Brown University Top Questions

Most professors make an effort to know your name, even in large classes, but it is hard unless you make an effort as well. That means going to office hours or raising your hand in class. Students study when they have to. Most students know what they have to do to do well, so you'll see a variety of techniques and dedication. A lot of students study in the libraries, especially during exam time. Brown students are not competitive. It's one of the best qualities of students here. They are competitive with themselves, but there is a bond of camaraderie between students. Education at Brown is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake. Clearly people are concerned with jobs for after graduation or summer internships but the freedom Brown always with NO REQUIREMENTS and pass/fail (called S/NC) classes allows people to explore topics they never could consider at other schools. Brown students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. Either sharing with their friends about their specific classes or just talking about the world in general. Brown also offers a great "Shopping" opportunity. We have at least a week and a half at the beginning of each semester to check out as many classes as possible without penalty, so you're really given the opportunity to explore new academic interests. Even after shopping period is done you're given another 2 weeks or so to change your grade option for a class and something that i think is uniquely Brown is that you can drop a class at any point in the semester, until the last day of classes before exams.