyan with a single practical skill outside of what i acquired on my own, on my own time, off campus, from non students. wesleyan was an immense drain on my time and resources and i cannot stress how badly i regret going to that piece of shit school. the campus is pretty.. lots of campuses are pretty.. dont be fooled.

the most unique class I've taken was the second student architecture class, where we had a whole class design and build project. our client was local audobon society chapter and the assignment was to create a structure that facilitated viewing of a out of commision cranberry bog and its wildlife (particularly birds). Many people in the class pulled all nighters in the studio together various times throughout the semester. And we all spent a few weekend days (9-6 or so) assembling the structure on site. It was a very valuable learning process. (note: design build architecture studios are often part of a graduate school's arch curriculum. but its very rare to do this with undergrads. )

Academics here are very strong. I know people who have taken classes like History of R&B or Western Films looking for a fun and easy A, and found that although the class might have been fun, the A was definitely not easy. Professors are for the most part helpful, accessible, and make an effort to have a one-on-one relationship with the students even in the biggest lecture classes. My biggest complaint about the academic situation here is that it can be tough to get into the most popular classes. Sometimes you have to request it three semesters in a row before the online course registration algorithm gives you a seat.

Very tough school work is made easier by the fact that many professors have close, personal relationships with their students. Whether I liked it or not, I was on a first-name basis with just about all of my teachers by the time I had finished a semester with them. Professors foster lots of discussion in class, not that they'd have to, because most students are excited enough about their own opinions to speak their minds liberally in and out of class. That's not to say that all students are obnoxious, just that they're all intelligent and enjoy the subject matter of their studies immensely (if not the work itself). The Art History department, I can attest, is a very tight-knit group of students and professors who know one another, are interested in each other's work, and enjoy what they do. Learning is definitely something that happens for learning's sake at Wes, and most students take certain classes because they have a strong, genuine intellectual interest in the subject matter, not just to learn formulaic skills or processes.

Class sizes vary, but the biggest classes at Wesleyan are the introductory science classes which are about 300 students. In general, most of my classes my freshman year were around 30 or 40 students. The professors are friendly and willing to help--the majority of my professors at the least knew my name by the end of the semester. It is a liberal arts college, so these are not pre-profesional classes. There are what we call "Gen Eds" that are a set of recommended types of courses over various areas that you are only required to take to graduate with honors. There is no core at Wesleyan, so you are open to take courses wherever you want.

It's definitely easy to become friendly with professors, have lunch with them, talk to them on the phone, etc. Students aren't obsessed with grades for the most part which is nice. Classes are a wide variety of sizes, but it is hard to find classes with under 25/30 students. Wesleyan edu is geared toward different things, depending on your major. Social sciences tend to be about understanding the world around you and becoming an informed citizen. Anthropology is a small, intimate department that is very supportive of its students. All the professors know all the students and most of the professors are great, although a few are really awful. But it is easy to take classes with professors you like. FGSS (Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) is a major that is not a major. In other words, it is comprised of professors who are in other departments but teach classes cross-listed with FGSS. It's a pretty crappy department and major, although some of the professors are wonderful as are some of the classes.

Academics are challenging, or as challenging as you make them. Students generally do between 2 and 4 hours of home work a night, although it really does vary. Nobody seems too stressed out, though, except during midterm and finals time. It's not a competitive atmosphere at all, and people discuss things they learn in class a lot.

solid.

The academics, especially liberal arts, are excellent. Professors are highly intelligent and lecture well. It is easy to find favorite classes and favorite professors, and you'll still find new ones every year. My personal favorites included a wide range: Medieval European History, Modernism in Literature, and Classical Film Theory. As a film major, I think the film dept. is too small but very solid. Although some of the professors there are not so talented, at least two are brilliant. And it is very well funded (for example, Michael Bay, an alumn, donates some of his riches regularly)- the cinema is massive and brand new, and taking 10 person classes in its 400 seats is a joy. As for getting a job, I do feel a little left in the wind, but maybe that's cause I'm a junior struggling to find my career path anyway.

Do you thrive on competition? Because if you do, forget about Wesleyan. Here, everyone has their own intellectual agenda, and usually don't give two-hoots about fighting it out with another competitor. The best part about Wesleyan's liberal education is that you can stick your thumb in every academic pie there is available, time willing. In my freshman year, I got to sample music, theater, anthropology, dance, astronomy, art history and German literature. And what about advanced academics? If you have the capacity to strive for what's out there, a simple email to a professor will suffice. It's not uncommon for students to participate in Graduate level seminars and major forums. As a sophomore, I had already done 2 music major seminars and 2 graduate level seminars that had an immense bearing on the way in which I conceived my major topic. Most of the Professors here are incredible thinkers who have produced bodies of work that continue to shape the international intellectual landscape. A quick roundup of who has taught at Wesleyan: Hannah Arendt, Haydn White, Judith Butler, John Cage ... the list is purely jaw-dropping. Wesleyan also has a knack for sourcing out visiting professors ready to bloom, so you just might be there to catch them before they become the next big thing in the academic world. All my classes with visiting professors have been intellectually engaging, fun and exciting. Although professors have predetermined office hours, they are more than willing to challenge you to a brain duel on the latest issues concerning politics, Iraq and anything that gets your mind ticking. Quite simply, Wesleyan was the best educational choice I could have made given my diverse intellectual interests in almost everything!

Academic opportunities at Wesleyan are varied and extensive, but it takes work to find the right classes and professors. Some introductory classes are disappointing and fairly large, but they vary based on professors. First-year initiatives sound like a great opportunity to be introduced to college courses, but again can be very disappointing; a class with all first year students is prone to turn in to free-for-all discussion. The system of registering for classes and adjustment is a bit complicated, but often Professors are more than accomodating during drop/add with letting more students in. Students are serious about their work but generally non-competitive.

Had really close relationships with two professors. Most of my classes were seminars, and had less than 20 people. The creative writing program is too small. The east asian studies program, history, art history, film and studio art departments are great and allow you close contact with professors. Education at wesleyan is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake. My favorite class was "The Problem of truth in modern china", "Empire and erotica: Indian painting," and a short fiction class. My friends do have intellectual conversations outside of class.

professors know my name--I have tea with them, play with their dog... etc. the other students are the best part--there's a awesome culture at wesleyan filled with creative minds and dedicated social action. they participate a lot in class. There no competition among students. Feminist Gender and Sexuality studies is an awesome way to study social justice at wesleyan--so are the african american studies program and american studies. Great professors and are interested in helping you learn and dedicated to social justice. The administration, however, could be more helpful and work with students more. Wesleyan is geared toward learning. not getting a job (unless you're a science major). The opportunities for science majors are unlike any other i've seen. Most are doing undergraduate research by sophomore or junior year (I do stem cell research as a junior)--this is unheard of at most colleges.

I personally have had a terrible academic experience at Wesleyan. While I have learned a lot from certain classes essentially every class I have taken has had a major flaw. My view is definitely biased, most of my friends have had excellent academic experiences where they find their work and classes extremely engaging and rewarding.

The reason I go to Wesleyan. It is also the reason I would never leave it, even if one of the only. Wesleyan can, and should, boast of strong departments in both the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Classes can be very small, around seven students, or as big as 100. However, professors are wonderfully responsive to student inquiries, inside and outside of class. They do, after all, offer excellent intellectual and scientific backgrounds to discussions and lectures, and more often than not provoke students not only into unexplored territory of consideration, but demand an exactitude in dealing with such considerations. One would need willingly, forcefully, to relinquish one's mind in order to be 'bored' in, though this is my view, any of Wesleyan's classroom settings. Professors truly serve as models for students, though it is certainly up to the student to decide how hard they want to work to get there and farther.

Double-majoring, class participation, and a lack of course requirements or prereqs make the classrooms here exciting and diverse. Most students take academics fairly seriously and are personally involved, though there are of course exceptions, and it's not too competitive. I've been in a small department and there's a very familial feeling about it, which I love. Academics are definitely not job-oriented, they're liberal arts all the way. Study abroad is very popular.

classes range between large lecture classes of a few hundred students and small discussion classes of less than 15. either way, most teachers strive to establish a good student-teacher relationship and get to know your name or at least your face. with no core cirriculum requirements, it's nice to be able to take any classes you want without having to take certain classes to cover requirements. the credits system is basic and fair. i would have to say that the classes are generally geared towards learning for its own sake over getting a job, but that's not to say that they don't prepare for the real world.