Boston College Top Questions

The academics are top notch. The courses are somewhat difficult to figure out at first depending on the subject and the workload may put some students off initially. However, the professors are more than helpful for students who are struggling and the subjects taught in school courses are interesting and engaging.

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There are quite a few big lecture halls especially the introductory courses in the sciences. Professors will not learn your name unless you give them a reason to. It is very easy to glide by without looking your professor in the eye. The courses vary in difficulty depending on the department. The sciences are pretty difficult whereas the social science classes are less vigorous.

BC has a HUGE core requirement that includes like 15 courses or something like that if you don't have any AP credits. These core classes are generally pretty big and pretty boring but they really do help you narrow your focus if you have no idea what to study when you first enter college. I think one of the best programs we have is the Cornerstone classes as well as the PULSE and Perspective programs. Cornerstone classes are first year seminars that help freshmen learn about themselves and their vocation as well as learning how to navigate college. It makes students take time out to reflect about their experiences in college and think deeper about their studies. The PULSE program is my favorite class so far. It is a service-learning course that knocks out the 2 theology and 2 philosophy core requirements in one course over 2 semesters in conjunction with 10-12 hours of service. It is by far one of the most popular program that everyone tries to sign up for besides Perspectives (which also knocks out the theology and philosophy core without the service component). But PULSE is special because it connects philosophy text to current life and with the service we do in the communities around us. It was PULSE that helped me find my vocation and future career path. I can also say that every single PULSE professor is loved by their students and they care so much for their students on personal levels that I don't think other programs have. Some professors even invite students over for dinners. We have things like "Professor and Pastries" where students can just come and chat with professors over coffee and desserts. One of the complaints I have about our academic system is the academic advising. We really don't have any besides your adviser giving you the access code to register for classes, at least that's been my experience so far.

I've not had any problems with the academics - though I be a poor model to go off of. Je suis brilliant, but also incredibly lazy

No matter where you decide to attend college, you will get out of your studies what you put into it. If you choose to take easy classes and breeze through, you will probably still graduate, but you won't have much knowledge or skills to show for it. At Boston College, there are lots of opportunities to challenge yourself. In general, I found the faculty and available courses to be truly exceptional. Some academic departments are stronger than others, but I think that's probably true of most educational institutions. Boston College does have extensive core requirements, which means that students must have a certain number of credits in a variety of specific subjects (English, math, history, theology, philosophy, science, etc) in order to graduate. While this requires students to take courses they might not otherwise take, it can seriously limit your freedom to take things you're really interested in. Also, because fulfilling the core requirements often eats up a significant portion of your schedule, pursuing a double major is sometimes out of the question.

most the the professors here actually care, theyll set up office hours and give extra credit. all but one of my classes freshmen year were under 40 people, the one that wasnt was lecture style and that was only 150 people. even though BC is known for academics, most people arent nerds who study 24/7, im pretty sure the rigor and study hours are the same at most other colleges. the thing that sets it apart is the extensive core. theres a moderately large list of core courses everyone has to take. if you do well on APs/IBs youll get exempt from a lot though-i came in with 24 credits and got rid of most of my core! as a jesuit college you do need to take theology as part of the core but especially if you pair it with philosophy, its really the philosophy behind religion-its NOT shoving religion down anyones throat

I was a chemistry major, so I took many of the same classes as the really competitive pre-med students. These classes are huge lecture based classes thus making faculty interaction minimal. Most of the chemistry department never bothered to learn anything about their students. One standout was Steve Bruner. His classes always were interesting and he made an effort to remember anyone who came to visit him at his office. I also was a math minor, which I loved. I thought the math department was great. I loved each of my professors.

While there are certainly some students who slack off, they're only hurting themselves. BC is a tough academic institution, and if you want to be at the top of the hiring pool or readily admissible by the best graduate/law/medical programs in the nation, then you better work-work-work during your four years here! The type of work you have depends on your major (I wrote a LOT of papers), and if you plan your time properly and manage your reading and assignments, you'll never have to miss a football game or pull an all-nighter.

Classes aren't as hard as one might think, lots of great professors, diverse classes and majors, going abroad is EXTREMELY well supported if you want to study in another country for a semester or two (I'm going to University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia next year :)))).