Connecticut College Top Questions

I'm an Environmental Studies major, and by junior year, I pretty much know everyone else in my major and most of the professors as well. I really like when you walk into a class and you can recognize about half the people. This makes for a better learning environment because people are more comfortable opening up and discussing issues. I also believe that it's extremely important that my professors' know who I am and what I'm doing. My faculty advisor is my favorite professor and I've had her for at least four classes now. My favorite class was with this professor, and it was called International Environmental Cooperation. It was a seminar class, so the twenty or so of us met for 3 hours once a week. We picked a particular case study to focus on throughout the semester and culminated the class with a large research paper and a mock UN meeting attempting to come up with a post-Kyoto treaty. I learned so much from this class and I really got to know my classmates as well. So how often do students study? That's a good question. I think that really comes down to how much you're willing to do and what classes you're taking. Also, how good you are at time management! Some people might take two hours to finish a lab report, some people might take two days. A usual day for me last semester (albeit my busiest so far) would consist of classes all day from 9-4, a quick club lacrosse practice, dinner, and then heading off to the library with my friends for about 4 or 5 hours. I guess, on average, I would say that I spent about 20 hours in the library a week. Midterms, finals, big papers usually add some more hours on there.

yes most professors know my name. I dont have a favorite, I pretty much like all my classes at times AND dislike my classes at times. The amount of time you spend studying depends on your major, usually pre med students will work harder and longer than history/english students. We arent super competitive but theres a strive to do well, otherwise you miss out on opportunities like being allowed to go abroad. The History of witchcraft and magic was the most unique class Ive taken. Im a history major and I have no qualms with it, the core isnt overly demanding so Ill be able to fulfill the requirements and still have time to take classes in other areas. the education at conn is definitely geared more towards learning for its own sake.

I really appreciate that the relationship between professors and students is close. I feel like professors have the students' best interest at heart, make themselves accessible and are helpful. Obviously wherever you go you will find some professors who make an extra effort and those who are harder to reach, but if you care and put in an effort they will reciprocate. My relationships with professors I feel are closer as a result of participating in the Freshman Focus program. Through this program we had a picnic dinner at one of our professor's houses first semester, which was very nice. I think many people talk about students having meals at professors houses and here that is a reality and its definitely a nice touch. Class participation varies. I think the amount of class participation is contingent on the professor. Overall I feel like class participation could use a boost though. My first anthropology class was very intriguing, it was Social and Cultural Foundations of Anthropology; well taught and very interesting. I feel like the academic requirements are reasonable. It is manageable to satisfy them and I think they have the value of receiving a true Liberal Arts education. I think they can be a little harder to fulfill with the demanding schedule of Science majors though.

So far, I have enjoyed my experience academically at Conn College. The majority of my professors took the time to learn all their students names, and in some cases, what they were involved in on campus. Students put in a far amount of time into their work. There is always a large amount of people in the library. I was glad to find that Conn had academic requirements because it encouraged me to take classes in areas I probably would not have considered. I think the education at Conn is geared towards learning, with the idea that it is the responsibility of the student to show interest in their future.

I know all of my professors on a personal level. They are very approachable and are available for office hours whenever you need it. My favorite class would have to be in the environmental studies department. We had mock debates about climate change and global warming and it was a very valuable learning experience. I think that students on campus are pretty diligent for the most part about their work. There are always people in the library and I have not come across too many slackers. Class participation is definitely common because the class sizes are very small and most of them are discussion based. I think the most unique class I have taken is Religion and Terrorism and I loved it. The professor was great and the material was very interesting. The environmental studies department is great. I have liked almost all my classes and the choice of advisors is very good. The anthropology department which is my second major is struggling right now. They are trying to hire a new head of the department and are very disorganized right now, but the classes have been pretty interesting. I have spent quite a bit of time with professors outside of class. I have had meals with many and done extra research with others. I think the education is geared towards learning for its own sake, but that is the point of a liberal arts education. The Career center however is very helpful and makes sure that people are prepared for what comes after college.

Professors do know my name, which is nice. My favorite class was my art history class last semester because of the professor who is now my advisor. My least favorite class was a Russian history class that I took last semester because I wasn't genuinely interested in it. Students study a very good amount-I feel like most people I know really don't blow off their schoolwork. Class participation is common but not as much as it should be. We should all take better advantage of the ability to speak in our classes and interact with our professors as part of the experience at a small school. I hear students talking about their work a lot, and they are very competitive, especially when pursuing the same majors, careers, and internships. I think that the competition increases with age. I love my major both because of the subject matter and my professor. I don't spend time with professors outside of class, and I wish that I did more often. I feel that the academic requirements are very fair, and I think that the education is geared toward learning for its own sake because it's a liberal arts school without a strong focus on economics.

professors do know your name.

Lots of small classes = good student-teacher relationships and lots of class participation Not very competitive Education geared toward real-life aplication

Four words: small student teacher ratio. It's amazing. You can develop personal friendships with the professors, and even call them by their first names if they let you. It's great, and quite conducive to learning even more and progressing through your academic journey. I've had classes as small as 6 and as big as 30. It really depends on what you take. The more advanced, especially in the humanities, the smaller. The Gen Ed requirements are a pain at times, but they do expose you to a Liberal Arts array of classes. Really helps you find your place and decide on your path in education. The learning is geared towards learning how to think, and it prepares you for life in general, no specific jobs, but I prefer the former.

Yes, all of my professors that I've had at Conn College know my name. My favorite class was Ethnobotany, in which we learned about plants and how people use them (ie medicine, food, ritual). We took several field trips and read a lot of interesting books. My least favorite class was Introductory Latin, but that was because we had a visiting professor who was a very ineffective teacher. Students are not normally competetive, and this is probably because few classes have curves based on student scores. The most unique class I've taken would have to be Ethnobotany of Southern New England, in which we studied Native American uses of plants and then got to make a Native American material item (ie bow and arrow, basket, bowl) for our final project. It was a very fun and interesting class. I am majoring in Ethnobotany, which is technically part of the Botany department, but is part of the Anthropology department as well. The professors who make up the Botany department are all very nice, and most are great professors. A new plant ecologist was just hired last year, and a plant physiologist is to be hired in the next few weeks. The department is growing and I feel like it's headed in a very good direction. I spend some time with professors out of class, but not much. I think the college's academic requirements are very fair and manageable. They don't impose a huge burden, but force you to get a liberal arts education, which is not a bad thing. An education at Conn College is geared towards preparing you for the road ahead, and I feel that there is a strong focus on education, but at the same time, they have programs in which most every student participates, such as in the department of Career Enhancing Life Skills that prepare you for the future.