Hamilton College Top Questions

I feel that I have close relationships with my professors, though only in an academic sense. If I need help with anything related to a class, I feel perfectly comfortable going to a professor. Students, especially seniors, are very motivated towards landing that "perfect job."

All my professors know my name. I love the science dept. excepty physics (its really hard). Students are always studying but find time to do other stuff too. Class participation is frequent, and professors will provoke you to say something which is good. The most unique class i've taken so far is a political theory class with 14 kids where we are reading primary texts from socrates to machiavelli, hobbes to marx. There's no distribution requirements and its really nice, you just have to be disciplined with what you take.

Again, size is an optimal part of a Hamilton education. Class sizes are generally incredibly small. I would be shocked to hear of a professor that doesn't known each of his or her students by name. So far I'd say the most fun class I've taken is Creative Writing. Going to class each day felt like more of a treat than work. But the best class I'd say is Economics with Professor Bradfield. The ease with which he teaches such technical concepts is astounding and really quite intriguing. And not only do the professors really put time into specific class meetings, but they are really always there. They practically live in their offices, I feel, so that they can help you when you're in need. And the students definitely appreciate it, I'd say. While, like any other collge, we have fun, we do take school very seriously. At night, the library is packed--it's practically the cool place to be. We're there to learn; yes we are there to enhance our future careers, but we really are there to learn just to learn as well.

Academics at Hamilton feel a lot like seminars at prep school. People seem to try very hard at pushing food around their plates instead of just eating. IN the library, people talk about how much work they have, even though 100 and 200 level classes do not have that much homework. People are very protective of the integrity of their respective majors.

Classes tend to be on the small side and are rarely if ever taught by a TA. Professors really make the effort to get to know the students' names. Their doors are always open, they also set aside ample office hours and urge students to come by. Students are competitive but will often and are often encouraged to work together on problem sets and assignments. Hamilton does not have academic requirements which allows student to truly expand into many fields with out having to constantly worry if they will end up with enough credits in their respective fields. Hamilton educates with a focus on learning, but then being able to apply that to the real world.

My academic experience at hamilton has been extremely rewarding. Professors consistently have proven themselves dedicated and enthusiastic about the material they teach and about the students as well. My french professor even invited us to her house to made crepes! The majority of my classes have been under 20 students, and participation is a must. There are always a few bad apple teachers, but it's easy to avoid them. The student body works hard, and you get as much out of it as you put in. There is no competitive atmosphere here, more of a communal "succeed together" feeling.

Are you kidding? Professors know my name, my hometown, attend my swim meets and choir concerts, invite me over for dinner, will pick up things at the grocery store for me (I don't have a car)....99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the professors are outstanding and ultimately they are the reason I stayed at the school. Hamilton is work intensive. Whether or not that improves our learning processes, if you want to get As it takes a lot of work. Sundays are dedicated to the library and there are a couple hours of work every night in addition. Class participation is encouraged, required, and necessary if you want to do well, presentations are a part of every class. There are occasional intellectual conversations outside of class but not as many as I have seen in other communities. There is a pretty even mix between competitive and relaxed students. The econ department is one of the most respected and distinguished on campus. While heavily male dominated, it is an excellent resource. Keep in mind that Hamilton is a liberal arts school and Econ is not a good substitute for business, we look at the theory of economics. My favorite class at Hamilton was Industrial Organization with Professor Jensen, an amazing course. Requirements? We don't have any! I haven't taken Science or Math since High School and I love it. The requirements for the majors are clear cut and manageable. While the Hamilton education is not pragmatic in terms of the 'I will remember this lecture next year in the workforce' sense Hamilton did a wonderful job teaching me to think creatively, write effectively, and communicate efficiently. These are the transferable skills that I depended on during internships and interviews. Aside from that I feel I am totally prepared to learn the on the job skills following graduation because Hamilton has given me such a good base.

-professors know your name. classes are small. students study very often (but there are some who don't study at all--they don't do well), are usually seen at the library from sunday night until wednesday night. -class participation is common...often a big part of your grade...it was kind of scary at first during freshman year, but you definitely get used to it and end up enjoying what the rest of the class has to say (vs. a professor lecturing to you all morning...) -some of the professors have their class over for dinner at their house. if you want to get closer to your professor, it is definitely possible, but you have to make an effort to see them outside of class for extra help or to talk about something interesting from an extension of a class discussion. -intellectual conversations: yes...but not all the time. -competitive: somewhat, but not really...more like your friends encouraging you to study and do well in school. it gets competitive when people are applying for the same internships on campus or the same grants. -academic requirements: the no core-course curriculum is awesome, and the requirements can be somewhat demanding, but nothing the students cannot handle. being a double major is stressful, especially since you have 2 theses during senior year (but its also do-able).

Most of the professors I have had knew my name. My favorite class has probably been medical and forensic geology. It is exciting and different. My least favorite class has been an intro sociology class. My professor had no idea how Hamilton's curriculum worked and was unfair. Students spend a good amount of time studying. Sometimes it feels like that is all they do. Class participation is required and is common. Intellectual converstations do happen outside of class. Students are probably harder on themselves than they are others. Medical and forensic geology is the most unique class I have taken. I do not have a major yet. I do not spend time with my professors outside of class. I feel like Hamilton is way more demanding than I expected. Education at Hamilton is all about learning for its own sake. I have learned nothing that would help me in most typical jobs.