Elon University Top Questions

I'm an engineering major, which many people on campus didn't know existed. Our engineering program is a Dual Degree program where you attend Elon for 3 years usually and then the real engineering school for 2 years. This allows you to circumvent the annoying weed out classes at the big schools and take your calculus, chemistry, physics in small classes and really understand the stuff. I think the general studies requirements are a pain in the arse. After spending countless hours trying to arrange my schedule around those classes, which often are very limited in the amount of students they can take. The career center needs work, especially if you want a legit science/math internship, not a meager comm internship with no pay.

In my experience within the Communications, Spanish and Business departments, you’ll have to work hard but it’ll be meaningful and if you learn to manage your time, you won’t be too overwhelmed. It’s college. Your classes will be challenging. But you’re not going to die. The class sizes are small enough that you know your professors, they know you, they genuinely care, they are willing to help and believe it or not, they want you to succeed. They also hold you accountable and you won’t be able to skip class and hope they don’t notice, or fall asleep in the back of the room. Elon does a really great job providing tools to help you do well. The tutoring center is available for assistance in all subject areas. There’s a writing center for papers. You’ll survive and if you put forth the effort, you’ll thrive. What really makes Elon academically rigorous is the fact that the clubs and activities and extracurricular are so rigorous that the hard part is putting aside enough time and energy for class and homework on top of everything else! And I mean this in a positive way - as many or most of the clubs and activities provide great real world work experience or opportunities for networking within fields of interest. Or they at least ensure that you’re happy – which is just as important. My point is that the average Elon student is very busy and involved with a full course load. And it’s not easy, but it’s manageable and you’ll get a heck of a lot out of it in the end.

If I was a liberal arts major, I'm not entirely sure that I'd go here. But I'm a communications major and I LOVE the department! Business and education are standout programs too. After freshman year, my friends who were communications majors at other schools had taken speech classes. I'd taken a communications history/theory class, media writing, and digital media convergence (a film/photo/design class). I was able to get an internship after my freshman year. And I still haven't had one teacher that I didn't like. They're all friendly, relatable, good at explaining things, and always available to help. The best thing about an Elon education is that you will be well-rounded when you graduate. Take advantage of the opportunities Elon offers and you'll be both prepared for a job and well-rounded in the liberal arts. It's also possible to take easy classes and slide by basically doing nothing, which some kids do, but that's such a waste when Elon offers so much.

I have had a very positive experience with the academics at Elon. I find that all of my professors know me by name and are very willing to help me outside of class. Class participation is very common in classrooms and students are encouraged to engage in discussions during class. I am an accounting major but have found that some of the best classes I have taken have been the classes outside my major. I have found that the requirements for the liberal arts part of the school have helped me discover interests in subjects I never would have thought about. My professors have been great at teaching and making sure that the class gets the concept before they move on. I have had some bad classes, but for the most part, my academic experience has been excellent.

The classes are all very small so it is much more personal. I actually miss my big classes sometimes. Some of the teachers are great and some are awful, just like any school

Elon's classes are all about engaged learning. Professors at Elon really try and make Elon students very well rounded. The classes at Elon have about 30 students in them, so the professors really get to know their students. Elon really encourages studying abroad and internships, and gives students plenty of opportunities to do so.

There is none.

Professors definitely know my name. The classroom sizes are the same as it was in my highschool, and all professors really take the time to get to know their students, which creates a very interactive and comfortable learning environment. Students want to learn and therefore spend a lot of time studying/ in the library. I am a biology major, but so far have only taken chemistry classes, and as those were my hardest classes last year, I definitely spent a lot of time out of class with those professors. For both Chem I and II my professors urged students to reach them at anytime for extra help. and that help that I received definitely caused me to succeed in the course. Because of that experience I might actually even change my major to BioChemistry.

Over the past few years Elon has experienced significant growth in student and faculty populations. As a result there are a fair number of new faculty. However, there are a significant number of excellent and experienced faculty and staff who strive to make the campus and classes as beneficial as possible. Its easy to get to know many of the faculty members and I still stay in regular contact with most of my professors. At Elon the staff learn your name and help you throughout you schooling. The classrooms and buildings are up to date with great teaching technologies.

Essentially Elon is as hard as you make it. If you take easy classes and just slide by, you can pull out a B or C average. For the kids who have a little more ambition Elon is very academically challenging.