College of William and Mary Top Questions

If you aren't willing to commit time to studying and academic life, you should not come here! W&M is known for its rigorous courses and intense science program. Unless you take Intro Biology, none of your classes will be over 150 kids. And most classes are about 40ish kids, unless it his a higher level specific course. I don't particularly like any of my professors this year. They can be kind of harsh. Most are pretty average. Smart, reasonable, and typical lecture teaching. I've heard there are some amazing professors though. Students are fairly competitive, especially if you get around the pre-med bunch. I haven't seen anything too cut-throat. But most kids are very concerned about their GPA, grades and how their transcript looks. I wish there were more intellectuals. Plenty of kids are smart, but most are just concerned with getting a good grade and their work done. I haven't noticed much intellectual conversation happening. The Kinesiology dept has some really fun classes like Adventure Games (which is ropes courses, rock wall, and zip-lining), kayaking, yoga and judo.

Good

Many of the classes here are interesting, but I wouldn't say any of them are easy. The professors are great, in that they're always willing to meet and answer questions, however, they do expect you to work at their class in order to get good grade. Class participation is important, and usually part of your grade in any given class. I was shy in high school and didn't participate much, but I haven't really had trouble with it here. Everyone, including the professors are very accepting of others opinions. I haven't really noticed a competitive air in any of my classes, but I do notice students talking about academic topics during meals and others times outside of class. I haven't personally spent much time with some of my professors, but I do frequently see students talking to them. I think the school is very helpful in working to get people jobs. In conclusion I think the academics here are difficult, but it pays off, because of the relationships, connections, and opportunities we get out of it.

Academics at William and Mary are definitely a primary focus for both students and the educators there. Requirements and expectations are exceedingly high, and many students find themselves pressed to earn a B with significant studying, where they may have made straight As in high school. Sometimes, it appears that it may be less pressure created by professors to succeed, but by students on themselves. Most students plan to continue their education in graduate school of some sort, and high GPAs are a premium. However, there is a noticeable deficit in competitiveness among students, especially considered the emphasis placed on grades. Most people within a friend group will all be studying completely different topics, and it is understood that some departments and classes may be harder than others (e.g. organic chemistry vs. introductory economics). It's difficult not to overhear at least one serious academic conversation going on in the dining hall or on the way to class, which was really exciting for me. It was a really great feeling finding a university where students were as passionate about learning about things that they may not have necessarily known much about. In terms of my academics, I usually study about 4 or 5 hours a night, and this would hardly be considered uncommon. Many students study approximately as long as I do, and study habits vary on whether or not midterm or final season is upon the school. 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of classes are taught by a professor, and i have never had a class which wasn't taught with one. Meaningful class participation becomes increasingly common as the difficulty of classes increases and the number of students in each class consequently decrease. For example, in a lecture heavy class of 250 students, individual attention by the professor and class participation may be hard to come across, but a seminar-style class provides much more professor interaction and the need for participation in class becomes more important. That being said though, there are still opportunities for the professor to get to know your name, but much more effort may be necessary. It isn't common for underclassmen to spend much time with professors (other than occasionally bombarding their office hours before an exam), but this becomes more common in smaller classroom settings, with an increased level of intimacy. I am currently an Economics major, working toward a minor in Mathematics. I never thought that I would major in Econ, since I was always more interested in English and History in high school, but I had a great professor freshman year, and my interest in the subject was piqued. William and Mary has a great Economics department; they make the material accessible and easy to understand for those just getting their footing in the field. In introductory level classes, calculus is not expected to have been learned, so classes are much heavier on algebraic manipulation than other universities' Economics classes. In my opinion, this helps keeps some students interest in the subject who would have been turned off otherwise, either due to a lack of understanding, or not having a solid enough mathematics background. My favorite class was my freshman seminar, which I took on Game Theory and Experimental Economics. My class only had 6 people in it, which made for a really fun time, and we got to interact with the professor on an intimate level. The most unique class that I took was an upper-level nonfiction writing seminar that my suitemate and I placed into as freshman. It really gave me an opportunity to challenge myself as a writer and make upperclassmen friends that I still see every now and again around campus.

As an English major at The College of William and Mary, I have taken many classes that are based mostly in discussion. Because of the large amount of student participation, most of my professors have known the name of at least those students who are most active in class, and most have known the names of a large portions of the class. The work load of most of my literature classes is very heavy, requiring a lot of reading in a short period of time, with a good number of essays due throughout the semester. Most professors are very clearly passionate about their area of expertise and find ways to engage the class, though discussions are sometimes dominated by the most competitive students who feel the need to have a say about any point made in class. The academic requirements cross many disciplines and include a limit on the classes a student may take within his own area of study. This allows students to explore what disciplines other than their major have to offer.

Small class sizes and smart, passionate teachers are the norm. There are exceptions to that, but not many. Classes are difficult and students are competitive, but we care about what we're learning and the teachers want you to participate. This isn't a big lecture class type of school, this is discussion and articles and papers. I am a government major, and our Government/International Relations departments are the heart of our school (I'm not biased at all on that, of course). The teachers present the information in such a way that forces you to re-examine the world around you. Classes with boring titles engage you and make that 15-18 page paper seem like less of a stretch. They know bullshit when they see it, so tread carefully, but when you're done, you'll have a degree from one of the top schools in the country, and that means something when you're applying for a job. Most Unique class I've taken? Television Sports Today, taught by the former Vice President of ABC Sports. Favorite class? Tie between Survey of Modern Political Theory and Acting I.

The faculty at W&M are off the charts good. With the exception of the few 200 person classes that I have taken (microecon, intro to computer science), just about every professor makes an effort to know your name and provide ample opportunity to meet during office hours. If it seems as if a professor is intentionally trying to make it difficult to succeed, it sticks out because of how rare it is. In my experience, and ESPECIALLY in classes where I have started off poorly, professors reach out to help me get back on track. It is extremely rewarding to go to a school where you know the professors genuinely care about your education and will go to just about any length to make sure that it is a positive experience. I'm a finance major within the business school. The B school here is two years with almost all of the students applying at the end of sophomore year and starting at the beginning of junior year. There are only a few prerequisite courses- stat, calc, micoecon, macroecon, and accounting. The school offers 4 majors- finance, accounting, marketing, and process management and consulting (PMC)- with a number of other minors and concentrations such as entrepreneurship and organizational leadership. No matter your major, everyone takes the same 11 credits in their first semester, often called the "block" semester. This includes the intro classes to finance, marketing, and PMC, and a couple 1 credit classes. The faculty in the rest of the College are amazing but are still somehow surpassed by the ones in the business school. I have never encountered more dedicated people than those like accounting professor Jim Irving. I had no interest in accounting but had to take the class and heard that he was the best one to take. That was one of the best decisions I've made in four years here. He knows every single one of his students by name, makes the class inviting, and takes an interest in his students even after they have left his class or graduated. Like every one of his former students, I received his Christmas card via email this past semester, two years after taking his class. He still stops me when he sees me in the hall and strikes up a conversation. While he is one of the best examples I can point to a dozen more including my entrepreneurship professor. This isn't limited to the professors either, as the administrators in the BBA office are extremely friendly and effective advisers to all business majors.

The academics at William and Mary are exceptional. In entry level classes, professors are vary between awesome and terrible, however as one progresses through the ranks, the quality of professors undoubtedly increases. Many classes are made or broken based on ones professor. I found Sociology to be an awesome class because it was taught by an engaging teacher who learned all 700 of his students names and made every class extremely interesting. Conversely, I found my Philosophy class to be a struggle because my professor was boring and had a terribly hard time conveying his message to the students. Furthermore, students study non-stop. We have had stampedes to get into the library during finals. I'd say students study too much, however, many have to if they want to maintain +3.0 grade point averages. If a student needs help, though, professors are always more than willing to aid students in need. The great thing about a school with such high caliber academics is that the students are intellectual and are always willing to engage in debates outside of the classroom that are often more mind-opening than most classes. William and Mary is truly a liberal arts university, so, a large part of the education at W&M is learning for the sake of learning. Unless one is in the Business School or a pre-med or law program, this university will not give its students an education geared towards a certain job. William & Mary is brutally hard, however, life is hard.

The academics at William and Mary are exceptional. In entry level classes, professors are vary between awesome and terrible, however as one progresses through the ranks, the quality of professors undoubtedly increases. Many classes are made or broken based on ones professor. I found Sociology to be an awesome class because it was taught by an engaging teacher who learned all 700 of his students names and made every class extremely interesting. Conversely, I found my Philosophy class to be a struggle because my professor was boring and had a terribly hard time conveying his message to the students. Furthermore, students study non-stop. We have had stampedes to get into the library during finals. I'd say students study too much, however, many have to if they want to maintain +3.0 grade point averages. If a student needs help, though, professors are always more than willing to aid students in need. The great thing about a school with such high caliber academics is that the students are intellectual and are always willing to engage in debates outside of the classroom that are often more mind-opening than most classes. William and Mary is truly a liberal arts university, so, a large part of the education at W&M is learning for the sake of learning. Unless one is in the Business School or a pre-med or law program, this university will not give its students an education geared towards a certain job. William & Mary is brutally hard, however, life is hard.

Some. Academics are really bad in william and mary.

The academics are definitely tough. The student-to-faculty ratio, however, is only 12:1. All my teachers know my full name, and my nickname, and the professors are very involved and helpful to the students. I study a few hours a week, with a lot more time put in before I have an exam or a paper due. Since I'm a double major in Marketing and English, I've been lucky enough to get support from the humanities side of campus and the business side.

I went to a private school that required a lot of work to get an A. My first semester at W&M was tough figuring out how to manage my time, but I ended up doing fine. I was also very intimidated when I got here, but now I get mostly A's and think it's almost easier than high school.

W&M is not a party school, it is a study school. The faculty is top-notch and most of them are focused on being good teachers rather than being good professors, which is crucial for students. All of them are open and easily approachable. They are friendly and take students' concerns close to their heart. You definitely have a lot of opportunities to spend time with professors outside class and establish closer relations with them (not just professor-lecturer). Usually the academic requirement are high and students need to put a significant effort.

Apparently our academics are good. People do study a lot. I find the environment less than stimulating, intellectually. My classes are too easy; if I read the textbook and go to class, I am not challenged at all. Professors are great, very willing to engage outside of class, but classes are just not as interesting/difficult as I was expecting. I'm bored.

Most classes I've had so far were great. Of course, the school has some boring professors who drone on, but for the most part, they generally care about their students and what they have to say. The workload is not a joke; you can't show up to a few classes and expect A's, but the assignments are generally interesting and rewarding. In stimulating classes, students interact with each other and the professors as colleagues, and discussion about the topics continue after class. Finals get pretty stressful, but if you work hard and show dedication good grades are possible.

Academic life is a different story. While some of my courses, regardless of level, were disquietingly easy, others were very challenging and intellectually invigorating. Most importantly, you have to find the right major. Don't listen to those preachy zealots telling you how important or enviable a double major is. Pick one and stick with it. Get to know professors and fellow students in the department. Get involved in internships, and derivative student organizations. Most major require between 28 and 36 credits for completion. Take 45. Then with all your other credits, many of which will be eaten up by GER's (General Education Requirements), take courses that just plain strike your fancy. Don't get corralled into a rigid curriculum because you're trying to meet the requirements for 2 majors. Its showy, and it'll give you some bizarre right to brag, but that's it.

Classes here are decently hard, but most of the professors really care about what they're teaching and who they're teaching it to. They are more than willing to find any time to meet, work with your grades to try to help you out, or just grab dinner or something outside of class.

Academics at William & Mary are tough. But because the professors are so great and because students are so supportive of one another, everyone survives. As at any school, time management is key (especially because the students here are so involved in other things), and students do spend a good deal of time in the library. As a liberal arts school, the education you will get here is very comprehensive and more for the sake of learning than job training, although William & Mary's students have a very high success rate of finding jobs and grad school admission. The most unique aspect of a William & Mary education is the faculty. Professors definitely make an effort to get to know their students and to be there when help is needed. Most are very talented teachers and incredibly knowledgeable scholars in their fields.

Class participation is extremely common and the professors know your name. Intellectual conservations happen frequently outside of class and a good chunk of time is devoted to studying.

Academics at W&M are top of the line. Competition is fierce, and stress is usually high. Virtually none of the classes are taught by TA's, and professors are usually very accessible. Furthermore, all of the professors are engaging and love their fields. There is ample opportunity for undergraduate research, simply go to your department Head. Small class sizes means greater attention and more chances to participate. Students really benefit from these stellar student to teacher ratio of 12:1. Holistically, the academic experience at W&M is at a level of excellence worthy of its tenured grounds.

Professors know your name if you want them to. Clearly, there are smaller classes where they will know your name (no matter how carefully you might avoid it!) but in introductory classes, for science, especially, a professor may not learn your name. An easy remedy to this is going into office hours. Not only do you get extra help, but the professor learns your name and recognizes you in class. I did this for a class I took with almost 100 people in it, and it has paid off enormously; my professor started suggesting research opportunities for the future for me, and really has helped me figure out how to blend my diverse interests so I can pursue a field that's right for me.

Some really good professors, and some really bad ones. I had an English professor who graded a paper down to a D because she didn't agree with my opinion. I confronted her, and she gave me a B. Aside from the demands of the course reqs. for your major, the General Education Requirements demand that everyone take a Creative Arts class, some humanities and two science classes. Often the Creative Arts requirement can be a pain, though if you play an instrument, you're set. Education is not typically aimed toward getting a job, unless you're in business or education, or grad school.

Students here work HARD. They work TOO HARD. And this is not coming from your run-of-the mill slacker; this is coming from someone who really cares about academics and learning and education. There's almost a 'cult of work' here at William & Mary where friends and classmates' frenzy to work rubs off on each other; and the closer it gets to finals, the less of a chance you'll have to find a quiet spot in the library. But what's truly strange about all this hard work is that nothing really comes of it.

My professors, except in my large intro classes in science, knew my name. My favorite class so far was my physiological psych class because the professor was so caring. My least favorite class so far is intro to bio 203. So boring! Although, as much as you may not like a professor in class, professors are ALWAYS willing to work with students outside of class. Students are always studying! And yes, class participation is common, assuming that it's not a lecture intro to science class. Students here are not as competitive as I would have expected. Everyone here seems to be doing their own thing, trying to do their best, not compared to everyone else, which is great to see.

William and Mary's academics are generally held in high regard. Classes are difficult, good grades must be earned, (mostly) and people spend a lot of time studying. The only thing to watch out for is a liberal bias among faculty- it's not uncommon for professors in liberal arts departments to teach political opinion as if it were fact. The physics department at William and Mary is outstanding. Class sizes are small, professors are extremely accessible, and students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with professors on current physics research. That said, the physics department is somewhat isolated from the rest of the school. During the faculty strike following the resignation of our past president, only one (of over 40) physics professors canceled class.

Professors are very accessible; many even take pictures of the class on the first day and have us label them with our names so they can get to know us faster. They are not only world class intellectuals, but they keep tabs on campus life and are very aware of what is going on in students' lives.

Everyone is so competitive. It's ridiculous.

White people love “gifted” children, do you know why? Because an astounding 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of their kids are gifted! Isn’t that amazing? I’m pretty sure the last non-gifted white child was born in 1962 in Reseda, CA. Since then, it’s been a pretty sweet run. The way it works is that white kids that are actually smart are quickly identified as “gifted” and take special classes and eventually end up in college and then law school or med school. But wait, aren’t there white people who aren’t doctors or lawyers, or even all that smart? Well, here is another one of those awesome white person win-win situations. Because if a white kid gets crappy grades and can’t seem to ever do anything right in school, they are still gifted! How you ask? They are just TOO smart for school. They are too creative, too advanced to care about the trivial minutiae of the day to day operations of school. Eventually they will show their creativity in their elaborate constructions of bongs and intimate knowledge different kinds of mushrooms and hash. This is important if you ever find yourself needing to gain white person acceptance. If you see their kid playing peacefully, you say “oh, he/she seems very focused, are they in a gifted program?” at which point the parent will say “yes.” Or if the kid is lighting a dog on fire while screaming at their mother, you say “my he/she is a creative one. Is he/she gifted?” To which the parent will reply “oh, yes, he’s too creative and smart for school. We just don’t know what to do.” Either situation will put a white person in a better mood and make them like you more. But NEVER under any circumstance imply that their child is less than a genius. The idea that something could come from them and be less than greatness is too much for them to bear.

Small classes make it better for prof's to know your name. But the academics here is as hard as the name makes it sound.

The professors here are amazing! My advisor is like one of my friends. I go to his office about once a week just to chat, whether about grad school, physics, politics, or life in general. He is also extremely helpful. I've been sick and had some rough times, and he has helped me through all of that. If I have a question or need help with something, I shoot him an email, and he will jump on my situation right away. If he doesn't know something, he knows someone who would be able to help. One day I saw him walking through campus and I stopped to talk to him. He told me that he had just spent 6 hours formatting a paper and that he was on his way to a faculty event where there would be wine. And he was SO excited for that wine! It made him seem like such a normal person and made me like him even more, if that was even possible. If you're sick and can't go to class, the professors are so helpful about letting you make up work. They are very understanding, despite the massive amount of work they expect us to do. In most of my classes, the professors will talk about their life experience and share anecdotes, which helps me get to know them and not fall asleep. They truly are wonderful, especially in the physics department. They are all friends and go out to lunch together. When I'm a professor I want to teach in a department just like the physics department here. It really is like a family and the professors ensure that we know they're here to help us and want us to succeed.

Fuckin hard

I am a kinesiology and bio double major and both departments are amazing. I really believe that the kinesiology program here is one of the hidden treasures on campus. We are small, but the professors are some of the nicest and most inspiring around. Not only will they take you under your wing and help you find what you really want to do, they are also first class scientists. The major is SO much more than glorified P.E. Human Anatomy lab is a must! The biology department is much larger and one of the biggest majors on campus, but that doesn't stop the professors from taking time to talk to you and help you out whenever you need it. Students study a lot and want to do well, but not at the expense of others. Class participation is common and teachers really make an effort to learn names. I have had many professors learn almost every name in a one-hundered person lecture.

Academics is definitely the strong point of W&M. I have been to see all of my professors outside of class, they all know my name. I've even had professors email me about research opportunities (over the summer) and really go out of their way to get me involved in things they think I could benefit from. I've had professors ask me to do independents studies with them as my adviser because they knew I was really interested in something. The professors here are just really amazing. Pretty much, they get to know you and then do everything they can to help you.

One of the things I like about William and Mary academics is that, at least in my experience, they're not geared toward find a career. It's really more learning for the sake of becoming a well-rounded human being. That's not to say thought that we don't have certain majors like bio or chem or education that are tailored to be pre-professional, but you're not going to see a philosophy major being pushed into anything. Class participation is pretty common, but it varies from class to class and person to person. In big lectures though, I've noticed that people get annoyed when the lecture is interrupted in any way. People can be kind of intense. Not really competitive, but intense. There are some grade grubbers, but most people just compete with themselves. I thought the GERs were really helpful because I had no idea what I wanted to do before I got here, and now I'm doing a double major in psych and film. I don't know much about those two departments yet because I'm a freshman so I haven't declared my major yet. I'm sure there will be some professors I hang out with outside of class though.

All of my teachers know my name. They even invite you to dinner. Students are constantly studying, the library is the hotspot at night. The classes are really hard but that's because the professors are so incredible. Every person you meet is smarter than the next. Almost all the conversations I find myself in are intellectually stimulating.

The professors for the most part are cool as mess. They act like real people who know what is going on in the world rather than having their heads stuck in the clouds thinking they are better than the students. I hated calculus... favorite class are any ones that i could get a A- A or B+ in. Those were usually the most interesting or easy ones. Participation is common but there are always those pin droppingly quiet moments that happen which are hilarious. There are intellectual conversations out of class but also some retarded conversations in and out of class. Students are competitive but not to the extent of not helping each other out. I took Before there was tv 1895-1955. Psychology is my major. The teachers are easy to talk to, hilarious, and love their areas of research. Occasionally, in office hours and stuff like that. I feel academic requirements are fair... class are hard but you have enough time. Except when you have labs that are 3hrs once a week and you only get 1 credit hr for it... THATS RIDICULOUS. I feel it's geared to getting a job even though it's liberal arts.

My professors know my name, and more than that they are easy to talk to and always ready to help. This is W&M greatest asset. In one it is the ease of taking classes and access to undergraduate research. It's hard to pick a favorite class, but all my physics professors have a sense of humor and know there stuff. My least favorite class is my lab, which teaches me a lot but is very en cumbersome in terms of work-load. I feel like the average student here is someone I really can have an intellectual conversation with, and often do on a variety of subjects. It's hard to articulate the contrast in visiting other schools, but needless to say it can be felt. When people think W&M, they don't tend to think Physics. But I graduated salutatorian and choose W&M specifically for its Physics program. It has a strong focus on undergraduate research, with many grants and research opportunities. As a busy Freshman, I haven't had the opportunity to take full advantage of it, although the offers are a plenty. I can find three or four professors in my field willing to let me contribute to unpaid research. In addition, its near NASA Langly and Jefferson Labs, the latter of which I recently entered into a summer internship program with. Grad school or work force, I can't imagine a better preparation.

Almost all of my professors know me by name - even professors who I took a class with freshman year. I also work at the on-campus coffee shop that many professors frequent, which is part of the reason why many professors, even ones who I have never had a class with, know my name. Within my department, I'm on a first-name basis with most of my professors. I've really loved most of my classes within my department. The only classes that I've really disliked have been huge lecture classes with 100+ people in them. If the professor doesn't know my name, I find less motivation to go to class. Students study a lot. I spend 4-5 hours daily on homework, if not more. I'm only taking 12 credits, so it's a heavy load, but I'm also in two 400 level courses. Some students are competitive. Within my department, I've found that that isn't normally the case, but that's because I'm good friends with most of the other German majors who are at my level of speaking. I took a course on Consumer Religion last year, and we discussed how religion was marketed in America. It was really interesting, especially with the Wren Cross debates coinciding. I absolutely love the German Studies department. I feel as though my professors really care about me, not just as a student, but also as a human being. All of the professors are easily approachable, and many grant extensions if they know what's going on. The classes are definitely challenging - the professors want the students to learn the language and the culture, and to actively engage with topics the same way they would in English. I've also spent time with professors outside of class, and have had dinner at their homes. Their involvement with the students was one of the things that really attracted me to the department, and I'm going to miss my daily interactions with them greatly next year.

Freshman seminars are fantastic. They are a really good way to not only get better at writing, but take a wonderful and small class. I got to know my professor really well, and learn about the French Revolution in a very different way (we spent a couple classes just watching movies). If you really want to get a lot out of a class, its great to go to office hours and talk with your professor. They love when students come by and ask questions. Class participation is not very strong, and it can be hard for teachers to facilitate a dialogue in class. In my experience, there's not much competition, but everyone wants to do well and expects to (even if they don't do the work). The GERs (general ed requirements) aren't too bad, although they can be somewhat confusing on what counts and what doesn't in fulfilling them. William and Mary as a liberal arts college is more focused on learning for its own sake, although there are tools such as the career center which help you find internships and jobs. Often, getting to know professors in your department is a good way to help build contacts in your field of study and even get connections for future jobs.

Every single day W&M impresses me with the dedication to education. Four years at this college actually means more than just a degree. Students participate in class and outside of class. Professors understand that this isn't quite the real world yet and you are allowed to make mistakes. I never expected to have so may understanding and compassionate people in my life at one moment. The education I am receiving here goes way beyond the classroom into my daily life. For some of those "naturally gifted" folks W&M is a breeze. For others it's hard. Don't come here expecting to make the same grades as in high school--it's just not possible and not practical.

William and Mary has a great professor to student ratio. Even in large lecture classes, professors will make an effort to learn names and get to know students. All professors offer office hours, and most are happy to make appointments outside of those. Studying is prevalent among students, and so is often turned in to a social activity. Students are very happy to have intellectual discussions outside of class. WM students have a unique sense of humor, too, and seem to delight in making nerdy jokes. It works well, though, because other people get and appreciate those nerdy jokes. As a liberal arts school, many students and professors are here for the sake of learning. However, the Career Center is very helpful in terms of finding jobs and internships.

Professors know your name- bigger classes you have to take the initiative to talk to them but I've had classes where you write your name on a card and they take pictures of everyone to help them learn the names which was very cool. I like the academic requirements because if I didn't have to take the GER's I would have never taken an American Studies class (I'm a math/science person) but I loved it so much I am now minoring in it! Depends what your major is to whether you will get a job after college- but the career center is great with setting you up with on campus interviews, and the business school definitely takes care of its people and gets them internships and nice jobs after graduation.

Most professors at least make an effort to learn your name. My best classes have been American Popular Music, Jazz, Study of Language, and Contemporary Literature (musics with Scales, language with Shaw, and lit with Gamber). Highly highly recommended. I hated intro to social psych with Gross, and I currently hate Shakespeare's tragedies with Savage. Ew, and Phonetics and Phonology with Lunden. Depends on the student - some people are in the library a week before the exam, and others like myself are still writing the paper the morning it's due. It really depends on what your stress level is like, and how much you need to be on top of things versus how you do last minute. Also depends on what classes you take. English majors probably almost never study. Class participation is common in smaller classes. Not so much in the big lecture classes. Lots of them have participation grades too. Yes they have intellectual conversations at all kinds of random times. Some students are really competitive. It depends on the department. I love my education group, because we all try to help each other, and there's more of a mentality of "we're in this together," rather than that of competing for grades and jobs. The nice thing is, everyone's smart, so even if you didn't do that well, you know you're in a pretty shiny bunch. Most unique class is probably American Popular Music - we got to study Elvis, the Beatles, Madonna, and the Grateful Dead, among all kinds of other crazy stuff. And it counts toward the history GER. English - fun, because you can take practically whatever you want. most of the professors i've had are at least decent, and willing to hear what you have to say. it's really hard to make an A though. and a lot of english majors are kind of pretentious. it's probably the most flexible major in terms of what you have to take, though. Elementary Education - the Education department is pretty unorganized, and the program is stressful, but i like how tight i am with my "block" - there are only 6 of us, we started the program at the same time, and we have most of the same classes. It's also different from a lot of other departments because it's a professional program. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class. Every once in a while. I don't think our requirements are as demanding as some other schools. Plus, you can get a good idea of what you want to major in while you take GERs. Definitely geared toward learning - most of our programs do not put you directly into a job.

One of the best aspects of William and Mary is that many, if not all, classes are taught by the professor in charge, rather than by a TA. I would say out of my last 6 semesters of classes only 2 professors did not know my name, and both were large lectures with 200 or more students. My current favorite class is Psychology for the Exceptional Child, where I voulnteer at a pre-school working with severely developmentally delayed children and experience how advances in teaching help these children. My favorite class of my academic career, however, was Africa to 1800 CE. The class was taught by an amazing professor who was excellent at spurring interest in his students. Students probably study about 5 or more hours a week, significantly more depending on their major and what level courses are taken. Class participation is a common factor, but many students engage in intellectual conversation outside of class as well. Students here a very competitive over grades, because while having a degree from william and mary is admirable, especially because of the core liberal arts background that provide students a well rounded education, but because future employment and graduate programs still rely on the grades you make. I am a history and psychology double major, each has different core requirements as well as a certain number of required elective hours. History requires that majors take a senior seminar class and Psychology requires an upper level research course in a specific area. It is not uncommon to see professors spending time with students outside of class, and I myself have met with my advisors and some professors in a social atmosphere.

Academics are comprehensive. Professors are excellent.

Students here either study all the time or never. Professors either will know everyones name or no ones depending on class size. Truly interesting courses are rarely offered and what you get are usual stock, expected ones. Teachers grade to hard, expect you to memorize a lot and be creative very little.

William and Mary's academics are a mixed blessing. Most of the professors are brilliant and good at what they do, with a few exceptions (which can probably be avoided). The issue with this is that there is a lot of work associated with these great academics. The General Education Requirements force students to take a large bunch of classes from multiple departments to get a well-rounded education. This could be frustrating to people who know they're going to do poorly with a certain subject.

Lot of work - prestigious school. Good prof's.

Do professors known their William and Mary students' names? What DON'T they know about their students? By virtue of having such a small community, professors similarly have a much easier time at William and Mary getting to know the rest of the College, with the students getting absolute top priority. The size of the community is a feature that benefits all members of the College, which is exactly why William and Mary is the unique place it is.