Northwestern University Top Questions

Students at Northwestern study WAY TOO MUCH. Everyone is too competitive, and tries to do well just for the sake of doing well... not to ACTUALLY learn. I never feel like our campus is very "intellectual". Just overachieving, overstressed "tool-bags". :)

While many students groan over it, I think that the Freshman Seminars really are a good idea. They give freshmen a chance to get used to writing college essays in a safe environment. In addition, in Freshman Seminars the professors get to know the students, which isn't necessarily true of the other classes freshmen are taking.

Professors, again, mostly teach because they have to in order to get their research grants, not because they want to. I had more bad experiences with profs than good; it didn't help I was pre-med. Those are the hardest courses to do well in. The worst class ever is organic chemistry-if you don't have to take it at NU, don't, because you will fail. The best classes are those classes that have nothing to do with your major, so make sure to look outside the science box. I was psych/premed, and my favorite classes I ever took were Intro to Music and Intro to the New Testament. Northwestern's requirements are not unreasonable for any of schools, but sometimes I feel like I wasn't focusing so much on learning as I wason trying not to fail classes. Psychology is a great major at NU though; the classes are not guaranteed A's by any means, but the psych department is huge and options for classes and research opportunities are endless. If you like social psych, get into Finkel's lab-he is the most interesting and down to earth prof in that department. Premed courses are always hard, but they are ten times as hard at NU, so be ready.

In general I find that Northwestern professors are amazing~!! Almost all of mine have known my name and have a passion for teaching and hoping that you learn. It is really great to continue learning in an atmosphere where it seems the teacher cares about your own individual success. It encourages enthusiasm and learning-- which is very hard to find being a current college student.

In distribution classes (classes you are required to take), the class size is usually very large, usually a hundred students or more. Professors that teach these courses will only know your name if you make the effort to meet them during study hours. However, when you reach upper level courses, you will usually get to know your professors on a more intimate level because class sizes can be as small as seven students. My favorite class was Taiwanese-Americans because I had the opportunity to learn about my ethnic background, learn about my home country's history, and eat great food. My least favorite class was probably Statistics for Political Science. This class was a requirement for my major. I personally found this class incredibly boring and dry since the subject material did not interest me at all. I would say that students generally study quite a bit at Northwestern. You don't go to this type of school and have your parents dish out 44K a year for you to slack off and be a bum. Class participation is common in discussion sections. In a huge lecture hall of 150+ people, class participation is less common. However, professors will usually involve students by asking them to raise their hands to see how many students agree or disagree with a certain case/problem that is being explained. Northwestern students will have intellectual conversations outside of class because they are pretty nerdy. I find a lot of students discussing politics and debating on current events. Students are competitive, but I would not say they are cut-throat. They are not the types that will go to the library and rip out pages from a library textbook so that other students in the class cannot get their hands on necessary information. I have heard of "horror" stories like this at UC schools because classes are based on a bell curve. At Northwestern however, the curve will generally help you. The most unique class I have taken is Modern Cosmology with Professor Smutko. He is an amazing lecturer, the material is intriguing, and you can actually use Northwestern University's huge telescope to view objects of study. When I went to use the telescope, we had the opportunity to see Saturn and Orion's Belt. Overall, this class is very fun and interactive. My major is Political Science (with a focus on Asian politics) in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS). I have spent time with professors out of class, usually at office hours to discuss certain topics I was having trouble understanding. Northwestern's academic requirements are quite rigorous. Try and come into the school with as many AP credits as possible so you can get rid of many distribution requirements. The academic requirements also vary by major. Engineers have it worst because they are required to take the most credits. In contrast, I have heard that students in the School of Education and the School of Communication are graded the easiest at Northwestern. I would say that Northwestern's education is geared towards learning for its own sake. I am part of WCAS, the liberal arts department of Northwestern. The Dean of WCAS basically told me that he wants students to learn from as many different subjects as possible because when you leave Northwestern, you should be a more "well-rounded individual" that has a breadth of knowledge in all different areas. From what he told me, he basically wants students to graduate feeling like Renaissance people - those that have an understanding of many areas of study.

-Half of engineering proffesors don't speak english -Engineers study all day -Very little class participation -In one of my lectures, there are 60 students, and only ~10 show up because the professor doesn't teach anything. -Engineering school gaurantees job right after graduation.

Most professors do not know your name, nor do they care to know your name, as they are too busy to remember it and probably won't see you again after one quarter anyway. This is generally true for any math/science/engineering/humanities course here. Language, film, and music classes are different for the most part, because they tend to be smaller. Students study a lot here. too much in my opinion, because the grades they receive are generally not worth the amount of studying they put in. the students are pretty competitive, but usually in a positive way. I am a film major. I haven't gotten to know any professors outside of class yet, but i'm still taking the big lecture classes, so i figured most professors wouldn't care to know me anyway. NU's academic requirements are kind of laborious and pointless in my opinion. They are not bad for film majors, because they are so loose that you can pretty much take whatever you want. For the arts and sciences school, though, people take classes that they don't like in huge lecture halls with over 300 people and end up getting bad grades anyway, so i just think that is stupid, but whatever- it's their choice a lot of the education is geared toward getting a job. there is a lot of concern about grad schools here, which is such crap because even freshman worry about their grades more than they have an urge to learn. It's like high school all over again

In big classes, no way. In small classes, only if you make an effort./I like my law-related classes. The science classes are really hard for me./Always./Well, it's part of our grade./Yes. Often hilariously./I've heard there's competition but I haven't experienced it./Sociology: Capital Punishment is fun./Chemistry... hard./Nope./It's a hard school. It's not a lie./Depends on the person.

Professors teach every class; you will never be stuck in a lecture with a TA (they lead discussion sections). Students are competitive in that grading curves in many classes are tough, but there is none of the note-stealing or sabotage that you hear of at MIT, Cal Tech, or Harvard. Professors are very available if you take the initiative to go to office hours. Classes are very challenging and the pace is quick because of the quarter system, but you will learn a lot.

Russian Literature is great if you take it with Gary Morson. Phenomenal lecturer. Don't take journalism classes unless they are required for your major. They can be fun, but take up major amounts of your time. Students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. I was sitting in the dining hall on a Friday evening with some of my friends and they started talking about the economics of the housing market. Northwestern's professors are great. Don't be afraid to approach them- they're all very enthusiastic about their subject and want to help you.