Case Western Reserve University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Andy

Coming from a very small department in the dusty humanities corner of campus, I've had a lot more personal interaction and support from my professors than most science and engineering students. I've had primarily small, seminar-style classes with wonderfully intelligent, engaging professors, many of whom I am friends with outside of class. The few duds were disappointing, but overall I've had an excellent experience with the academics in my own field. The gen-ed fueled steps outside it have been slightly less warm, but interesting nonetheless.

Justin

The academics at Case are widely known and respected and for that I'm grateful, because I know that when I graduate, it will be much easier to find a job. On the other hand, because Case is so well respected and because it is a research one institution, the emphasis is not always on education, at least for undergrads. It has been my experience that I am paying $40,000+ a year for book suggestions. I realize that I am in college and need to do a great deal of work to learn the material on my own, but a lot of times it feels like I'm doing all of the work. I don't mean to insult all of the professors because there are some out there that are great teachers but the vast majority, especially in the engineering field just aren't very good at it. I have had professors that graduated from MIT and Harvard, they're brilliant people, but they know the information so well that they can't imagine how a lowly undergrad like me wouldn't be able to understand the information within the first 5 minutes.

Ari

The best part about Case is that I have never had a class taught by a TA. Professors are all very hands on and want to get to know their students. There is a real sense of academic integrity and desire to learn for the sake of learning. Engineering and the sciences are really strong, but personally I'm a religious studies major and I love the department here.

Morgan

I like small classes and Case offers them. Of course, my major not being BME or another "hard science" track offers me smaller classes and more contact with the professor. I just finally chatted with my chemistry professor for the first time and it meant a lot to me. Knowing that your teacher has some idea who you are means a lot when you really are not happy with the class in the first place. Class participation is common, no matter the size of the class, and I really like that. Case students DO have intellectual conversations outside of class, and I LOVE it. Brilliance illuminates the sky.

Jennifer

I have been in large and small classes at Case.. classes where professors know everyone and classes where professors know no one. A lot of times it takes effort on the students part to get to know their professors and really stand out. I came to Case looking for a rigorous academic environment and I am getting what I paid for. My professors push me to do my best and they attempt to instill values like professionalism and maturity in all their students. I haven't met a professor who doesn't care about the students. I am working on the committee that gives awards to undergraduate professors for their teaching abilities and I was surprised by how many are nominated. There were even professors who I had had who I didn't think were the best when I had them who were nominated and it made me realize that not every professor is my 'cup of tea' but they are all outstanding and have been selected to teach at this school for a reason. I have learned important career related skills but I have also gained a lot of knowledge about the world and about life from my time at Case.

Alex

The political science department is pretty small, so most of the professors I've had class with know my name. The classes range from extremely boring and useless to pretty darn good, but it's not consistent across the board. Most of the professors here don't really like to teach and are just here to do research, especially in the maths and sciences. Most students here think they are a lot smarter than they really are, and walking around campus you'll hear lots of people talking about classes or how dumb their professors are. The truth is though, that Case accepts more than three-quarters of their applicants so they don't really weed out any of the dumber kids. I feel like my education is geared towards learning for the sake of learning, because there sure isn't any help getting a job for kids in the social sciences.

Brandon

Academics is a major focus here at Case. Students spend a lot of time studying. Professors expect a lot of their students both in terms of work load and difficulty of course concepts. Students are very invested in their work, and tend to be very competitive. However, students are willing to help out and study together. My major is polymer science and engineering, and it is a great major. The department is small, only graduating less that ten students a year. My professors know my name, and I have a close relationship with my advisor. I also have had the opportunity to work in a research lab since my freshman year, which has helped me to decide that I would like to pursue a Ph.D. after undergraduate.

Andi

some of the intro classes are pretty big, but the biggest room only holds about 300 people, so no class will be bigger than that. even so, most of the professors i've had are very nice and approachable. even my professors from my 200+ classes know my name, because i have introduced myself to them. many people i know study A LOT. the education at case is geared at preparing you for grad/professional school.

Cassie

In all classes the teachers learn your name, if you go to them and are not just face that they see 2 to 3 times a week. Case students are studying quite often. My favorite class was sign language. I liked it, because it was a fun class that I didn't have to worry about memorizing reactions. I worked hard, and I did well. It was great, because it was a break from my usual set of classes. I sometimes wonder if Case where is guiding me, and I realize that Case isn't guiding me, I chosing where I want to go, and Case is helping me go there. Some schools its all about getting a job, other schools are about getting into med school, Case is about helping me find out what I want to do, and where I should go to do it.

Blake

They're great. I learn a lot and remember a lot. My best profs have been Dr. DiIulio, Dr. Pearson, Dr. Demaree and Dr. Toman. These are some of the few people I've run into who care about my education and hope that I succeed. I've recently been studying for the MCAT and so far, I think I'm well prepared for it. The unfortunate thing is that admitting the types of people Case is now admitting, is that the students care less about the academics. The academics, as a result, suffer. Students goof off a lot more and gripe about grades. It seems like their focus is much more on getting into med school than actually learning the material. I attribute all of that to the university's shallowness in who they allow to come here. People who are more serious about Case's lousy sports teams than helping people through their education really don't have a place here. Most of the professors care a little bit more about their research than their students. They're forced to teach so do a mediocre job and use the same powerpoints for years...not devoting much time to it.

Jessica

HUGE workload. If you like to constantly be doing work, Case is the right place for you.

Ryan

It's tough here at Case. But there is help! I have never heard of a Case grad having a hard time finding a job. The only thing I would say about my specific program (nursing) is that you can go to a cheaper school and get the same experiences. In fact, Case nursing grads have a hard time getting over our reputation as "know-it-alls" in our first assignments. For engineering though, there are few schools with reputations as good as Case's. If research is your thing, we are the school for you as well. You can do research your freshman year, and are even encouraged to do so!

Andy

Case has one of the hardest work-loads of any college in the nation. However, anyone who comes here is receiving a first-rate education that is well-worth the pain and agony.

Robert

Professors on the whole are helpful and willing to work with you, however I can only say that I've had about 4 actually good professors so far in my 3 years. I am double majoring in Math and Economics and both departments have their outstanding professors (2-4 of them) and the rest of the professors you attempt to avoid like the plague.

Richard

Academics are alright, most of my classes are on the smaller size and all of them know who I am. I think this is a good thing because despite being a decently sized school, the profs still try to have good relationships with their students. One problem with Case is the "SAGES" program. Standing for "Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship," SAGES is touted as being a revolutionary new program. In reality, its a bunch of writing seminars designed entirely by the professor who teaches the various seminar. Most students are required to take 3 or 4 SAGES classes which is not an especially fun prospect. What is really the flaw in the program is that none of the classes have specific standards or requirements. My SAGES seminar was a complete waste of time, and, although the guaranteed A was nice, other people I knew had grueling write-a-thons with professors who made it clear that they did not want to be teaching SAGES.

Ryan

Very difficult. Lots and lots of work. Grading is usually appropriately lenient for the difficulty of the work. You will be pushed. You will be given more than you think you can do. And then you'll do it, and learn about yourself and the work in the process. Academics are indeed the most important part of the campus. Everyone is here for their respective degree first and foremost, and everything else is subordinate. Anyone who is not a serious student does not remain at this university for very long.

Miriam

Most professors will know your name. Although some freshman classes are very big (~200 people), once you get into more major specific classes, the student to faculty ratio is 15:1. My favorite class was my freshman Physics class, the professor who taught it was awesome and really cared about his students. My least favorite was a computer methods class I took. Students usually study and do homework 4-8 hours a day. Since classes are small students have the opportunity to ask questions if they want. Many students have nothing but intellectual conversations, quite a bit of students are not very good at small talk. One good thing about Case is that it is not as competative as some academically centered school. Students help each other out with classes and work together on homework and projects. I am an Engineering Physics major, so a majority of my time is spent in the Physics department. The professors are very approachable for the most part. Both professors in the Physics and Engineering have Office hours and are readily available. Departments have social events where students can get to know professors outside of class. The academic requirement are very heavy, and much is expected of the students. Unfortunately, the liberal arts department is not very large in Case.

Gene

There are really two major types of professors. One is here for the research opportunities and teaching is an off-hand activity. The other is here to teach, to instill their love of a subject into the students, and hopefully helping them to find what they are passionate about. The higher level class that you take, the ones past the general requirements and prerequisites, the larger the probability you have of finding one of the great professors.

Cameron

There are some amazing professors that devote a great deal of time, energy, and enthusiasm for teaching and then there are researchers that "teach" for an hour at a time. In general though there are more of the former and they are continually recognized by the student body for their achievements. Professors are generally approachable but in general it is up to the students to approach them. Students study often, class participation is generally only in the smaller, higher level classes or some liberal arts intro classes. Lectures are generally a sit and listen, try not to sleep. Intellectual conversations do occur outside of class on a somewhat frequent basis. Students are generally not very competitive but cooperative, group studies and reviews are common. Classes are very diverse from Herpetology and the Psychology of Sex to Islam and the Crusades. In general Case balances career oriented learning while encouraging learning to satisfy intellectual curiosity.

Julie

Most of my professors knew my name with in the first month of class and still know me. My favorite class so far is Separations with Professor Edwards. I really like it because it is low stress and the professor focuses on making sure that you understand the concepts and doesn't focus on how well you can do the algebra to get the correct answer. My lest favorite call was CHEM 290 because the experiments were simple and tedious. Students will study as much as they need, some weeks this is only 2-3 hours a day but if you have tests coming up it could be more like 4-6 hours a day. Class participation is very common, in most classes it is also a small part of you grade. Case students usually have intellectual conversations outside of class and homework. Students aren't very competitive, a lot of the work is group work. The most unique class I've taken was a theater history class, it was interesting because there were theater students, English students, physics students, and engineering students all in the class. My major is chemical engineering the department has lot of great professors that are interested in what they teach and their students. The department also has small class sizes and the students work together on lots of projects. I don't usually spend time with professors out of class, I will visit them in their offices if I have questions. I think that the academic requirements are demanding but fair. The education here is about learning the skills you will need in a job but the way it is taught really brings out the learning aspect, we get examples of real world problems but the professors want to make sure we understand why we solve it the way we do.

Dawson

Most of my professors know my name. I'm actually quite surprised how much past professors remember me as a student when they see me around campus. My favorite class are those taught by a business professor named Richard Osborne "the Gorilla". He is really a great professor and takes a personal interest in each of his students and pledges to be a mentor for them. In general I have really enjoyed my business classes because they focus on the community - you know the name of everyone in your class and do a lot of group work. Students study all the time - probably 25 + hours a week for the lightest load. Class participation depends on the class - in business classes it is required as usually a part of your grade is comprised of your class participation. Students at Case are competitive but mostly competitive with themselves. People are not as focused as doing better than everyone else, but doing the best that they can do. There definitely isnt' any sabotage going on - people want to help each other out.

Bevan

Professors do NOT know names Favorite Class: Microeconomics/EBME202: Biophysiology Least Favorite: Introduction to Polymers Students Study: Every day, even on weekends Class Participation: Can be common Intellectual Conversations: Some like to think that they can, most don't Competitiveness: Very Rampant on this campus in terms of grades Unique Class: Nonexistent Major/Department: Overrated and needs better faculty Professors outside of class: Can be difficult because many are involved with research, so unless you research with them, it is impossible Case's academic requirements: Can be very stringent at times and very hard on a person who is undecided Case Education: Getting a Job/Stepping Stone for higher education (MD/PhD/Masters,etc)

Sarah

Case students study ALL THE TIME! We have a very heavy course load, even if you're not overloading on classes. Students study a lot on the weekends but also a lot during the week. My favorite class was my music history class because the teacher really involved us in the class conversations, and really momtivated me to study the material outside of class. Case's education system really prepares you for getting a job once you get out of school, but it also encourages a general education as well. We have a good deal of flexiblity even though there are certain required classes that we have to take for general education. Most of my professors recognize me and know my name.

Catherine

Some professors learn your name, but not all. My favorite class was taught at the art museum by a curator there. There are many that could be considered my least favorite, but computer programming, chemistry, and plenty of my upper level sociology classes have had aggravating professors. Students study all the time. Class participation is fairly common, but depends on the class. Intellectual conversation is rare outside of class, probably because we are burnt out. Pre-med students are competitive, which is annoying, but we don't have to compete for grades, which is really awesome. I am a sociology major but I hate it - I wish I had been an economics major. They have better faculty and more interesting classes. The art studio is full of bad teachers, especially the creative drawing instructor. But some are really good like the architecture and the design/color and the photography teachers. I HATE HATE HATE HATE the SAGES program - our gen ed program. There are few standards across the board for all the seminars we need to take, and therefore I have had completely different experiences - none of them good. In one SAGES class, I was taught the five paragraph model for an essay, something I learned in 7th grade.

Devin

Some professors know my name. My favorite class was Philosophy 101 with Prof. Stephenson. He made the material engaging and easy to understand. Don't have a least favorite class yet. Students study every night. Class participation is normal. Case student occasionally have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students aren't competitive. Most unique class I've taken is USSY 252 about Leonardo Da Vinci. Chemical engineering major at Case is demanding, but the faculty are approachable and involved. Dr. Landau and Dr. Z are well known for being great teachers. I don't really spend time with professors outside of class. Case's academic requirements are above average for engineering resulting a superb degree. Engineering is definitely geared toward getting a job.

Tim

Except for the big lecture hall classes, which are much of my schedual as a freshman engineering student, most of my professors know my name. I really don't have a favorite or least favorite class, just some that take more or less getting used to. Since most classes are more of a lecture format, there is not that much class participation, but there still is a fair amount. Case students are very competitive with test scores; however, Case students still want each other to succeed. We are competitive in the same way as a cross-country team is competitive: competitive between each other, but also competitive for each other. Since I don't have a specific major picked out most of these questions are unanswerable for me.

Kyle

Yes most profs. Know my name Favorite class? Ochem Lab. Least favorites? Classical Mechanics or ENGR 131 Students study every night. Class participation is heavily dependent on class size. Bigger classes lead to less participation. Yes, Case students often have academic or intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are competitive, but many are collaborative and helpful all the time. The Physics department is a motley assortment of professors and students. We have all types. More heavily male though. I don't really spend a lot of time with professors outside of classes, except for asking for help, letters of rec., things like that. Case's academic requirements are tough, but fair. Case education can be both geared towards a job, and for learning, it depends on the field. Engineers are definitely geared for jobs, Art and SCi are in between. PreHealth is definitely for learning/Entrance Exams.

mike

You get what you give. If you care the professors care. If you dont, they could care less, just like any college.

Taylor

There are professors who know everything about you because they care about students and learning, while there are many professors that only care about research and only teach because they are required. It depends on your style of learning because both seem to work for different students. I am a biology major and my favorite class was my human anatomy class where as apart of our class, we had a human cadaver lab. The bodies were prosected by medical students, but was the most awesome thing ever! The worst class was P-chem, but the professor who taught it made it terrible. She doesn't teach the class anymore. However, among the chemistry classes, all the P-Chem's seem to be the worst with the 5 hour labs. Case students definitely speak about their work outside of class. It seems that it is mostly upperclassmen because many of their classes deal with cutting edge research and they love to tell everyone and mostly everyone loves to hear about it. Everyone here wants to be better than everyone else and knowing something before others is their ideal way of getting ahead.