College of Charleston Top Questions

I found every class I took to be a challenge in it's own way. As i'm sure you can predict, the teacher has a lot to do with the difficulties you will face in a class. My biology 111 and 112 classes really focused on the facts, you had to know every minute detail. On the other hand, my theatre class really focused on creativity and hard work. The teacher recognized those who made the extra effort in the class. My marine geology class focused on application and understanding concepts. I found that class to be the most challenging because I couldn't just regurgitate the information. The tests asked questions about things I never learned in class, but yet I needed to be able to take what I did know and apply it to the problems. It was definetely one of the more difficult classes I took, but yet the most rewarding. I can not seem to remember half the stuff I learned in biology, where I crammed all this information in and then after the exam forgot it all, whereas I walk around like a dork referencing things and teaching my friends the things I learned in geology. My friend Ada and I always reference the strange facts we learned in that class like "Did you know that Oreos are made with titanium?" So my advice is, that no matter how challenging a class is, take a step back and think about why the professor might be teaching it the way they are, and try to get the most out of the class as you can. The classes are all what you make of them, they can be torturous or they can be educational and entertaining.

The class size at charleston is roughly small, which I think is great because it allows the students to truely get to know their professors. CofC has a great tutoring program, so if any student has any problems, they can go to the lab in the library, and people will be able to assit the student on their problems. If defiantly depends on what teacher you get when it comes to the difficulty of the class. I have had some fabulous teachers, and then some who were aweful.

Classes tend to be pretty small unless you're taking one of the big introductory classes (Bio 101, etc.), around 30 students. Professors do tend to know your name, especially if you participate in class. At the very least, they recognize you on the street when they see you. I'm a part of the Honors Business program so I get the opportunity to be in small specialized classes. Those classes have definitely been my favorite because I cared about the subject and my professors did too. The Honors College is really good at CofC, the administration will do whatever they can to help you out.

Yes, my professors know my name because I become engaged in my classes, no matter how boring. I wish the college actually had more people like me to be more engaged in class sometimes. It makes even the most boring class more interesting. Class participation is pretty good (see above). I've had many intellectual conversations outside of class. The Computer Science department is awesome. We have our own break room with computers, a plasma HDTV, video game consols, and there is always food in there. The professors and advisers will help you out at every turn and will even sit down and chit chat with you about pretty much anything. I even got hired for my current summer internship because my Java Professor, Dr. Buhler, put in a good word in for me and forwarded my resume to the right, connected people. I now see him almost everyday in the office and have learned a great deal in such a short time frame just by working and being around him. My education is geared toward getting a job (isn't that one of the side effects of going to college?), but it's not entirely about that. I've taken classes that had nothing to do with my major just because I wanted to learn more about that subject and become a more eduacted, informed, and responcible citizen in society.

The library is a very nice place to study. Each professor has a special/unique way about their classes. This helps when one teacher's style of teaching doesn't readily fit the way you are able to learn. Biology Department prepares you for the world/further education. Its diffecult in the sense that you will have to put time into it- its no piece of cake all the time.

I always say that the great thing about CofC is that you can really choose your level of academic difficulty and involvement. I love a good challenge, and I've certainly been able to find that here. I've never had a professor I didn't like, and in the two years I've been here, I've been able to form great relationships with my advisors. Class participation is encouraged, and most of the classes I've taken here have been discussion-oriented (keep in mind, though, I'm in the school of Humanities and Social Sciences, so I can't really speak for the other schools).

the education is geared toward learning, its incredible!! students party hard, but at the end of the day are pulling in incredible grades and making the most out of their experience here. the only thing that really sucks is the four semesters of a foreign language requiared for graduation. i think two is plenty!! students arent competitive with each other, but are always trying to do better than before, which is super important.

Most professor at CofC, due to small class sizes, are able and willing to learn their students names within a few weeks. I had a history professor for a general education course my freshman year, who still knows my name, says hi, and asks me how I am doing to this day, two years later. The fact that the school is a liberal arts school and requires so many general education classes in a variety of areas (from math to history to the humanities and so on) was helpful to me and my decision upon a major. I got to experience classes and fields of study in the spectrum of a liberal arts and sciences education.

The professors are amazing. Maybe I'm just really lucky, but I have had a few professors that have been great. I am a political science, Spanish, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies major. I am really tight with my poly sci professor/advisor, and really like my LACS one as well. We have had great, really heated discussions in class that reall piss some people off; they're great. You can totally go talk to professors outside of class to in thier offices, and they are always willing to help out with a problem, or just to talk. One of the main reasons I decided to come to CofC was that it has a study abroad program in Cuba. Yea, thats possible there. CofC is one of the only schools that offers it and I can not wait to go this spring. Kids definately have real conversations and arguments about topics in class too, so you can tell the people there are as excited and interested in the stuff you are learning about as you are. School is challenging, but it is not insane. You still have plenty of time to do all sorts of things that you want to, and meet tons of kids. My Spanish classes so far have not been very hard, however they are decent, and I really think they will pick up in intensity this year which I'm looking forward to.

Academics at C of C, in my opinion, are fantastic. I have had only one professor I have disliked, and I dropped out of their class pretty quick. Intellectual stimulus isn't something I find too much outside of the classroom though. A few are my friends have egghead conversations with me, but for the most part its a very laid back environment, which is good. Too much intellect makes you sick sometimes. My professors in English have also had a really good relationship with me as a student, and occasional I'll see my professors and strike up a conversation. Fairly nice.