Wheaton College-Norton Top Questions

Wheaton is a great place for people who don't like to blend into the background. Class sizes are small, and professors almost always not only know your name, but your interests and future goals as well. Wheaton students typically work hard and study often, but there are always people who forget why they're at college. Wheaton's general education requirements need to be incorporated into your academic plans early on, but are not overbearing, and most people finish them be sophomore year. Classes range from basic to unique, and I have yet to take a class that was poorly taught or boring. Wheaton is great because it focuses its students on both the present and the future; encouraging planning for post-graduation careers and education. It's the perfect place for motivated students who plan to get things done.

If you're in a bigger class, you may not get to know the professor that well, but not always. Many take time to meet with each student individually and many offer so much guidance. They really get you to think about what you want to do with your time at Wheaton and afterwards. And it's not always the professors who teach your major- everyone's very helpful. The classes are great- you learn so much. Students have intellectual conversations outside of class and in my view, we really study and know that we're in college to learn.

I love academics at Wheaton. One of my majors is Art History, and one of the deciding factors in choosing Wheaton was the strength of their Art History Department. Professors, given the chance, will always learn your name, and in my experience be genuinely interested in your ideas and what you have to say. The only class that I have not liked was FYS or First Year Seminar. This is required, and the issue really becomes that students are placed in a class, really regardless of their own interests. In mine we did research for the professor's own pet project. It was a waste of time. If there was more effort made to make the FYs experience in line with the students own interests, then I think it would be acceptable. As it is, its the only bad experience I've had, but its sour taste lingers.

Academics at Wheaton are very challenging. Of course this can depend on what classes you take. My professors have been amazing. They are always willing to meet with you outside of class.

My favorite class that I have taken so far is Schooling in America with Professor Olson.

The school is really small so many professors know your name by the end of the first full week of classes, which I think is really nice. The class sizes are pretty small, with only a few lectures consisting of between 60 and 80 students offered. I think the level of participation varies with the class, and the amount of students enrolled in it. The classes I am taking are helping me prepare for life outside of Wheaton, pertaining to my major. I feel like I would be able to use the information that I have learned at school in order to get a job after graduation. I am a psychology major which is one of, if not the, most popular majors on campus. This leads to a lot of waiting for certain classes that I need to take to fulfill a particular requirement. I have been waiting for almost two years to take a class for my major and for my Connections requirement, which I find ridiculous. I do not like the fact that the school makes us take classes that connect to other classes because there are too many that pertain to the sciences, and I hate science and am not very good at it. There are also too many that are connected to first year seminars, but the board frowns upon people trying to connect their FYS to another class. If they are going to make students take connection classes, then they should have more classes available for the students to take.

Insanely brilliant professors. Take the time to visit their office hours. Go a lot. Go enough so that they can distinguish who you are in a hundred person class. This can only help your chances of doing well in the classes and a lot of them have very interesting research topics that they might need help on.

Professors are amazing. Everyone knows your name, and they are dedicated inside and outside of the classroom. They are probably the best reason for choosing to attend Wheaton. Wonderful English department. Competitiveness depends on the students and the type of class you are making. Wheaton can be as challenging or as easy as you choose to make it. Some students carry in-class conversations to outside of the classroom, while others cannot be bothered once class has ended. In terms of preparing you for a job, Wheaton has mastered the art of the well-rounded liberal arts school. You leave have taken a smattering of different types of classes, however, some students may not feel that they have a concentration in one single thing to be able to get a job. The career center could be more helpful in placing summer internships, let alone actual jobs. Wheaton is the only school I've heard of that has connection courses-where two or more classes are similar and therefore, "connect". This is supposed to give students a chance to take classes they otherwise would not have taken and to see how disciplines are connected. Wheaton students complain about this the most. Many see it as pointless and a useless requirement that does not actually help them.

Professors always know your name, and many prefer that you call them by their first name. Classes are always small... very rarely above 20, averaging closer to 10 depending on the subject. There's a fairly open curriculum with only a few requirements, so you are largely free to take whichever courses interest you most. It's definitely a liberal arts education, rather than geared towards getting a job.

The academics at Wheaton are by far its strong point, and are some of the best that you could encounter anywhere. Small class sizes and much interaction among faculty and students usually means that professors make it a point to learn the names of every student in a classroom. Discussions are also encouraged in classrooms, and professors make it a point to ensure that not only are they teaching the material, but the students are learning it. The faculty at Wheaton is also outstanding, and is handpicked with the utmost care. The number of Ivy League PhD's among the faculty is surprising, but not only are the professors knowledgeable in their respective fields, they are also outstanding teachers and always make learning the material easier for students with their effective teaching strategies. The academic schedule at Wheaton is usually strenuous, and students do have to spend a great deal of time studying and doing work. The majority of my classes are in the departments of biology and chemistry, both of which are very work intensive and demanding. The faculty does expect a lot from students, but helps students in every way possible to make the workload manageable. The small size of the departments do tend to cause students to be competitive, usually because students know everyone else in the department and know what other students are doing. The expansive knowledge of the faculty also means that you can find some courses at Wheaton that you might not find elsewhere. In the biology department, students spend a great deal of time outside of class and lab with professors doing research. One of the benefits of being at a small school with no graduate program is that the students get a chance to participate in research with professors that most students do not get to experience until graduate school. Most Wheaton students are passionate about their major, and therefore enjoy doing the majority of the work expected of them. A student can tailor their schedule however they want to gear it towards preparation for work or graduate school.