Connecticut College Top Questions

Most of my classes have been quite small, and professors generally learn names (although they don't generally seem to care about students, and name-learning seems as much classroom expedient as anything else). On admittedly rare occasions, I have had professors be overtly and offensively rude, condescending, or dismissive of me in the fact of concerted efforts to contribute to class in a substantive: there is a severe lack of debate or exchange of rational ideas on this campus, and the professors often exacerbate the situation. I basically haven't had a full class that was consistently engaging and educational all semester, but some of the meetings of some of my classes have been both of those things. The majority of my classes, however, have been at best insipid and at worst stultifying: in the past two semesters, I have had one class taught by a grad student (How does that happen at a small liberal arts college? Did we really import some woman from Brown to teach here?), one class taught by a newly minted (and consequently narrow-minded) PhD, and a bevy of classes taught with uninspired syllabi, poor class discussions, and busywork assigned as if the professor were God delegating to Noah. Students, as a general rule, do not study, except shortly before finals, though there are exceptions. Class participation then, as you might imagine, is consistently poor: many of the "discussions" I've been in consisted primarily of students blurting out single words or phrases (cogent ideas, argumentative opinions, and heated debate are longed-for fantasies in my world here). Conn students, in my experience, never have intellectual conversations outside of class, to my enormous dismay; even more alarmingly, I have occasionally been called out just for trying to promote such an exchange. The only competition I usually see amongst students is fueled by either athletics or alcohol and often both (though this is, admittedly, a nice atmosphere academically - but mostly when it's accompanied by some common standard of communication). Probably the most unique class I've taken was a seminar examining the philosophy of Socrates and the reactions it has produced throughout modern Western history. But the discussions, especially as we approached the end of the class, were so stilted and unsatisfying that even that didn't hold too much appeal (through no fault of that diamond-in-the-rough professor!). I haven't declared a major yet, because I have yet to take classes in any department that engaged me enough to want to take more. I've repeatedly met with two of my professors outside of class, but those two are two of only four that I have encountered in any capacity on campus that I respect (the third being currently on leave and unavailable, and the fourth being hopelessly unreliable in scheduling). Conn's academic requirements are pathetic: that old axiom "C's get degrees" doesn't seem to be a running joke here, it's practically the mission statement! As far as I can tell, the "education" at Conn might be geared toward getting a job, but it's probably going to be either a crappy or meaningless job, and the goal is NOT learning for its own sake, that's for damn sure.

Professors know my name. Students have intellectual conversations outside of class and take academics very seriously. The most unique class i've taken is Experimental Workshop Dance. My favorite classes are my chemistry classes, but they're tough.

My teachers do know my name, even in the bigger science classes. My favorite class was cell biology! Some students study very hard, some not too much. I don't really think I have found much intellectual discussion outside the classroom, but there are people that want that, you just have to know where to find them. Some students are very competitive, but for the most part, not overly so.

Most professors make the effort to know your name, but some are really absent-minded and don't put the effort in. Of course, there are some classes where there are just too many students for the teacher to know all of our names, but those are few and far between. -- My favorite class this semester (and last semester, actually) is Elementary French. It's pretty small and really laid back, yet we learn a lot about the language. I've had the same classmates and professors for the past two semesters (it's a two-semester class), and we all get along really well. I enjoy all of my classes this semester, so I don't think that I have a least favorite, although The New Testament and Music Theory can get pretty boring sometimes. However, I dreaded going to Linear Algebra last semester...the professor did not do a good job, and I ended up getting frustrated and not doing well. -- Most students study everyday for at least something, but we aren't a campus that is full of students who are glued to the books 24/7. -- Depending on how interesting/engaging a class is, there can be a lot of participation to very little. Most classes fall somewhere in between the two extremes, however. -- I know that I have had multiple intellectual conversations outside of class with all of my friends and my roommate. I'm not sure how common this actually is, but I can't imagine that we are the only students on campus who talk academics outside of class. -- I think everyone here is competitive to some degree, but, in most cases, it so that they can better themselves as students, not just to one up a rival. -- The most unique class, when it comes to subject matter, that I have taken would be my Freshman Year Seminar which was involved crime and detective novels. -- I haven't declared yet, but I am most likely going to be a Theatre major with a concentration in acting. We have a pretty good theatre department here from what I have heard. -- Unfortunately, I do not spend anytime with my professors outside of the classroom setting, although I know students who do. -- I think Conn's requirements are pretty rigorous but not too bad. We definitely get a comprehensive study here of all kinds of different subjects. -- Classes are more geared toward learning, especially at the more basic levels, but we have all kinds of different things, such as CELS and CISLA, that are geared toward getting a job. Also, there are many senior seminars that help with more career-oriented subjects.

I have had an unbelievably positive academic experience here at Conn. I have become close with many professors, and have gotten a chance to either eat or just chat with them outside of class. Professors are great about giving their time, and I really respect the professors I've had for their dedication and brains.

Good variety of classes Most professors are very approachable and willing to help Good prep for jobs

all the professors know my name, my teacher in a 90 student chem class knew my name in the first week

All my professors always know my name! The biggest class I had was 80 people, and the smallest was 5. Usually, I think my classes are around 15 people. People tend to participate in class a lot, and it's expected that you do your reading-- this isn't one of those schools where you go to class and no one has done the reading. If that happens, the professor is usually pretty angry. But there are classes you can slack off in if you know what to take. Most Conn students have a good balance between studying and relaxing, but I've experienced the workaholic lifestyle a bit, when I took an Asian language. While I was taking an intensive language, I learned how not to procrastinate, because if I procrastinated I wouldn't have enough time to do my work. While this made life not so fun, the language class was challenging and the professor extremely dedicated, and I can now speak the language almost fluently. Also, the class got to go to Asia for three weeks over winter break on a T.R.I.P. (Travel, Research, and Immersion Program)! I'm an Anthropology major, which has been very exciting at Conn because of the proximity to the two Connecticut Native American reservations. The Mashantucket Pequot's have the leading Native American museum, and it's about a half-hour drive away from the school. I did an internship there with an archaeologist. I also worked at Mystic Seaport, which is a living history museum of a 19th century whaling town. So there are lots of opportunities. I'm a student at the Holleran Center at Connecticut College, which means I'll be graduating with a certificate in Public Policy and Community Action. We call it PICA (Program in Community Action) for short. Through this program, I've taken special classes, and I was given $3,000 in the summer of my junior year to do an internship with a public policy and community action focus. I've also learned a lot about policy and community organizations through the program, which will help me find a job I want when I graduate. The Conn education is certainly not all about getting a job when you graduate, though! A lot of us end up following alternative career paths when we graduate, and we usually have a significant group of graduates going into programs like Teach for America and the Peace Corps. I will be joining Teach for America when I graduate in May.

All my professors know my name, although they would be hard pressed not to considering our small class sizes. I personally really enjoy the learning atmosphere at this school because it is geared towards learning for its own sake. Knowledge is viewed as a tool, one that can not only aid in personal growth, but communal and global growth as well.

Most of my professors do know my name, and I love the professors here. My favorite classes have been in the english department. I think the amount students study varies a lot through the student body, but students are not competitve. I wish they was more intellectual discussion out of class and that I could spend more time with professors outside of class. I really like Conn's academics.