West Virginia University Top Questions

The Academics are great as long as a student takes interest in it because the teachers can teach but ultimately at the end of the day it's the students who have to work hard as get good grades.

The academics are challenging but not impossible. You just have to actually apply yourself

There are a lot of classes that are completely useless and the professors suck. I've had more bad professors than good ones. The professors are all old school and expect you to do all work without any help. I would recommend this school for programs in business, engineering and teaching. The wildlife management program does not help you at all.

I pretty much covered academics before but academics are either hit or miss. You'll love the class or you'll hate it. Most 100-200 level classes are complained about but once students get in their major they love it. The only hassle is dealing with a bunch of bs classes like the general eds that are required. Some classes are ridiculously easy (soc 105, theatre 101) and some are notorious weed out classes (like chem 115, physics 111, math 155, etc.). Most classes are large and unless you take initiative, professors or TAs won't know you. Or, in my case, a professor will know you the semester they have you and by next semester, won't recognize you at all unless you really try to form bonds. This is a research university so keep in mind professors are not solely here to teach you.

Academics here are great! Classes range from underwater basket weaving to scuba diving and to physics. The professors are very welcoming and helpful. Despite having large lectures, the teachers interact with each individual student. I feel like they are personally talking to me. Professors reach out and offer many ways of contact.

The academics are a little bit different than what I am used to, growing up in a small town. The average class size as a freshman and sophomore is about 300; therefore, the professors don't really know who you are or your name until you are a junior and senior. Because the class size is so big, class participation is usually uncommon. Personally, I spend a lot of time on my school work. My major requires a lot of out of class studying and reading. I think overall, this school could be a little more stricter with the academic requirements because it would push students to work harder and limit the number of drop outs.

The academic requirements here are fair. The amount of studying you need to do depends on the GPA goal that you have. Teachers will get to know your name (in large classes) if you participate and ask questions. I'm in the Honors College and all the classes I take through it are pretty small. My teachers in those classes have always gotten to know my name. I suggest the Honors College to anyone interested. It provides a broad range of interesting courses not available to other students. As a pre-pharmacy major, I have also taken many science courses at the university and have always felt as though my teachers were there to help me with anything I needed help with.

With WVU being a large institution, many people would automatically assume that you are jammed into a large auditorium with 300 other kids listening to a professor who has no interest in getting to know all of his students. While many General Education Requirements are somewhat like this, after Freshman year class sizes are reduced to anywhere from 10-45 kids. My Professors always make the effort to learn the names of every kid in class and they are always available for help or advice. I can honestly say that I haven't had a bad Professor yet. They have all been extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

I am a double major in Exercise Physiology and Athletic Training. Exercise physiology is considered mostly as a pre-med major, it is the only undergraduate major in the school of medicine. It is a larger major with majority if classes on the health science center campus. With it being a nearly 200+ people per grade, you are challenged to present yourself in a way that will stand out to your professors. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I was accepted my junior year as an athletic training major with on 13 other students selected. This major is more intimate and required no more than 20 clinic hours per week in your assigned athletic training room. You work one on one with your assigned team providing rehabilitation and prevention of injuries throughout your clinical assignment.

The greatest advice I can give about the academics is to choose your professors carefully, if you can. People wake up at 6 in the morning to wait for the class signups to open. Who your professor is makes all the difference in how much you will learn, and what grade you will get in the class. Almost all the teachers are available after class time during the office hours. If they are not available they are willing to make an appointment to meet with you.