Colgate University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Whitney

I love the academics at Colgate! It's the best part of Colgate. I haven't had a bad professor yet, and most of my classes have been really interesting and challenging. I learn so much here. Most professors know your name and talk to you outside of class if they see you. You might even get closer to some and even visit their house and have dinner with them.

Susan

About half of my professors know my name, I'm in a lecture class of about 75 so it is difficult for her to know everyone. Neither of my Chemistry professors ever learned my name. The library is the hot spot every night. While there is the option to go out, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, most students don't go out at every opportunity. We just built a brand-new library that is gorgeous, with a cafe inside. Most people study in groups of 2-5 and certain floors are more social that others. Participation in class varies from class to class, in my lecture class there is little to know discussion but my language class is all discussion. Topics that students talk about outside of class vary as well. Some more intelligent than others, but it depends on who you are with. An education at Colgate is either geared towards getting a job or learning for its own sake depending on which courses you take. Sciences and math are all about job skills, English and humanities are all about the learning

Gene

Classes are relatively small and this is nice because the education feels more intact and better, however, when signing up for classes it can be a nuisance because there are lots of classes you are unable to get into because they cap the class size. Some of the work I find to be not so bad, while there are some teachers that whip out unexpectedly hard grading. Professors are generally easy to meet with outside of class and the ones I've taken classes from have had a genuine interest in my education - I haven't run into any jerks yet.

Grant

Very intimate academic setting. Registration here is SO brutal. Other than that I have no complaints about the academics here. Professors are great, they all get to know you. Very few large classes.

Laura

My favorite part about Colgate when applying to schools was its emphasis on student/professor relationships. I came from a small program within my high school where I had two teachers with whom I was forced to call by their first names and knew very well. At Colgate, I have found such amazing professors who are willing to talk anytime, anywhere, and about anything. Just today I sat in my professor's office arguing about current events for an hour, and I babysit another professor's children. In terms of my classes, I never cease to be amazed by the teachers and students around me in their ability to challenge themselves and each other to think and discuss new things every day. I am all about class discussion so I chose my majors because of it (Educational Studies and Sociology) and I simply love class time.

Mike

You are expected to go to every class (some teachers mandate it) and to participate a lot in class discussions. Professors are nice and more than willing to help you with anything that you need.

Andy

There is no mistake that Colgate is ranked so highly in the nation for its academics. Colgate is intellectually stimulating and challenging, and I have every confidence in the education that I am receiving. Students, in turn, work hard. However, there is no negative competition that I have seen; students tend to be very helpful towards each other. Although I never have experienced the frequent dinners with professors that the Admissions office likes to brag about, several of my friends have. All of your professors know your name and will say hi if you see them around town. Obviously, the professors are intelligent, but they are also committed to being teachers (not just smart people), and they tend to be very helpful outside of the classroom. It seems like every different department has its own favorite professor of the students as well.

Michael

Classes are hard but rewarding.

Chris

Academics at Colgate are very solid. The professors who are awful don't get tenured. Those who stay are legends in their own right. It is helpful to choose classes based on professors.com, and it is best to choose classes that teach something that cannot be learned elsewhere. Colgate is definitely a work hard - play hard school, and most students are very diligent about doing well. The competition here is much lower than what may be at other schools, except in classes where it is graded on a curve (most Econ classes).

Corey

Colgate does need more discussions in class. On the other hand, you have great classmates who really motivate you to work harder and smarter.

Alex

Academics at Colgate are comparable to those of the majority of similarly directed liberal arts colleges. The class size is generally small, with 20-30 kids in most lower-level classes and even smaller classes when you start to specialize. The professors are, in my experience, always helpful and available when you need them, although there always a few that no one likes. The core curriculum at Colgate is interesting but really not entirely helpful in the long run. The concept sounds more interesting than it really is. It's the distribution requirements that are more useful. They force you to experience subjects beyond what you think you're comfortable with, and that's actually a really good experience for a student to have. Getting a job after school is a big reason for coming to Colgate; we have a great alumni network for that, and Colgate is a good name to have on your side if you're looking for a job. However, the students are fairly diverse in their focuses. We've actually discussed the position of education in society in both of my core classes about Western thought. I see both scholars and motivated job seekers at Colgate. It's really a very good place to be for anyone.

Nikki

A great aspect of Colgate is that the professors are so accessible and they get to know their students most of the time because the classes are usually small. They genuinely care about their students and their doors are always open for office hours. I have found that the majority of my professors here are extremely helpful outside of the classroom because they want their students to succeed. Most of the classes at Colgate are very discussion based. The professors, as well as the students, are extremely interested to hear what people have to say and usually are not afraid to disagree with one another. This makes it interesting because you can hear different points of view and learn more than you would if you were simply listening to a lecture. I do not find the students here to be overly competitive. Everyone wants to do well and works really hard but will always help their classmates and group studying is very common. Students usually work together instead of against each other. I think the education at Colgate is definitely just geared for learning for its own sake because the liberal arts education gives you a wide variety of a lot of different material.

Michael

Small classes, tons of personal attention. Work hard play hard is definitely the motto here. Intelligent student body even if they don't flaunt it. Education here is not always about what you learn as a lot of the appeal of colgate is the ability to form excellent connections and graduate with a good name.

Kirsten

Academics and student-professor relations here are great. Classes are so small that the professors would have to be impaired to not at least recognize you by the end of the semester, but most know your name and stop you on the quad to chat, even after the semester is over. The education here is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake, which I like because I love to learn, but I feel pretty lost when I think about the future.

Jason

Academics are pretty intense. If you do your work thoroughly and honestly you will be just fine. Professors for the most part will help you if you ask, and they seem to have a knack for picking out the students who are trying and those who are not. The rewards are given out accordingly. One of the professors I have had has been so good that I go out of my way to find ways to enroll in her classes. As a result I have been out of the state (and even the country) a couple of times with class, and have a chance to do research with her over the summer. The history department doesn't impress me as much as do some of the other departments. Perhaps a bit ironically most of the professors take a rather old school approach towards teaching, giving only straight lectures and engaging with students only in class or office hours. Nevertheless they get the job done. The biggest problem with the department is definitely in regards to the numbers of courses offered (if you have a bad course selection spot you are likely to have to fight for a spot in a class you want to take.

Kathlin

Half of my professors know my name, though they all would recognize me. Favorite class is currently Weather and Climate because the professor is amazing. We study about 3 hours a day, on average, but much more when we have papers or upcoming tests. Yes, we are competitive. Colgate is geared toward learning how to learn, but there are definitely opportunities to get a job or internship.

Alex

Most professors do get to know your name and you end up knowing them pretty well. The best class I've taken at Colgate is Introduction to Astronomy. It was the biggest class I've had here (~110 people), but it was well-taught and the professor was always available to meet independently. My least favorite class was Challenge of Modernity, a CORE class mandatory for all students, because I felt that I learned very little from it. There is a wide range of study habits, with some students studying one or two hours a day while others spend several hours per day. In the smaller classes, class participation is usually mandatory. Students certainly have intellectual conversations outside of class; half occur while being drunk. In the more popular majors, there is intense competition. The most unique class I've taken was my Biology Research class. There was only one hour of set class time a week, with the remainder of the time being spent in lab working on a semester-long experiment. The Biology department offers tough classes, but also cares a lot about its students. Colgate's distribution requirements forced me to take some interesting classes that I wouldn't have taken otherwise. The CORE classes (mandatory for all students and consisting of 4 different courses) can be great or can be terrible depending on your teacher.

Lauren

"Do professors know your name?" Always. "Tell us about your favorite class. Least favorite?" Favorite: Plants, Sex & Chocolate (BIOL 104), and all of my French classes. Least: Western Traditions (CORE 151) "How often do students study?" All the time...? Colgate students work very hard so that they can play even harder. "Is class participation common?" Yes, very. "Do Colgate students have intellectual conversations outside of class?" All the time. "Are students competitive?" Yes. "What's the most unique class you've taken?" I haven't taken it yet... "Tell us about your major / department. Do you spend time with professors outside of class?" The French and Theater departments are a couple of professors too small to accommodate the recent surge in interest, but each member of the departments is extremely invested in working for the students. Thus, it is not difficult to arrange meetings with professors, nor is it uncommon to setup meetings at the cafe in town. One of my French professors put together a class dinner, and another director held a barbeque at his house for a Directing Class. "How do you feel about Colgate's academic requirements?" A bit of a punishments for those of us who knew their major going into freshmen year. But otherwise a nice survey of general things. "Is the education at Colgate geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake?" Learning for its own sake.

Matthew

Some professors know my name, some don't. Favorite classes were SOAN classes, least favorite classes were POSC classes. Some study way too much, some don't study enough. In big classes participation is not important. In small classes they are important and common. I don't have intellectual conversations outside of class very often. Students are VERY competitive. Most unique class - Museum Studies. I am a POSC major. I dislike the teachers but like the material. The teachers are too serious, for the most part, and boring. I never spend time with profs outside of class. I like the requirements, it makes students take different classes. Education at COlgate is geared towards thinking and learning. Job/life skills are not emphasized. Career services is a terrible department.

Doug

Classes are small. If a professor doesn't know your name by the 2nd week, it's an anomaly (some know names before you get there!). Many professors don't hold office hours, they're just there all the time...and you can pop in to talk about whatever, whenever. Students are competitive, but not with each other. They will definitely take time out to help a classmate. I still wish people would talk more in class, but maybe that's just because I'm in science and people are afraid of being wrong (did I mention they were crazy overachievers?).

Rory

personal relationship with professors and they are always available for help. students study a lot, definitely the work hard play hard mentality.

Allyssa

The professors are really great. I have only had a couple who were not overly willing to get to know you, help you out, and provide all the extra help you needed.

Maddy

Depending on the class size, most professors do know your name. They honestly make an effort to help you out. The philosophy department is especially great- the professors are not only friendly and enthusiastic but also unbelievably intelligent.

Jeff

Name: They all know my name. Serious. Favorite class: Archeaoastronomy. The professor who teaches it practically invented the field. What more can I say? Least favorite: "Western Traditions" -- what a waste. Study frequency: It ranges, depending on the student's time management skills. But it's safe to say that 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of us are stuck in a state of either studying or thinking about studying. Intellectual conversations: Well, you learn that most of the pseudo-intellectual bullshit you spit out in high school to differentiate yourself as "the smart kid" was, well, bullshit. At Colgate, we don't pretentiously get caught up in intellectual discussions to justify our status as intellects since, well, everyone here is smart. We talk about normal stuff. About experiences. About life. About girls. And when the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics happens to sneak itself into a conversation, it's genuine. Competitive: No, almost not at all. That's a real distinguishing factor about Colgate. For our prestige, we're surprisingly uncompetitive. It's refreshing. It's how it should be. OK, so we're not Reed College, but still... Unique class: Again, archeaoastronomy. Major: Physics is awesome. Profs outside of class: Yeah, you see them in the lounge, talk with them at seminars, go to office hours, see them at the coop or the barge. Colgate's Academic requirements: They're fine. Education - job or learning: Here's another distinguishing factor about Colgate. Students are here to learn, not to get a job. I was stunned when I first came to Colgate, and about 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the freshman had no idea what to major in. So they explored. They learned. I like that. Students here are generally oblivious to the post-Colgate life. Fuck, I'm a senior with 2 months to go and I haven't a clue what I'm going to do. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Fuck well-worn safety paths in life.

Blake

Academics are rigorous and professors are nice and very helpful. Class participation is not common and the ones that speak out most are the ones that like to hear themselves talk. Many students self-righteous.

Ryan

It is HARD. There are no easy majors.

Rory

The CORE program is essentially a waste of time, even the faculty thinks so. Once you get over that, though, there's a lot of really interesting course taught by really interesting professors. I'm a political science major, and yet this semester I'm taking a course on the history of the Atomic Bomb, an independent study in Printmaking, and I'm going on a 3-week, Colgate-Sponsored trip to Japan in May.

Lindsay

Professors seem to try really hard to learn our names and get to know us. Sometimes I feel like "learning for its own sake," as we do a lot in the Core curriculum, may have its downsides...but I know I'll be able to name-drop like nobody's business when I go out into the real world!

Jesse

My classes have all been pretty small, like 15-40 people, and all my professors got to know my name within the first few weeks of class. I have liked most of my classes except for my freshman seminar, the teachers here are all really interesting and love to teach. Most of my teachers have also been really helpful when I went to visit them at office hours. Students study alot but it's definitely a "work hard play hard" environment. Class participation is common but I think the upperclassmen participate more than the freshmen (I'm a freshman). I have actually had some "intellectual" conversations outside of class with my friends, about current events or stuff we read in class, but most of the time we talk about regular stuff. So far the students in my classes haven't seemed that competitive but I'm taking classes with upperclassmen this semester and they seem alot more competitive than the freshmen, but I think it really depends on the class (I've heard that alot of the upper-level science classes are very competitive). I am taking a class called Challenge of Modernity right now that's one of the academic requirements. It's interesting but I'm not really a fan of some of the stuff we have read (Nietzsche, Freud). There is alot of reading and I've heard that's true for the other core classes that we have to take.

Sarah

Professors definitely know my name. I'm always surprised that they know who I am when I go in for office hours. Favorite class: History of the Middle Ages. I didn't want to be in the class at first, but it was so interesting that I still look over my notes from that class to refresh my memory. It's helped put a lot of my travels into context and now I really appreciate it. But it was my favorite at the time too--the teacher was incredible. Least Favorite: Microeconomics--I'm not an econ major nor am I very economically minded and I found the course to be very difficult--that's just me though. Economics is a very popular major. Students study a lot. I remember being shocked freshmen year to see people who I had deemed as party animals studying. Everyone studies--you have to. It's definitely a work hard-play hard atmosphere, but at some point everyone has to sit down and write their papers...even if that means it's 4 in the morning for some. Intellectual conversations definitely occur outside of class--not in a snotty kind of way, but thoughful comments and conversations come up outside of class frequently. Some students are competitive, but not so much that it hinders the cordialness of the Colgate community. I am a history major and I have loved almost every class I've taken so far. As with any school, classes are hit or miss based on the teacher, but the teachers are qualified, you have the ability to try to hand pick them, and the courses are interesting. It's great to be able to go to class and enjoy being there. It's not mechanical like high school was. It took me a while to choose my major because I wanted to try everything before I decided, so I've taken classes in almost every other discipline too. I spend some time with professors outside of class--I have more on my abroad program. It's really nice to be able to see your teacher out of the professorial context. I think the requirements are too strict based on how few courses you're allowed to take per semester. The classes they have you take are very interesting, but essentially you can only choose 3 classes a semester for the first two years of school, and that doesn't give you much room to experiment since you have to declare a major by the end of your sophomore year. Colgate is conscious that you are at school to get a job after college, however in the humanities and social sciences, learning is very much geared toward the sake of learning...and it's very enjoyable to be able to go to school that way--it's still hard work though! And very challenging. But class discussions are high quality, and that makes class very intriguing.

Elise

All of my professors know my name. Professors are also always available and willing to meet with students, which is very important to me. They also often want to plan events outside of the classroom. My freshman seminar Professor took us out to dinner multiple times. Students are not very competitive and usually work together.

Becky

Professors are so accessible all the time. I study all the time. Basically, I have time to eat, sleep, study, and go out and party two or three times a week. People study a lot and efficiently, I think, so that they can go out on the weekends. Students aren't competitive, people work together a lot. The great thing about a lot of the departments here is that the professors want to get to know their students. There are get-togethers thrown together by departments so that everyone can hang out and eat some snacks and talk. Once you're 21, departments often take their majors to the bars for a more casual setting.

Eric

All my professors know my name. I've really loved taking Latin and I'm loving taking my senior seminar with a visiting professor from Princeton (Prof. Fleming is a GIANT in his field). I like that Colgate can on occasion attract big names like that. Intellectual discussions happen everywhere, in class, out of class, randomly at 4am... We're not really competitive, really just cooperative. We all want each other to succeed here (wow that sounds cliche, but it's true). We're all about learning for the sake of learning, but really learning how to learn.

Eileen

Colgate has an incredible academic setting. The student-faculty ratio is about 20-1, so you get to know your professors intimately. They are extremely available and willing to help, and most students take the initiative to see their profs outside the classroom. Profesors often hold dinners for their classes once a semester, sometimes at their houses in town. The dedication to studies is revealed by the business of the library and several study spaces. Students work hard for themselves and value their education, but there's no feeling of pressure or competition among students here. Students casually discuss academics. I'm a double major in English and Peace and Conflict Studies, and each department is unique in its requirements. In general, though, Colgate requires that students take courses in different departments to ensure a liberal education, something I love about the school. It's not geared towards a specific career; most students are unsure of what they want to do after college, and take the time while here to figure that out.

Lauren

Professors definitely know your name. Even in my biggest class of 60 students for into to Physics, my professor still new the names of students. I have had lots of favorite classes. In the spring of my junior year, I took a research seminar in Philosophy with 5 other students. The class met 1-2 times a week. Every other week, we read a philosopher’s paper pertaining to Friedrich Nietzsche and some other area of philosophy, then the philosopher would come to campus the following week and present their paper to the department. After the lecture, the six of us were able to discuss research, ask questions, and even argue with the philosopher. The course quickly became one of my favorites because it was such a small class so we were all able to interact with each other, the professor, and the guest-philosopher. Reading so many papers really helped me get a sense of how to organize an academic paper which has helped me as I write my honors thesis in Philosophy. Our professor even provided sushi for every meeting we had with the guest-philosopher. We all have intellectual conversations outside of class because we like learning, but we are not dorks. We don't sit around and talk about what we are learning all day, but it's common for friends to talk about what they are learning in class or get into heated political conversations over dinner. I think the type of student who is drawn to Colgate is the type that likes to be engaged and is interested in learning, and so having intellectual conversations just kind of happens on its own from time to time. Students study quite a bit. There are definitely students who do not study as much but they will suffer for it. Most students do work every day, and the libraries are pretty full when midterms come along. Since students are typically in class 3 hours a day (not including labs which might meet once a week for 3-4 hours), students have the rest of the day to study and can take breaks and relax and study again after dinner. Science majors have lab which can add a lot to the work load depending on the class. Thankfully, students are not cut-throat competitive. The best illustration of this is that when I took Organic Chemistry, we would order pizza and do reaction diagrams with other friends in the class. Most students want to do well for themselves and they do not feel like another student's success affects their success. This is also true in lab-- lab partners will help other lab groups that are stuck on something they don't understand. My philosophy classes have all involved individual learning and so there has not been much group interaction or competition. I will say that if someone finds a helpful book that clarifies an issue discussed in class or could be useful for a paper, it's common to get an email from a student saying, "Hey class, I found this book and thought it would be helpful..." The philosophy department is close-knit and fun. It's common to see great student-student and student-professor interactions in all departments, and this is especially visible in the smaller departments like Philosophy. I know just about all the professors--even ones I have never had in class--from attending sponsored lectures and Philosophy barbecues. I have spent time with professors out of class by participating in extracurricular activities with them, baby-sitting their children, and by working on independent projects. Some family friends have thought my being a philosophy major is not conducive to getting a job, but I definitely think they are wrong. Colgate's education is not geared toward getting you a specific job (that's what our career services can do for you), it's about getting a learning critical reasoning and writing skills, and getting a liberal arts education that you can apply to any career path. Of course there are students who get to Colgate and study a specific field because they know that they want to go to get an advanced degree in that field. But most students are somewhat undecided, and it's common to see people from all different majors going into different career paths. Career services has an amazing network of alumni and employers and can help you get jobs, summer internships, and interviews. They can also set you up to shadow an alumnus in any given field, and it's quite common for internships to come out of those interactions. Colgate is all about the alumni network.

Katrina

Professor make it a goal to know your name. In the beginning of each semester they are given pictures of all the students in their classes and most of them memorize it. I know all of my teachers pretty well and they know me. I have had amazing conversations with a majority of them. In fact, in the beginning of the year I had such a great conversation with one of my professors that I ended up researching for him over water rates, something that I am quite passionate about. Not many colleges can offer freshman research jobs. Academics are rigourous and sometimes you lose the big picture in all the details you need to know. I have fallen in love with the geography department, which is a social science at Colgate. I am know taking a global warming class "climate and society", which is brand new and quite pertinent to the climate today. I have heard that some students have stolen notebooks for their peers so that exams are not as competitive, but otherall most students are quite fair and competitive only in a good way. For example, in group projects my group members have always desired to get a good grade.

Cody

I am obsessed with my professors. For example, I had to go home for health reasons mid-semester, and my professors emailed me constantly to tell me to get well. You feel like your professors really care about you, and want you to succeed. Many give out their home phone numbers as ask students to babysit their kids. Everyone in my classes is so smart, and classes are usually discussion based. I love how we sit in a circle and all contribute something. Everyone has something different to say because people are from all over the country and the world.

Mark

Classes are usually pretty small. In my experience, most professors are pretty good. Colgate students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. Politics and philosophy and that kind of stuff comes up pretty frequently in everyday conversation with friends. I get the vibe that most people here enjoy being stimulated intellectually. Something I really like about Colgate is that, although academics is taken seriously, it is a very low-key school. There's not a lot of tension or competition between students over grades. Another great thing about Colgate is that about two thirds of the students study abroad at some time. I am going to Madrid next fall with a Colgate group. It's really cool that here it is not unusual at all to go abroad. In fact, it's almost a little unusual if you don't.

Charlie

Professors definitely know you. I had a professor for an intro sociology class my sophomore year and he still knew my name and how well I'd done my senior year. Favorite class: this is REALLY hard. Ironically some of the classes I thought would be awful ended up fantastic. Of course I'm biased towards my department though, so Japanese. Least favorite: also hard, because nearly all of the classes I was dreading taking ended up being fantastic. Others were a lot of hard work but afterward I'm SO glad I took them. Like Calculus - thanks to the awesome professor, ended up really enjoying it. Studying: I study a lot. But I have really, really high standards for grades. If you're content with B's, you can get away with studying less. It also depends so much on your habits and organization how effective your studying is, so it's impossible to generalize. Class participation: it's usually required, though in most classes it happens anyway. I've only had two "lecture" classes in 4 years. Outside of class: at least in my group of friends we do, which is fantastic. I don't know how typical it is though. Competitive: on the field, yes. Off, not at all. Most people don't really talk about their grades, and everyone studies together. Unique: probably Cryptography (creating and breaking codes). There aren't really BS classes either. Japanese department: small, but intimate. But not in THAT way. You get to know people really well. We'll be graduating 5 Japanese majors this year, and a bunch of minors. The professors are great. Out of class: professors love to get to know students. I spent 15 minutes just chatting with my sociology professor yesterday because he remembered I talked about a TV show I'd seen at the beginning of the year and he wanted to tell me about a similar one that would premiere soon. I've been to professors houses for dinner probably 5 or so times, and had class dinners another 6 or so. Academic requirements: I think they're perfect. They encourage you to branch out (which is the whole point of liberal arts) without taking up too much time. End goals: it's split. It also depends on the student. Someone who wants to be a doctor or investment banker can come in and focus on taking the right courses for the job, but others have no idea what they want to do when they come in or even when they're about to leave.