Wake Forest University Top Questions

The classroom experience at Wake is what seems to draw many in (especially for those of us that need extra help). All of my professors know my name. I've been to many of their houses for study sessions and I have most of them as Facebook friends. I have classes as small as five students. One on one time is readily available and utilized by me on a weekly basis. Professors give you credit for trying here- office hours are a smart move! I used to just go hang out with my econ prof. in his office in between classes.There is a certain air of competitiveness here, but you're either in that group or you're in the "just trying not to fail out" group...i'd be in the latter. he workload is a bit ridiculous, the "Work Forest" nickname being completely on point, but it becomes manageable the longer you're here. Everyone studies all of the time...there is no other option. Someone in my hall is always pulling an all night-er. Coming from a public school I think I studied more than any else my freshman year. It is easy to want to do better here, easier to study for tests, easier to go to office hours, though because that is what everyone is doing. Everyone here is working hard. The divisional general education requirements are kind of great and kind of annoying. For example I loved my First Year Seminar (required freshmen class) on Children of Divorce, but I would rather have Cheetos dust permanently stuck on my fingers than take another Italian class. I guess making us take them all is the only way to gauge that. Sucks. That being said, though the university is truly centered around learning and not simply placing their students into a job later.

The classroom experience at Wake is what seems to draw many in (especially for those of us that need extra help). All of my professors know my name. I've been to many of their houses for study sessions and I have most of them as Facebook friends. I have classes as small as five students. One on one time is readily available and utilized by me on a weekly basis. Professors give you credit for trying here- office hours are a smart move! There is a certain air of competitiveness between pre-med or pre-business students. They are geared towards a final goal. Many of us however are simply trying to do as well as we can. The workload is a bit ridiculous, the "Work Forest" nickname being completely on point, but it becomes manageable the longer you're here. Everyone studies all of the time, there is no way to not study all of the time & do well here. Coming from a public school I think I studied more than any else my freshman year. It is easy to want to do better here, easier to study for tests, easier to go to office hours, though because that is what everyone is doing. Everyone here is working hard. The divisional general education requirements are hard. A 200 level language class? Hard. The university is truly centered around learning and not simply placing their students into a job later.

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Wake's academic reputation speaks for itself. It is a top-ranked university, on par with other top-tier universities. Students work hard to succeed, but it is not impossible to do well as some might lead you to believe. If you are qualified enough to earn admission to Wake, then you are qualified enough to succeed here. There is definitely a stress on the liberal arts education here. Every student has to take an array of divisional course requirements, including courses in humanities, the arts, social science, math/natural science, and foreign language. First-year students also have to complete a First Year Seminar and a Freshmen Writing Seminar. These courses are pretty writing intensive, but are also some of the most interesting subjects that professors would not otherwise get to teach. For example, my seminar was called Music of Protest. In the course, we studied social movements in the Western Hemisphere and how music provided influence and social commentary about those movements. Two of my papers for that class were analyses of the music of Bob Dylan and Green Day. One of my favorite things about the academics at Wake is that I get to know my professors really well. My largest class has been about 60 people, and that was an introductory biology course. Most non-intro courses are much smaller, allowing professors to learn everyone's names in just a week or two. Unlike some professors at larger state schools, professors are genuinely interested in getting to know and connecting with students. I have even had professors invite the class to their houses for lunch/dinner on multiple occasions.

Unless you like being a social security number instead of a name, you can't hate the class size here. The largest class I've had held about forty students and the smallest I've been in had eight. The average class size probably lingers around fifteen to twenty. This creates a fairly warm and inviting atmosphere in which to express your opinion. Don't be fooled though, just because it's cozy, doesn't mean that it isn't competitive! No one will try to sabotage your grade, but be prepared for them to compare what you got to what they got when you get your exams back! Everyone gets a rough professor that does what they want because they have tenure, but for every one professor that you have that you don't like, you'll have eight that you adore and hold a relationship with even after you turn in your final.

A good percentage of the time professors will know your name. Classes tend to be small so there is an expectation for you to participate. If you're looking for it, you will run into people willing to engage in intellectual conversations. Many of the people here are receptive, thoughtful, and curious about your views (if you have any). Studying makes up a large part of the academic culture here. True story, i've seen people reading textbooks while doing sit-ups and walking on the treadmill at the gym. So this is definitely a place intended for the intellectually curious and disciplined. I'm double majoring in English and Philosophy and it's inspiring to see how cultured and learned the professors are in each department, and others as well. Many speak more than one language and have an intimate knowledge of topics peripheral to their field. Though there are somewhat high expectations so be ready to be challenged. Much of Wake Forest's intentions are geared toward making sure you have opportunities to succeed, which means they provide many connections for job placement. Several students secure jobs soon after graduating.

Professors generally know your name unless they're super old and have a hard time remembering. My favorite class this semester is Shakespeare; my professor is a BOSS. My least favorite class was Calculus. I failed. Students study a lot; we have to. We're constantly updating facebook and twitter accounts about retarded things that happen to us in the library. Class participation is a must. Students aren't intellectual outside of class- we have a crap ton of work all the time, that's why we rage so much. Students can be competitive depending on the major. The most unique class I've taken was the World of Opera; it was my freshman year seminar, and I absolutely loved it...even if I had to listen to Don Giovanni at 8am. I'm double majoring in English and French. The English department is awesome, intelligent, and biased. The French department is miniscule; I want to get my PhD in History so I can teach French history here. I go to lunch and get coffee with professors on the reg. Academic requirements are tough, but this is a great academic university. Deal with the hardships. You'll live. Our Career Services Dept is awesome at helping students find jobs after graduation. I would know, I'm on their student committee.

Wake students are driven individuals and the work load at Wake reflects that. All majors are rigorous and require a lot of work outside of class. It's not unusual for the ZSR library to be completely filled most nights. Most students would agree that if you work, you get a B. A's are much harder to come by. Luckily, Wake has a great faculty that, for the most part, is willing to meet outside of class to help students. As an English major, most of my professors have even required scheduling a meeting with them once or twice throughout the semester. Class sizes are small and strictly lecture style classes are rare. In my experience, professors are interested in facilitating class discussion and participation is almost always an important part of my final grade. Also, since Wake is a liberal arts school, students are required to complete a series of divisional courses that extend to all the major areas of study provided at Wake. Sometimes this can be a little frustrating when it requires an English major, like me, to take classes like statistics and physics, but I think it also requires you to be more well-rounded, which in turn makes you more eligible in job markets.

One of my favorite aspects of Wake Forest are the smaller class sizes where the professors make an effort to at least know your face. The academics are harder than the average college may have, but it is this that better prepares the students post-graduation. Since I know that my hard work will pay off, I do not mind devoting more of my effort to my classes. In the end, the amount of attention paid to studying depends on what each student wants to allot, but it automatically affects their grade. One of the best things about Wake students is that they keep to themselves where their education matters. There is no competitiveness to the point where it is detrimental to other classmates. Wake Forest is also very attentive to transitioning their students into the workforce and have a lot of resources to do so. The alumni network is very strong around the country and in some international countries like England. One of my favorite classes what a political science class about contemporary India. I learned so much more than I could have ever imagined about one of the most diverse countries in the world. Due to this class, my world perspective has shifted and affects how I see politics in a global perspective. The professors that I have had are passionate about what they teach, and there is nothing better in the academic sphere than learning from someone who loves to teach in their field--and Wake Forest is full of these kinds of professors.

One word: rigorous. You will work hard to receive a good education here. It's not impossible to get a high GPA, but it is tough. You will often see students studying into the wee hours of the morning on any given day of the week. The students are competitive only insofar as they are intelligent, which almost every person at Wake is. It is common to see lines at a professor's door for office hour discussion. You will have to fulfill a number of divisional requirements for any degree from the university, and the requirements for each major are different.