Samford University Top Questions

My professors usually know my name; class size permits this. Students tend toward loving academia, esp. in their field. Classes are really tough compared to other colleges around here...I know from experience. I'd suggest being disciplined, motivated, and having the attitude that you're going to make it. Their academic requirements are rigorous... including having to know/learn a foreign language to graduate (for most majors). The core cirriculum, gen. ed cirriculum, and major classes tend to make you tired after a while. Be determined; have patience. Samford students on a large scale have great success getting into grad/med/pharm schools and getting jobs. Some employers have actually said that, when presented with two identical employees (as far as credentials go), they have chosen a Samford student just because of that. We have a great rep., but I truly believe it's because you have to go through quite a bit to graduate. It doesn't come easy, and it is not handed to you.

The academics are excellent here. I am challenged daily in both academics and faith in and out of the classroom. The professors here are also superb. I've yet to have a professor I dislike.

Classes at Samford are usually pretty small. Most freshman-level classes will have at most 30 students. However, junior- and senior-level classes usually stay below 20 students, and I've had classes with as few as seven students. Samford's size is a blessing and a curse - compared with other midlevel universities like Furman, Samford just doesn't seem to have as many professors per department or as many course offerings per semester. However, its size also allows students to get to know their professors, and most professors will learn the students' names. I've found the intellectual climate adequate but lacking at times. Most students still seem to have the attitude of doing as little as they can to pass a class, and in most courses I've found myself to be one of the few people who actually completes assigned readings. There also tends to be low attendance at academic lectures and events. When a really big speaker comes, the teachers will bait students by giving them extra credit if they attend. However, this can often turn out to be an embarrassment for the university, with crowds of students deciding to leave the lectures early. However, college, in the end, is what you make it, and those students who want to challenge themselves will have many opportunities to do so. Samford is launching an amazing new Honors program for the 2008-2009 school year, called the University Fellows Program. The program will accept only 45-50 students per year, and is designed to attract more high-achieving students with its advanced core curriculum and nice perks such as a free trip to Rome! Samford has been needing a good Honors Program for years (it's had one in the past, but most students tended to drop out early because it didn't offer much more than the normal Samford experience), but the University Fellows Program seems to be a great opportunity. Those who don't choose to go the Honors path must complete a core curriculum consisting of freshman-level classes like "Cultural Perspectives" (a unique two-semester class which traces developments in literature, history, philosophy, science, etc. from the Greek and Roman age to present) and "Communication Arts" (another two-semester class -- and probably one of the duller classes at Samford -- which teaches students writing and speaking skills), as well as classes such as "Biblical Perspectives" (which has students think about the Bible critically) and "Concepts of Fitness and Health" (it is what it sounds like). A series of general education requirements in subjects like the natural sciences and humanities is also required. Though the courses may sound like a drag, those who are willing to learn -- which is what you should be coming to college for! -- should find an interesting and intellectually engaging curriculum. Finally, Samford is a college on the move. Students are continually learning about large new endowments to the university, which is improving the quality of academics at Samford. There are a variety of great professional programs - whether in law, nursing, pharmacy, education, divinity, etc. - for those who just can't get enough of Samford after four years. And there always seems to be another major or minor or concentration being added. The expectation is that, with all the improvements, the Samford diploma is going to look better and better as time goes on.

One of the best parts of Samford is that every professor I had knew my name and remembered it even after I took their class. The professors schedule individual meetings to go over a paper or final project and are always available for questions. I often went to my professors just to talk to them about what i was doing with my life as graduation moved closer and closer. The older people get the more intellectual and class related conversation they have. For me, I was a history major with spanish minor and some political science thrown in - so a lot of the things discussed in class were things actually happening in society - this led to a lot more class-related discussions than perhaps a physics major would have. I won't lie, academically Samford is a tough school. You have to work really hard to do well. I sometimes got frustrated because friends of mine at really big schools would take classes and put forth very little effort - while I was working really hard for all of mine. Also, going abroad to London is wonderful because you live with your professors. It was strange because all of a sudden my professor was also someone I considered my friend.

Professors will almost always know your name in class. The classes are very small and allow for ample student and teacher communication. The acedmics are rigorous but are the best. I know that when I leave Samford I will be ready for whatever comes next, I may even be overprepared.

Samford is full of teachers who are willing to go above and beyond to help you. They even make good friends or mentors. Most of the teachers know what they are doing, and will take the time to explain it thoroughly. Most of my teachers know me by name, all the math teachers do, even the ones I haven't taken classes with. Class participation is very common. There a fair share of busy students, but most of them can maintain a social life. Intellectual conversations can be had outside of class, some deeper than others of course. Samford has a great math department. It is fairly small, but there are enough teachers for you to have choices as far as the courses you can take. The teachers are all very nice with ample office hours. Samford does require a good deal of core classes which can be a little bothersome. They aren't difficult, but they do take time. The education at Samford is geared toward getting a job and learning for its own sake.

I am in the nursing school where we become a family. The professors become friends, moms, mentors as well as teachers. The core ciriculum has a lot of pros and cons. I did not study or apply myself freshman year while I was take core classes because I was totally uninterested in the subjects and material therefore it hurt my GPA but in my nursing classes or science classes I tired my very hardest and I feel that that is very common. People for the most part study a lot especially when they are interested in what they are studying. The nursing school has a brilliant academic program. I will like I will be very prepared for getting a job and passing the NCLEX. The teaching is practical, useful and thorough.

Every professor in the Religion Department, save one, knows my name. Indeed, I have had lunch with several of them before. That is one of the great things about the religion department here at Samford: the opportunity to really get to know your instructors. Class sizes are small, which makes it much easier to develop a relationship with your instructors. I suppose that the negative side to that would be that you can't hide in the back of the room bc you didn't do the reading for today's class :) Classroom participation is expected of every student in this department. Indeed, in most classes your grade will suffer significantly if you are not active in classroom discussion frequently.

I love the classes at Samford because they are smaller so al my professors know me by name. I always see them around campus and they speak and ask how things are going. The professors and staff at samford truly care about you and how you are doing. My favorite class so far was probably Human Anatomy. The class was awesome and so was the professor. I study almost everyday for many hours, but I study with friends and we make it fun and take study breaks so its not too bad. The curriculum at Samford definitely helps you focus on getting a job but also just helps you to learn to become a better person. The core curriculum that everyone must take helps you learn many things that never would have come up in classes for your major. I was just recently accepted to pharmacy school and Samford is an excellent school for this program.

Every professor in my department knows me by name and has helped me in some way (extra help on a project, finding an internship, etc.). My favorite classes are my major and minor classes: Journalism and Sociology, and my least favorite classes are Samford's core classes: Communication Arts, Cultural Perspectives, Biblical Perspectives, Concepts of Fitness and Health, Foreign Languages, etc. Samford students study a good bit; they have to. The classes are hard. Class participation is very common and usually counts at least some portion of the grade. Students often have intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique class I have taken is Social Class and Inequality. I have also found Mass Media Writing and Editing extremely interesting and helpful. My department is Journalism, and it currently has 5 professors and about 120 students. The professors are arguably the best on campus. Samford's academic requirements are high but usually helpful. The education at Samford is geared toward both getting a job and learning for its own sake.