Clark University Top Questions

The work-load is heavy, but definitely manageable. It really depends on what classes you take. With some classes and majors you'll start writing 10-page (20 pages double spaced) papers in the first week and with other classes you'll have maybe one or two 3 page papers per month! There's always a lot of reading involved no matter what you're taking, so make sure you keep track of that. We're a very academically driven school and everyone here wants to do well. I promise you though, the workload won't get TOO hard, and if it does it's probably just a hill that you have to get over and won't face again for awhile. There's always help if you need it. The staff are always willing to reach out to you and help you figure out how to manage your time, and if you're open and honest with your professors about your needs, they'll most likely be more understanding of extenuating circumstances should any come up.

Clark University is smaller than a lot of schools, and there is a lot of attention (if you want it) available. There is a lot of help offered here, the professors have office hours and there are TAs who hold study sessions before tests, which are very handy. My professors know my name, if you have dialogues with them at they usually tend to. My favorite class here so far is Intro to Chemistry, when I took that in high school I had a hard time understanding the material, but here I work hard and go for extra help and now I am really succeeding in it so I guess I'm just most proud of that class. At Clark we do study a lot, on weekends Saturday mornings and Sunday nights in the library is common. Currently, I am attempting to double major in Studio Art and Biology, and I love how in both fields I can find individual attention in a class room and feel completely comfortable. We learn here in a way where classes are offered for the purpose of learning, exploring and changing our perceptions on preconceived standards.

The size of the school allows for a lot of small classes and a ton of interaction with your professors. If you plan on skipping all your classes and never saying a word in class, this isn't the school for you. The fact that the school combines aspects of both research university and liberal arts college allows for free academic exploration. The workload is average to hard depending on your area of study and how passionate you are about the material. The professors are so enthusiastic about their work and the well-being of their students. My advisor doesn't let me discuss classes until I tell her how I'm doing and how I'm enjoying myself. Overall, the academic experience is really how you make it; how much effort you put in, if you decide to choose a standard major or create your own, replacing a class with your own directed study, and so on and so forth.