Loyola University Chicago Top Questions

As I mentioned before, the school is smaller than state schools, so it is a bit expected to have your teachers know your name (classes range from 15-100 students, but most are in the 15-30 range). However, this is not always true, because I have a teacher who I have had for two semesters now, in a class of less than 20 students, and he still refuses to recognize my name. I guess I would say my favorite class is my Advanced Advertising class, since it is a hands-on class where we get to do projects every week, like make radio commercials for fake products. In class we do things like brainstorm creative alternatives to common phrases such as "she's got a lot on her plate." Last semester my favorite was Sociology, because the teacher was very nice and open to discussion, which was the basis of the class. Even if you were shy, she allowed you to email her ideas or come to her during her office hours to discuss topics that you were too shy to talk about in class, and it could count towards your participation grade. We discussed so many topics, like race, gender, economics, and everything in between. That may sound boring by the way I am wording it, but it is quite interesting because you talk about all of them in an intellectual way, and how patterns with someone's say, economic background, affects that person's ability to get married. I found it really interesting how everything was interconnected and you could formulaiclly predict things about people you don't even know. My least favorite right now is mostly a tie between Group Communication, Philosophy, and Communication processes. They are extremely boring because it is teaching the obvious. The first class, group cmun, is basically a lecture about what you already know about working in groups in class. Ex: A leader usually emerges, people are uncomfortable when groups first emerge and are too shy to talk openly, etc. Philosophy is boring because the readings make me fall asleep, the in-class lecture is boring and not relevant to what is on the test, and the slide-show presentation (what the test is based off of) is more like slides of huge paragraphs. It is pointless to take notes because the teacher flips through the slides like they are flashcards and then puts them all up online, so it is also pointless to show up to class (but attendance is mandatory!). Communication processes is like that group class, where it is a discussion about basic communication, like how and why we talk (if you said "to communicate", you're right! Overall, the classes I hate are the classes that discuss "common sense" that you'd be a moron not to know from just living in the world. Class participation I would say is only common in classes that are mostly discussion classes. A majority of my classes are lectures, even though they are 30 students or less. Therefore, people don't raise hands that much. I wouldn't say students have intellectual conversations outside of class, because many are busy with their own personal lives to discuss things they have learned. The Loyola education strives to be for the community, like the Jesuit principles and such. Ask anyone around here, however, what the heck a Jesuit is, and they will most likely NOT know. Hell, I don't really know. I think it is an educated clergyman, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. The academic requirements are frustrating because I really don't know what I believe (but that doesn't mean I don't fully understand why people are religious, because I completely respect my friends who are very religious), yet I must take two religious classes. I understand why people believe things, but I don't really want to take an entire semester of a class dedicated to the history of a religion. I was raised Catholic and I already slept through those classes up until my sophomore year in high school...I don't need to take it again for a grade.

I know all of my professors by name as they do mine. Even though i have had some professors that provided an unfavorable experience for me, there were others that gave me the individual attention i needed at times. Loyola's academic requirements are very demanding because it forces one to take at least 15 credits per semester in order to graduate on time.

As you walk to class every morning, prepare for an epic battle with your fellow classmates. It's a competitive race fought with a smirk and airy flick of a raised hand to see who can bestow the most worldly knowledge upon the class and the professor: who stuns the professor into a smiling, thrilled fool or enters into a one-on-one passionate debate WINS.

Most of my professors know my name. Intro to Theatre with Dr. Applebaum is the best. Least favorite is Microbiology with Dr. Buldak. Students study quite often. Class participation is always encouraged, but it is up to the student. Same goes for intellectual conversations. The nursing program is very hard but is an amazing program. When you graduate, you do so very prepared and ready to work. There are lots of internships to help you with your preparation. The core classes are the best way to boost a GPA and get some variety.

As far as academics go, I think they are what you make it. There are brilliant students here who study their asses off and brilliant students who slack. There are also some kids who I wonder how they even got in... You can always find someone who is at your same intelligence and has similar study habits. Everyone is different in that respect. As far as classes go, I'd say most students skip a few, but not too many. That depends on your major. Most students don't go to office hours. Most correspondance with professors is either done briefly after class or via e-mail. Use ratemyprofessors.com to find good profs! It's really a lifesaver in picking courses, and it's usually pretty accurate. When buying books, do it through Amazon.com or at Beck's books, 'cause Loyola's bookstore will rip you off! Students here are generally pretty competitive. We're known for pre-professional programs here- pre-law, pre-med, a lot of students plan on getting their MBA's, so we realize that our friends are also our competitors. It's not to the point where it's crazy, or where we sabotage each other, but I'd say most of the students are pretty motivated and career-oriented. Most have multiple majors or minors, as well. I'm a Spanish and Psychology major and taking pre-med courses. The Spanish department here, from my experience, has a great staff and I feel like it's really preparing me. We have some really brilliant professors and study opportunities. The psychology department, I feel, is average. We have a good undergrad program, a good grad program (some classes are taught by grad students), but I don't believe we have an amazing reputation among psych schools. I don't have any complaints, however. As far as the sciences go, it's one of Loyola's specialties. And I've come across some brilliant undergrad professors, but also some who I feel are a little too grad student- or PhD student-oriented to teach lower-level classes. The upper level classes are top of the line, though. Outside of my majors, I know the business and the nursing schools have good reputations. These two majors are geared towards giving you experience and hooking you up so that you can get a good job in the future.

It's not bad, I'm in the business school and the biggest class I have had was maybe 50 to 100 people but that was a pretty general class. There are the business majors, the science majors, and then pretty much everyone else at this school. Students study a lot, science majors are just locked in their rooms or Information Commons non-stop studying. I would say from Sunday-Wednesday is the major time to study unless there's a big test then it could be an all week process. Going to the bar on Thursday you can tell when there's a big test or something just by how many people are there. Class participation is few and far between which makes classes a little rough and you feel for the teachers. Professors are pretty accessible outside of class and are good about getting back to you on questions. The great thing about my department (sports management) is that it's a small department with not to many students so the professor and the dean knows about you and you encounter him in an intro class so he'll know you. Loyola's academics are pretty solid although their core annoys me. Why should I as a business major be required to take an artistic knowledge course when I have no interest in art or music for business?

All of my classes are small and my Professors know me by name. The only classes that I know of that are excessively large are the Anthropology classes and alot of the lecture, Science classes like Chemistry and Physics. I love all the classes I'm taking for my major and minor, specifically my Japanese class. I have only had one or two teachers that couldn't hold my attention if they were on fire, but most are pretty enthused to be teaching and make me excited to learn. The CORE is a little bit of a thorn in my side. We have to take a huge ammount of required classes, some that are silly and not at all helpful in the future. The number of credits dedicated to CORE is larger than some of the smaller majors, my own included. If you do choose to come to Loyola I have two words for you. AP credit. Take the tests, do well on the test, never have to take math again. You'll be able to knock out all the supurfluous junk and get right into your major classes.

Loyola is very focused on producing well-rounded students, thus requiring core classes that cover 10 knowledge areas. Basically, it makes up about 1/3 of our undergraduate education. Although it is a good way to teach students about areas outside their majors, it is fairly demanding and time-consuming compared to the gen ed requirements of other schools. I have met some students who hate the core, feeling it takes away from their main interests and makes it more difficult to graduate on time. On the other hand, I have met many students who have no problem completing the requirements and who enjoy having a little knowledge about everything. Some core classes are really interesting and fun. For instance, almost all of my friends have taken “Christian Marriage” to fulfill a theology requirement. The professor is a priest who loves to act out his “bridezilla” stories, literally walking down the aisle of the lecture hall, and he gives us wonderful advice that we can use for the rest of our lives. He is one of many professors who enjoys teaching, and he makes sure to give each one of his students a hug at the end of the semester. In large lecture hall settings, professors often do not attempt to learn any names. However, most of my classes range from 20-35 students where the professors do learn names and sometimes have interesting ways of remembering them. One professor had us bring in a picture of ourselves, and another actually took pictures of his students. Personally, I work very hard when it comes to school. I am always reading a few novels, writing a few papers, and studying for some exam. The academics at Loyola are often more challenging than people think. One student I know transferred to Loyola from a more prestigious school, thinking it would be easier, but finding it much harder than his previous situation. I find myself going to professors during office hours a few times a month. Loyola is mostly known for its pre-med and business students. I am an English major, and I actually know very few English majors in my class. The program seems to be getting more popular, and an English Club just started this year. I have enjoyed every English course I’ve taken so far, even the ones I thought I would hate. I came to college hating Shakespeare, but I have found myself loving his plays! The instructors are fun and insightful, helping me gain a greater appreciation for English classes that fell outside my interest. I have found English students to be friendly and not competitive. Mostly, we find commonalities in either complaining or talking about books we like.

Life is relative. You get out of it what you put into it and no one's college experience is the same as their friends'. That being said, there is great potential at Loyola for whatever you want to accomplish. If you are a recluse use the cold winters as an excuse to stay in your room. If you are a social butterfly hang out at Rambler Room, a cafeteria an social space, or our new Information Commons. Teachers will ignore you or cherish you all based on how you want to be treated. Now that I've made Loyola sound like any college anywhere I'll be a little more specific. The most memorable teacher I have had so far works in the sociology department. I had him my freshman year in SOCL 273: Mass Media in popular culture. The class dealt with how advertising, radio, television, and other forms of media are all geared towards creating a mass consumer culture. The topic is interesting enough I suppose, but hardly exciting. My professor made it just that. A man of about 60 years and a first generation hippie, he is easily one of the funniest and engaging men I know. In any given lecture he could spend 20 minutes talking about how the man is trying to rape the youth of America. He is also swears like a longshoreman with a bad case of tourettes. When so many professors are dryer and more boring than a piece of driftwood my professor taught a class that made actually want to get up in the morning. It was a class where structure and grades were less important than actually learning something. I remember my final project was a research paper on gender in video games. I like to think that my paper was a decisive factor with an endeavor he took on the next semester. My professor taught the first class on the subject of video games at Loyola, and one of the first of its kind in the United States. Called the Sociology of Gaming, or Socl 326 we studied gamer culture. We Played MMORPGs (Massivly Multi Player Online Role Playing Games) like World of Warcraft and online first person shooters like Counter-Strike. It was something truly different than anything else I had ever done in school.

I love Loyola University from an Academics perspective. I think Loyola does a great job of offering a wide variety of teacher "types" at this school. My teachers have been very engaging, and even the dull ones for some of my business Gen Ed classes have a lame humor to them that keeps the learning environment a relaxing and engaging one. Professors are very good about interacting and getting to know their students as long as the student is willing to seek out the teacher. Many students don't approach the teachers, but they have really helped me in terms of learning material. All of them have office hours, and since most of the classes are relatively small they don't use TA's for their office hours either. I think this school is a mixed bag in terms of students that study. There are a lot of students who are in the library all the time doing homework or studying, and those who don't do anything either. I wouldn't say its much different than any other university. I think Loyola relaly stays true to its ideal of offering a liberal and well rounded education. I am in the business school and there are a lot of core classes that I have to take in addition to my business classes. I like it a lot though because instead of taking all Gen Ed classes, or all business classes, I get to take a mixed bag of both and a lot of the Gen Eds are really really interesting. I've taken classes that juxtapose religion vs. science, Mendelian Genetics, a Christian marriage course, and many others that don't really help me towards my major, but they definetely give me much needed alternatives to just learning about marginal revenues, Cash flow statements, and Supply and Demand.