Clemson University Top Questions

Tough but they definitely get you ready for your career.

While athletics are a major part of the Clemson Experience, academics are taken very seriously. Being a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Clemson takes pride in continually striving to better their academic achievements. President Barker has a vision of making Clemson a Top 20 Public Institution. Since his arrival, Clemson has made great strides on its way to the goal of being in the Top 20. President Barker is very involved with the student body, as he and Mrs. Barker host various events at their home on campus.

The first seminar classes can be large and overwhelming at times, but the students that cared were noticed by the professors. As classes went on, the subjects became more specific and the classes broke down into smaller, more intimate groups. Professors do not like to teach the whole class, the encourage students to participate and help fill in what they know. Students who wish to succeed will and those who don't will not. Self initiative is important and professors do their best to help everyone. Outside of the classroom, for the more difficult classes, there are 3 hours of supplemental instruction a week from older students who sit in on the class and previously got an A. Teachers are all willing to help, and SI leaders are always around. What I learned in one year of college was remarkable and has truely helped me prepare for my future.

The professors definitely know your name, especially if it is in your major. Different students study different amounts, pending on your major, how smart you are, and what grades you want to make. Class participation is definitely common and with small class sizes is feasible. Clemson students and faculty have intellectual conversations outside of class, especially downtown at a local watering hole. Students are more cooperative than competitive. It is usually like your class is a team and you are all trying to get through the semester together, this makes everyone more competitive when the graduate and adds value to everyone's Clemson degree. My major is Applied Psychology, and all of our faculty are pretty cool and can be found outside of class or even the University. Some even play music downtown. Clemson's requirements are constantly becoming more and more rigorous so that our degrees become more competitive both nationally and internationally. Clemson is a very research oriented and applied school, meaning that they prepare you for the work force while continuously contributing to the knowledge base.

Academics are very strong (I was a mechanical engineer), particularly in undergraduate education. Overall, the quality of education available at Clemson is top notch, although no one will hold your hand. You really have to be assertive and take the initiative. Faculty are enormously responsive and willing to help, but will not actively engage slackers.

Professor's remember your name if you talk to them after class or during their office hours. Least favorite was the fucking required english courses that I had to take and the stupid general engineering course. The core Mechanical Engineering courses are pretty good. I don't think students are really competitive here, but in engineering you get tons of homework, so engineering students are always busy doing something. Academic requirements at Clemson are pretty good. The education at Clemson is geared towards both getting a job and also learning for its own sake. Most engineering professors here have 10 to 15 years of work experience, so they know what students need to know when they're looking for jobs.

Classes are definitely challenging, and provide a good change from High School. You get out of your classes as much as you are willing to put into them, so choose where you want to spend your time with what you are interested in. The classes I took definitely prepared me for getting a job, but there is also a part of college that is just learning how to learn.

President Barker is on a mission for Clemson to reach the Top 20 public colleges in the nation, and we are well on our way. With the exception of the large gen-ed classes (chem 101/102, bio 103/104, physics, etc.) the classes are small and engaging. Even in my Organic chem class this past semester, there were 150 or so students, but my professor managed to learn everyone's name after 3 or 4 weeks.

The professors genuinly care about how you are doing and what you need help on. They offer help every step of the way and get to know you.

Know your name: Once you get really into your major classes, usually sometime Sophmore year, yes. But that is contingent on participation! You have to participate! There are not too many HUGE classes. I think the biggest class I was ever in was Psych201 (Intro to Psychology), and that was maybe 200 and is kinda expected that's a really popular course. Never had any other class over 30, sometimes less than 15. Studying: depends on your major and if you want a good GPA or not. Participation: come on you have to participate in college.... Conversations: again, depends. if you want to have intellectual conversations there are a lot of outlets for that. if you dont, you can easily avoid them. Competitive: I've never had a teacher that graded based on quotas (I'm only giving out 3 As, 7 Bs, ect..). So I would say no. Most Unique Class: Camping and Backpacking. We literally did just that, go camping and backpacking around Tennessee. It only counted as one credit (a normal class is 3-4), but it was a lot of fun. They have a lot of great leisure skills classes. I also took things like Bosu, Yoga, Pilates, First Aid... There are always opportunities to take something crazy just to try it out, they even have 1 credit dance classes, even fly fishing, crazy.... Academic Requirements: pretty standard, maybe a little low/easy to complete. They only require that you take 4 classes a semester (or 12 credits), I usually took 18+ and had a great social life. I think this is why so many people take 5 years, because they only take the bare minimum, but then again I might have been the extreme because I had finished all my requirements and had MORE than enough credits to graduate the winter before my graduation in spring. And I studied abroad a semester, which normally slows people down.

I have had very few classes at Clemson that I have not enjoyed, or at least tolerated, especially since I have gotten into my major courses. Although some of the freshman science and economics classes are large, I my biggest class had 75 students, but I would say the average number is between 25 and 30. Additionally, I have had really good relationships with most of my professors. I have found most to be very willing to help, even outside of class, and have very accomodating office hours. The most unique class I have taken at Clemson was a class on Clergy Leadership in America. It was a special seminar, but it was so interesting. Everyone in that class was taking it as an elective, but it was a great class. The professor has done lots of research and is published on the course, and it was great. Also, in the fall I am taking a history course on the Assination of JFK which I have heard great things about and I am really excited.

I only did my masters work at Clemson so the people I hung out with were always in my related field and we discussed class topics outside of class all the time. Spending my undergrad at Texas A&M I can say that classes at Clemson are a little smaller in size compared to those of a much larger school. Core classes can have more than 200 people, but more specialized classes are less than 20 people. Most teachers like to know your name and encourage participation. Clemson geared our program on learning the subjects from the ground up. This knowledge helped me tremendously when applying for jobs.

I would definitely recommend checking out your professors before signing up for their classes just because there are always duds at any school. I have had exceptional teachers as well as awful ones. The key is learning how to avoid the bad ones. Studying is a large element of campus life, just not on game days. Compared to most other schools I would say Clemson is more serious and more academically focused.

The professors are so personable and caring and know what they are doing. They are the best of the best. The students are competitive, but not so much with each other. They care more about personal growth and success and they know why they are in school - to get an education and learn the most so that they will be successful in life. In nursing of all the professors I have had so far, they have all been extraordinary. They have made my first year experience worthwhile and I cannot wait for next year!!

Clemson is a great school for academics. Professors vary just like any other institute. Studying is awesome in our 6 floor library and it will cater to any type of studying.

Freshman classes are usually very large so most professors wont get to know you unless you are active. Students study habits vary depending on their major but most study quite frequently.

My major is a piece of cake

All of my PRTM professors know my name and something about me. Classes are a good size and professors are wiling to work with you!

I am in nursing. We are a unique group of individuals. We know names. The professors get to know us because we are in the program for several years. The professors are great because they als have the empathy that it takes to get through the rigid academics involved with nursing.

You will spend the vast majoirty of you time doing busy work, that is unimportant and will be graded by a TA (teaching assistant), not your own professor. You will spend at least one hour per semester in the office of your professor hearing him repeat the same confusing lecture he has given you all semester, just on a one-on-one basis. You will be completely unable to ever carry on an intelligent conversation with your professors--they are always too smart for you.

Even though Clemson is such a good school I don't feel like it is extremely hard to do pretty well. The university likes well rounded students so they like people to concetrate on other things than their classes especially when it comes to getting involved in various clubs and activities on campus. This makes it nice becasue instead of your peers being really competitive with you, everyone is willing to help eachother out for the betterment of everyone. The library can even be fun sometimes because all your friends go and it can turn all niters in to just hanging out with them. I mean, everyione goes to the library to do their studying. Not alot of people like to study in their rooms. Professors are real laid back and more than willing to help. We have great opportunities. I studied aborad last semester in Hong Kong and am currently in Washington DC interning for the state department so you can be extremely successful if you take the opportunities available to you within your departments. Clemson can be dificult to get in nowadays. I know it has increased alot from when I applied. They seem to liek well roundedness however so don't worry to much about SAT/ACT scores because I was well below average. The business school that I am in is now a top 20 public school program and they have alot of opportunities within.

Classes range in size, depending on how general the subject is. For example, an intro Bio class will be about 230-250 where a more personalized class, as you get deeper into your major, will only be around 15-25 kids which is awesome. You'd be surprised the number of intelectualites walking around the halls. I've had a number of stimulating conversations with people that includes politics, religion, sports, and everywhere in between.

Professors know everybody individually. Class partcipation is common; we do discuss outside the class, and students are competitive.

Clemson is hard

If you are in state there are tons of scholarships you can get. They do require you to keep your grades up. I am out of state and did really poorly my first semester. However, since then I have gotten my act together. It was my own fault and as long as you keep up with the class you can do fine. of course there are some challenging courses, thats the idea, but there is tons of extra help you can get if you are struggling. The longest paper I ever had to write was a 24 page, single space, term paper. Other than that I have only heard of 12-15 pages double space. Tests are regular, and of course there are some classes that are a peice of cake. Your grades are your own and we use a Blackboard computer system to keep up with your progress in every class. I am a travel and tourism major and the best teacher I have ever had is Dr. William Norman. He is constantly offering his students support, I stop by his office in passing just to say hi, because he makes his students appreciate him, as well as themselves. My computer crashed mid spring semester this year. He helped my find a backup so I could still complete my work with ease. As an advisor for the department he tells it like it is, and always find the best solution to a problem. All of the departments back up their students and are always finding internships and job opportunities.

Most professors are personable and friendly. They are willing to help you through things you don't understand. TAs can suck, often times they don't speak good english. Overall academics are relatively enjoyable and challenging, but not miserable hard.

My professors are the best at any university around. They are friends and advisers because they are all willing to help at any time. I don't have a favorite class because I have enjoyed so many but I guess the most unusual was Plant Medicine and Magic. It was amazingly interesting. Every student spends a lot of time in the library and in professors offices because the classes are challenging. Each class is designed so that it may help us in the future get jobs, get into graduate schools, get into law schools, or get into medical schools.

Academics are definitely on the rise in Clemson. More and more students apply to Clemson each year and it is becoming tougher to get in as a result. Clemson's "Destination Top 20" quest has been a major success. President Barker implemented a plan for Clemson to be a Top 20 public institution by the year 2010, and we are well on the way. This plan has attracted more top-notch students and faculty members. Students are very competitive. The library is always packed. Students often participate in class. Professors are fun. Classes range in size from 10 to 400. Academics at Clemson are challenging, but worth it as a degree from Clemson is very valuable.

Clemson is a demanding university, as far as the work you will put into being successful. There were no "easy A's" except for the leisure skills classes. I was in the architecture program and it was brutal, but all of my professors still remember my name and I theirs. The good news is, most future employers know how hard it is to be successful and therefore look forward to having Clemson graduates apply for employment. It is not a university to grab a quick degree from to satisfy your parents, if you commit to Clemson, you will have no choice but to walk away with something that is worthwhile and beneficial to the rest of your future.

Professors in my undergraduate major did not know my name. However, the professors in my graduate major knew my name, where I was from, what my job was, etc. My favorite class was Educational Psychology.

The academics are very good and have a good reputation while you are in college and also when you graduate. Of course there are there fair share of professors that are more difficult than others, it is like that anywhere.

It wasn't until my senior year that I realized how much the professors care about their students. Every one of the professors in my major know my name and gave extremely detailed references when applying for jobs. They are willing to work with you on projects and see you as more of a colleague than a student. Clemson has an intellectual environment. There is a wide diversity of students, and the college strives to bring diverse cultural events to campus. I came from a small high school with relatively little diveristy, and Clemson was a great change. The Clemson application process is very competitive. Not only do they require high grades in high school, but your high school courses are important as well as a wide array of extracurriculars. Clemson strives to attract not only smart students but students who are involved in their school and community.

I'm not going to lie, Clemson can get very difficult at times. It all depends on your professor though. So if you can pick the good ones. A great website to go to is ratemyprofessor.com. Overall, the academics, at least in education, are not so hard that it is impossible to get a degree here. You really have to stay on your game plan though and study.

Classes at Clemson are generally small. Most of my classes have about 30 students in them or less. There are the huge lecture classes with 100+ students in them, however, the university is trying to get these class sizes down. I think that students on campus study an average amount. You can see students studying in the library at any time of the day, studying and a lot of times socializing, but I really think the emphasis is to do well in classes and to study as hard as you can. In the English department in particular, class discussions are very common. Most classes consist of students sitting around throwing ideas around and discussing literary theory or literary works with a professor who mediates and guides the conversation. Some of the majors offered at Clemson, such as Engineering or Nursing, are geared toward getting a job, but in the English department the emphasis is on getting an education and learning for its own sake.

- I wouldn't say many of my professor still know my name now, although they may recognize me. -My favorite class was definite Structure of Fiction with John Warner -Least favorite was probably statistics -Students study A LOT. Hard to gauge how often; I study almost every night. -The English department is sort of in construction at the moment; I don't spend time with profs outside of class; I have no inclination to do so. -I feel that the English department has some serious improvements to make; I also feel that the requirements, especially for my major of Writing and Publishing, are somewhat extraneous and unnecessary. -Mostly, I'd say it's towards getting a job, but being an English major, I've seen little assistance from those in influential positions to help the students

My professors do know my name. I think most students study an hour to 30 mins a day, but not all at once, just a little bit between classes anda t night, and then study a lot before tests (thats what I do). Class participation is common and in a lot of classes required. Students are not really competetive and me and my friends don't have extremely intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique class I've taken is probably my Sexuality in the Cinema class. My major is English, so I write a lot of papers, but I liek that more that taking tests.

Some of my professors know my name, but I'm mostly in big classes, so I don't hold it against them if they don't know my name. My most favorite class is my English class from the first semester and my math classes. I'm good at both and both seem really easy. I'm just a little lazy when it comes to doing the work, but I still like them. My least favorite class was Computer Science 101, and it's sad. Let's just say I may not be meant to be a programmer or whatever they are trained to do. I see students study Sunday through Wednesday. There are a few that study on weekends, only a few. Class participation isn't as common as I thought it would be. Most classes, students just sit there and look at the professors, which I find funny sometimes. I don't spend time with professors outside of class. I'm thinking of changing my major from computer science. Like I said, it isn't for me.

Most of my professors know my name. My favorite class was a small, laid back class, CU 101-Nursing. Students study sunday through thursday, religiously. LOL.

Yes, my professors know my name. My favorite class was my Communications class from last semester. My least favorite was Psychology. I see a lot of people in the library all of the time, so I guess students in general study a lot. Class participation is very common, and intellectual conversations do happen outside of class. The most unique class I've taken is Guitar. My major is Computer Information Systems. It's hard, but I'm doing okay. I do talk to my professors and advisors a lot. The education prepares you for the job world and gives you a little extra information for the road.

No.

Most of the professors are good; however there are some that are mean and disrespectful. Most professors I've had have known my name; however in larger classes of 100 or more they do not even know who I am. I think when you graduate from Clemson you will be able to find a job. Clemson keeps its students well prepared for the future ahead of them by offering so many opportunities for success.

Some professors know my name, although I wish more would make the effort to do so; My least favorite class was probably calculus, although there are many that could take the cake; Class partcipation usually helps my grade out a lot, and I don't always speak up in class; I feel like in my department they change their minds a lot, so I'm not always exactly sure what is going on

Professors are absolutely available and willing to meet with students outside of class. The most unique class I have taken is a Plants in Medicine, Magic, and Murder lecture. Don't be fooled, however, it is NOT interesting. But for the most part, classes are inspiring and I hardly ever feel like I am wasting time by going to class. I am in architecture and it is unbelievably vigorous but so eye-opening and I enjoy every minute of it.

Yes, my professors know who I am. My favorite class has been Construction Scheduling. It is a very down to earth course and I learn the exact steps of the construction process. My least favorite class was Structures, this class is more for engineers and architects and we got thrown in there and it was tough and I won't use much of it ever again. Students study at least 2 hours a week at the minimum. Class participation is a good part of most classes. Students are very competitive, and intellectual. My major is Construction Science and Management. It is an awesome major because it's small so you have the same students is your classes most of the time and the same teachers for different classes so you have a chance to get to know your peers and teachers on a personal level. Clemson academic requirements are fine, the are challenging, but achieveable. My education is geared toward getting a job.

Over the course of my two years here I would say about 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my teachers learned my name. Sometimes classes are larger and it's harder to remember all those students but they would know my face. If you make a point to talk to your teachers and show them you are interested in class they will learn your name. I loved English 103 and 214 even though I don't really care of english that much I had an awesome teacher so it was great. I also love my management classes (which is good since I'm a management major). My least favorite would be Chemistry. I just didn't understand it but I did have a great teacher so it was a little better. I think it depends on the student and subject. There are some classes I don't have to study a lot for because I just get it, it comes naturally but some classes I have to bust my butt because it's challenging to me. Yes, most professors exprect class participation. Sometimes it even counts as part of the grade! So far the people I have met from my major/department have been very helpful in aiding me in understanding what I have to complete for graduation. I meet with some professors outside of class durning their office hours if I am not understanding something in class or to review a test. (I guess that's what this question means) I think some of the Gen Ed requirements are silly for certain majors but I think Clemson does a great job at giving students the opportunity to choose what Gen Ed classes they want to take. I think Clemson does a great job and gearing things to getting jobs. They host job fairs at least twice a year as well as mandatory interships for some majors.

Professors of my smaller classes (30 or below) know my name but in bigger classes they don't. My favorite class at Clemson was English 103, a class required for all freshmen to take. My class was such a tight knit group and my teacher was so friendly and flexible in assignments that she made the class interesting to be in and I looked forward to going to class each day. The amount students study depend on their major- I would say that engineers and chemists have a bit more work than communication and business majors, although everybody does a decent amount of work for their degree. Class participation is common in the smaller classes where it's easier to communicate with the professor. I personally have not had many intellectual conversations outside of class other than with my roommate, but I'm sure other people do. Students are competitive to some extent, but it seems more that we're looking to help each other out not compete with each other. The most unique class I've taken is packaging science. I found it very interesting and enjoyed learning the random information that I would never think to take a class about before. My major is Graphic Communications-I love it. The department head wasn't exactly the friendliest with me when I wanted to switch into the major but he finally let me and now I'm enjoying it a lot. One of the advisors I talked to did not give me much advice at all, which was pretty frustrating but the other one I've spoken to was very informative. However, I ended up in a harder physics class that I was required to take instead of an easier version offered because I was unaware of the options I had. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class other than short informal visits right before or after class to clear up questions. Clemson's academic requirements are fair--they force you to take classes that are for your major and give you a list of 4 straight years of classes to be sure you complete your degree on time. However, this schedule does not give us that much time to take electives and explore other areas, which I am not too fond of. I think education at Clemson is geared towards getting a job but growing from the experience.

Even in large lecture classes the professor is usually very personal and learns students' names and faces.-My favorite class at Clemson so far was a Lit 212 class. The professor was phenomenal.-Students seem to study a lot here.-Class participation is common.-Clemson students have all types of conversations outside of class (yes, even intellectual ones).-Students don't appear to be very competitive. Everyone is hard working but there is no tension that I have experienced.-My major is English. The staff in the department are wonderful and helpful. I love literature and literary discussions. Any of the professors are willing to engage in them, too.-I have spent time with professors after class when there are lingering questions and thoughts following a discussion.-Clemson's academic requirements are resonable and practical.-Clemson education is about learning and exploring your possibilities but is equally balanced with the priority of preparing you for the career field.