Northwestern University Top Questions

I take a lot of small classes for the writing program and Medill, so yeah, my professors often know my name. Even in some huge lectures, professors will surprise me by knowing it. But those are usually the coolest professors, who really care about their students. My favorite class was... I've taken so many good ones. Plant-People Interactions with Christina Russin was amazing. I learned how to make beer, ingest peyote, identify poisons... And the workload was more than manageable. American Gay and Lesbian History with Lane Fenrich was mindblowing as well. He knows his stuff, and I learned so much about something I knew so little about. Oh, and Psychopathology with Renee Maddox. Actually, anything with Renee is guaranteed to be a blast. My least favorite class is fucking 301: Enterprise Reporting in Diverse Communities. Someone once called it "Medicore Reporting in Vaguely Dangerous Communities," and I more than agree. It's a waste of time. I've learned absolutely nothing, and I've nearly frozen my ass off like 80 times waiting for the El to get to Rogers Park. I think I may have become a worse reporter because of this class. The teacher was great, but the curriculum is so... beneath what Medill should be. Kill me, for I am still in this class. Students study a lot, but they party too. If someone has a big week coming up, they'll stay in on a Saturday night, but I'm sure they went out Friday. In every class, 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of participation comes from 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students. It's the way it goes. Yeah, there are intellectual conversations outside of class. My roommate and I once talked politics until we fell asleep.. I think that was the first week we met. And stuff we've learned in our more interesting classes (like American G & L) often inspires more conversation. I think I answered unique class already. I'm a Journalism major. I hate my classes. I love journalism. Sort that out. See, Editing and Writing the News (I'm sure the name has since changed) wasn't bad as a lab. I got the basic experience I need to do any type of story. But lectures? So painfully pointless. And 301 has just destroyed my faith in whomever makes the Medill curriculum. So many hours of my life, wasted. But I adore writing and editing for North By Northwestern. I really love it, so I know I'm in the right career track. I just wish I was getting half the lessons I'm getting from NBN, from Medill. Um, my 301 professor drives us home sometimes. But that's because he's a badass. The academic requirements for Medill need to be more flexible. I'm a double minor: Psych and Creative Writing, and they won't let me double-count stuff from that for my Medill requirements. Like, I have to take Intro to Stats AND Stats for Psych, and they're the same class. Pisses me off. I'm in a really preprofessional program, so I'd say it's geared toward getting a job. Journalism definitely is. Everything emphasizes what your employer will be looking for. The writing department is more for learning. I'm enjoying becoming a better creative writer. And psych is really fun.

Yes, many of my professors do know my name, sometimes even in lecture classes--there was one English professor I had last year who would ask each student their name when he called on them, and would then remember it after hearing it only once! And even when they don't perhaps know my name, they know me (since I often go up to talk to them after class). But I'd say most of my classes have been more like 50 people and under, though I've chosen some bigger classes as well that are popular and that I really liked--I thought originally that I would never want big lecture classes, but they're really not bad here, and usually are so big because they're so popular because the subject is so interesting or the prof is such a good lecturer--for example Intro to Russian Lit or Human Sexuality, which I've taken this year, or History of the Holocaust which I'm taking next quarter. Overall I've been pretty pleased with my classes--there have only a few profs I haven't been so wild about, and usually I still like them in some way even if I didn't think they were the best teachers....in my major (History) especially there are so many good lecturers, and I've enjoyed nearly every class I've taken in the department, with my favorites being the ones in my area of interest, like Tudor England, Age of the Reformation, and Age of the Renaissance. Part of the reason I came to Northwestern was the availability of classes in this area of interest (Early Modern England/Europe), and for the strength of the history department in general (it's one of NU's best). I have stayed after class and talked with professors outside of class, not just about questions but sometimes about related topics as well. Since I live in a Residence College, which has certain faculty members associated with, I do also spend more social time with certain professors outside of class (not ones I've had yet though--though I will be taking a class with one advanced grad student I am very friendly with who's a feelow at my dorm next quarter), which is nice. I feel Northwestern's academic requirements are good for the most part--there are no required core classes you have to take (which is something I absolutely did not want), but rather distribution requirements that can be fulfilled in a number of ways easily—for example I did not want to take math, and luckily I could fulfill the “formal studies” (math) requirement by taking an interesting Linguistics course on syntax instead—which meant that I got an excuse to try a class in that field. Likewise I don’t know if I would have taken two introductory astronomy courses here if not for the “natural sciences” distribution requirement, but I’m glad I did—Modern Cosmology has been one of my favorite classes here, and usually I hate science! Plus you can use AP and IB credits for two distros, and for general credits—which means that I have two quarter’s worth of credits coming into Northwestern! And the major requirements for History aren’t bad either—if not for the requirement to take four classes outside of my area of concentration, I might not have taken Twentieth Century China, which has been a great class so far! So I am very satisfied with the academics at Northwestern, which I feel are challenging, and sometimes very stressful, but overall rewarding and interesting—to the extent that I’m disappointed and upset if I accidentally miss a lecture because of oversleeping! There have only been a couple I really didn’t like, largely in the Spanish department (which isn’t the greatest), and one English class that was okay, but which I might not have taken if I did it all again, since I ended up not needing it for the distro. I don’t know what counts as a “unique” class, but I think the most unique class I’ve taken is probably “Human Sexuality,” which has definitely been interesting and has challenged my mind and pre-conceptions and comfort zones! People are pretty competitive I think at Northwestern, just because we were all such high achievers in high school I think—though it’s not too ugly. Unlike in high school, most people don’t exchange grades much. And I don’t think anyone’s out to get anyone else—for example someone once asked if it was true that some students would check out all the books from the library on a certain subject for class so the other students couldn’t get them, and that’s just not true—people are always willing to share if a classmate needs them, and they don’t check out lots of books in an effort to harm others…. I think Northwestern classes are geared more towards learning for its own sake….

Professors in lectures definitely don't know my name, and even a few in smaller classes don't know it either. My favorite class so far is Art History 210. The lectures are very interesting, and all the TA's are very nice and helpful. My least favorite has probably been Econ 201, because the teacher was not very good, and the info he taught and the book readings didn't correspond to the midterms and final. Students in my dorm don't seem to study very much, and that really bothers me. I was hoping to be in a "studious" atmosphere and discuss interesting things with people, but no one seems to want to talk about anything beyond trivial, stupid things. I have however found some people in my classes that do study and also will talk about interesting things. No, there aren't really any chances to spend time with professors outside of class, except for the few who eat in the dining hall. I really wish professors were more interactive outside of class. Class participation is typically low in TA discussion sections, I think b/c people feel intimidated by the class. The set-up of chairs is always really weird and overcrowded, which doesn't help. Very few NU students I've met have intellectual conversations outside of class. Like I said before, most people in my dorm (with 1 or 2 exceptions) don't talk about anything interesting ever. In fact, I usually just leave or sit silent thinking about something else if I'm in a "conversation" with them. Lunch is always really boring because of this, unless I'm lucky enough to have one of the fellows or other professors sit at the same table. In that case I can have some very interesting discussions. My major is oboe performance, undecided, and a minor in business institutions.

professors don't know my name; my favorite class is social psychology and my least favorite is highlights in astronomy; the education is geared towards learning for its own sake

Econ classes are pretty large, even Junior and Senior year. Not all of them, so you do get to know some teachers. All the small classes I've taken have been great though. The professors love their subjects and engaging students. My english classes have probably been the best. Class is all discussion, no lecture at all. The worst classes are the ones where the test is an in-clss essay, so stressful. I have lots of conversations about serious subjects and current events. I really hoped that was how it would be here and one of the reason I choose the school. People don't think it's nerdy or lame to talk about intellectual topics. Econ is not a very intimate dept. Its really large and the subject doesnt call for group projects or much interaction, unless you do prob sets together. The requirements are fine and I think allow for taking a variety of classes. Some people may find it tedious because they just want to take courses pertaining to their major. I think a lot of classes are geared towards learning for learning sake. I have so much shit in my brain that wont be of any use in the workforce. I am very happy with my education. It has been really fun so far.

They'll know your name if you make an effort to meet them. Favorite class- The Press and the Political Process. Least Favorite- American Foreign Relations. Class participation is common if the professor asks for it, but if not then it's usually silent from the student's end. Sometimes. Students are very competitive, it gets annoying. Most unique class- astrophysics. Poli Sci and History major. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class unless it's in office hours. NU's academic requirements are fair. Geared toward going to grad school.

I love and hate the quarter system. I spend about two weeks of my summer wondering when school is going to start- my friends leave so much earlier than I do. And then I get out so much later than them as well. But because of the quarter system, we can double major within four years easily or just take a lot of classes for fun.

Depends on the class, but most of mine do. This is especially true in upper level classes. My favorite classes are usually small and interactive. I would say that all of the classes I have taken with Professor Clayson were my favorites. I also really liked all of the BIP classes I took which are more project oriented. How much students study varies, but I'd say most people are pretty studious. Class participation varies depending on class size, but I'd say class participation is common. Northwestern situations definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are competitive with themselves more than with other students. We push ourselves but aren't cut throat. My major-- Art History-- has a strong department, most of the teachers are well known within their fields and are understanding and open. They are more than willing to look over papers with you before they are do and help you through situations. My teachers have gotten to know me well outside of class and helped me with outside projects. I like Weinberg's academic requirements. Northwestern education is geared towards both, depending on your major and classes this can

My favorite classes are the ones that are small, or the ones that are huge. It's those in between sizes that are tricky, because there's enough people to have to fight to speak, but not enough people to sit back and just listen comfortably. Let's be honest-- we study a lot. We study while we run. We study while we eat. We study while people at other colleges are breathing sighs of relief. But did you come here for a leisure cruise? It's hard, but chances are, if you're the kind of person who made it in here, you're prepared to work. Sometimes I have intellectual conversations outside of class, and sometimes I talk about what Britney Spears did yesterday-- you can't be a smartypants all the time, your brain will explode. I came here to learn, and I'm learning.

I'm in the creative writing program, which is awesome, but not a lot of students have the same experience as i do. I have friends in econ who are juniors and still in 300 person classes. I think the education is geared toward learning rather than getting a job - we have hardly any classes that focus on a given vocation.

The best thing about classes here at Northwestern is the emphasis they put on having full professors teach courses, rather than TAs or graduate students. This is lucky because a lot of the TAs and grad students are huge bitches, and our professors are insanely intelligent and know an unbelievable amount about the topics they're teaching you. Be careful because NU is on quarters, which means each grading period flies by, and if you get behind, it will be nearly impossible to catch up entirely.

Students at Northwestern spend most of their day studying but still have plenty of time to socialize. The professors love to get to know the students. Introduce yourself to your professor before or after class, go to office hours, or sit at the high-table (table full of professors) at lunch. The students are not competitive. They are always willing to help each other out and are at the university for an education rather than for a competition. The academic requirements are not that hard to achieve. The school for arts and sciences has distros. The system is set up to give you freedom to enroll in classes you are interested in rather than require you to take certain classes.

yes. favorite class: russian literature- teaches things that change your life, how you approach it/how you think. least favorite: math 300- higher mathematics, class about proving thereoms. Amount students study depends on major: sciences/math/engineers seem to study the most, humanitarian studies next, then theater and communications.

As a communications major most of my classes are pretty big with at least 30 people in them. I don't know any of my professors very well. The comm major is very rhetoric based and focused on learning for it's own sake. They don't teach us practical application very much, it's a lot more theoretical.

Depending on the class, I feel like you have to really participate to get attention from your professor. My favorite class was Engineering Design and Communications because of its hands-on, project-based structure- it really gives you a taste of the engineering design process and working with a a real client. My least favorite class was probably Engineering Analysis 4 because math is not my favorite subject, and it felt like I could follow along in class and I thought I understood it, until I got to the test and felt clueless. Students try to study everyday, but it usually doesn't work out that way. Class participation depends on the professor and what class is being taught. Intellectual discussions happen at lunch and dinner quite often. Students may be competitive, but are usually willing to help each other out as well. I think the real-world setting of Engineering Design and Communications was definitely a unique aspect of Northwestern's Engineering First Program. I switched from biomedical to mechanical engineering because I was not attracted to the new course requirements. (They added more signals and systems, molecular, and nanotech stuff that was on a smaller scale than I wanted to deal with.) Office hours are great when you don't understand why you can't get the right answer on your homework. The quarter system makes classes go very fast. I think the education depends on the teacher, but overall, it is very applicable to the real world as well as delving into other topics for your general knowledge.

No professor will ever know your name in a class of 200. I have enjoyed some of my communication classes, econ classes tend to be alright too, but often have foreign professors who don't speak English. Lots of kids spend their whole lives studying, probably to distract themselves from the other negative aspects of the school. Class participation is uncommon, conversations - intellectual at any rate - are uncommon. Students are not too competitive and seem to all have accepted that they are going to be middle managers and never go anywhere in life. I haven't taken any unique classes except for an intership class that finally got me off campus! Communication studies is great! Classes are relaxed and low pressure. And you actually learn quite a bit. You may even get to know a professor. Northwestern's academic requirements are fine. The education is geared towards getting a job.

Academics at NU can be a drag for some. NU requires Arts and Science students to take a vast array of classes to fulfill distribution requirements in 6 different areas (usually about 2 of these areas can be fulfilled by a person's major). To fulfill a distro, a student must take 2 classes in that area. NU also requires 6 quarters of language (2 years worth), along with 2 freshman seminars. Assuming a person's major fulfills 2 distros and the person has no advanced language credit, they have to take a total of 16 classes outside their area of interest. Most NU students take 48 classes while they're here, so the distros take up about 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of a students time here, or about 1 year total. Since a year at NU costs 50k, a student's family spends 50 thousand dollars on courses not immediately relevant to a student's interest. This is frankly far too much. Classes are fast and often very rushed. Some are well taught, others are terrible. Social science departments generally get high marks for teaching, whereas low-level foreign language classes, math, science and engineering classes are generally bad.

Most of my professors know my name. The only ones who don't are the ones that teach huge lectures. All of them are approachable. The music school rocks. The students and faculty are awesome. All of my professors are willing to meet outside of class.

Hit or miss with classe; there are some great ones and some lousy ones. Registering can be a pain in the neck. It is it all of work but you hope that at least sometimes the class will be worth it. Profs do make themselves available to you, but they also think that their class is the only class in the world that you are taking. You can gear your classes towards more job oriented classes or for general learnng purposes...it all depends. Advising also depends on your major. Students have to be proactive about a lot of things but I guess here they are anyway.

Yes, professors know my name. I take English and History classes, though, which are smaller. The best class I've taken here was Reading and Writing Poetry. I'm not a poet, but it was small, intense, and the most I've ever learned in one quarter. My least favorite class was probably an American Government class that I took to fulfill a requirement--and even that was a great class. Learning here is geared toward learning, not getting a job (at least in the English/History departments).

It depends on the professor whether he knows your name. My second quarter organic chemistry professor had at least 200 students in his class and knew everyone's name a week after class started. Then again, I had an anthro professor for two straight quarters with about 15 other people in each class and he still doesn't know my name. Pre-meds are extremely cutthroat, but most others are really willing to help out. Northwestern is both about getting a job and learning for learning's sake. The quick terms make the students work extremely hard and prepare them for jobs with a great work ethic. The terms also allow a student to take really interesting classes (such as Intro to Islam) just to try something new.

I make an effort to know my professors, so they know my name. If you don't try, they wont either. I have a few favorite classes. These include: Sociology the Problems of Cities, History The Development of the Modern American City, and Music the Anatomy of a Performance. Least favorite is Civil Engineering Traffic Studies and Biology Diversity of Life. Some students study a lot and some never study. Classes are awkward if you have a disinterested group. My favorite classes have been very discussion-oriented. Students are somewhat competitive. I am an Urban Studies major, which is only a secondary major because the University will not support it with a full department. I'm very disappointed that a prestigious university so close to Chicago can't manage to have a decent urban studies program. I am also an Art History major and so far the department is fine. I usually talk to my professors in their offices. The academic requirements, such as distribution classes, are a waste of time and money. Many of them are not interesting and difficult.

Of the four classes I am in right now, two of the classes have professors which know my name. The other two classes are simply too big for a professor to know each student by name as they are basic, pre-requisite classes. Obviously, students study a fair amount here. But I think Northwestern is at the level academically where some students don't study very much and just cram right before a midterm or final and still manage to do well, while other have a very good work ethic that allows them to be successful. It just depends on the type of student. The most unique, and interesting, class I've taken so far is Human Sexuality. It is a very large class, 600 students, because it is in such high demand. It is a psychology class that focuses on things like evolution, sex and culture, homosexuality, transsexuality, sexual abuse and more. We've watched clips in class individuals partaking in M & S activities. It's actually a very informative class, too. Every teacher has office hours and TA's with office hours as well. Plus, I always feel comfortable e-mailing a teacher or staying after class to talk. They all seem genuinely concerned and eager to help. I think, as in every school, the education is geared towards both. I have heard many teachers say things like "You guys are mature enough now to get over the idea of a letter grade. It's about learning now. About taking in knowledge." But many students also come in very preoccupied with the idea of getting good grades so that you can get a good job or get into a good graduate school simply because they're used to getting good letter grades in high school.

If you take smaller classes, which is really easy and just depends on your preference, the professor will know your name. Also, if you are in a big class but go to the professor's office hours, your professor will know your name. It's kinda cool. I like a lot of my classes I have taken here. I think the classes I like depend completely on my professor. A lot of them are genuinely interested in sharing their knowledge and helping students learn, that makes for a good discussion and a good class. Students study pretty much everyday. Probably more than other univiersities but on par with other universities of Northwestern's caliber. class participation is really common in the college of arts and sciences, even in lecture classes. Many classes focus on class discussions. However, I took an engineering class, and it was uncomfortable how the professor had to wrench class participation out of people. If you are on south campus, people are all about intellectual conversations. That's why you're at school, so you can expand your knowledge outside of class too. But on north campus it's more about Greek life and partying. There is definitely a presence of really driven competitive people at Northwestern. I think it also depends on your major. Most sciences are competitive because they are all premeds-notorious for being super competitive to make the grade. But otherwise people are pretty chill. The most unique class I've taken was Modern history of Islamic Middle East. Great professor, really quirky and fun stories that were very relevant to Islamic Middle East. The cool thing was, he has lived in/travelled around the Middle East a lot and he is kind of old so he has a lot of first hand experience to illustrate the situation of different regions during specific more modern time periods. I am a physics major. The department is really small but all the faculty there are extremely chill. Really nice and easily accessible. Classes are small and not very formal so there is a lot of discussion going on in the upper level courses. The department is also basically begging you to get involved in research right away so if that is something you are interested in, the Northwestern physics department is a good place to be. I do go to office hours for my trickier classes. That's about the only time I spend with professors outside of class. Northwestern's college of arts and sciences degree is geared toward learning for the sake of learning, not for getting a job. That is what grad school is for. Undergrad is a time to try out new things and see what you like.

All my professors know my name, but that has to do with the intimate kinds of classes I take. My friends who are interested in sciences and psychology feel distant from their professors. As a theater major, I find the distribution requirements just right. They make sure that I take some things that I wouldn't have thought to take otherwise, but there's not so many that it becomes frustrating or just a bunch of requirements to "get out of the way." It's not always like that for people in the College of Arts and Sciences, though, from what I understand. Some people have intellectual conversations, and others aren't interested. You just have to find your niche. Theater is the best. It's not a conservatory, so you can learn about all sorts of things, within and without theater, and the student theater presence on campus is really where you learn the most.

Classes at NU are wonderful. People are usually really interested in the subject and you can see the professors' passion for the material they teach. I've never had a professor who didn't want to form a relationship with his or her students...they are very accessible and friendly. I have loved almost all of my classes here. Even the ones in which the subject matter didn't thrill me to begin with became interesting by the end because of the fabulous faculty!

going down the list: some do, some dont, the famous classes are larger, and so they dont Global history with derluguian rocked, Caucasian in the old USSR sense this guy shows you how the world works. there are some requirements that arent great sometimes there is, depends on the format All the time, although usually they are apolitical intellectual discussions. We have our ron paul fanatics and this close to chicago, some obamaniacs, but for a college, politics strangely ( and perhaps, refreshingly) isnt discussed often Engineering Design and Communication: parter with a disabled patient downtown at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to help them perform a daily task that they otherwise couldnt Engineering is interesting, THe teaching is away from the Human calculator types, but theres a fare share of those too. Essentially, half of the engineers are the coolest people you will ever meet, and the others I wouldnt touch with a ten foot pole. My big critique is that you're expected to pick a specialty before you realy understand what it intales I speak with some professors over lnches about nothing at all, others at office hours, and some I never see. reqs arent hard to acquire Both. although about 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the class gets upset if the Prof gets philosophical

Most professors know my name and pretty much want to know my life story, particularly in Medill. Like most students, I have a huge love-hate relationship with Medill. It is a ton of work, and if you don't love journalism, it will break you; on the other hand, you learn a ton of valuable information and skills and when the assignments are good, they're great. Don't think that you're just going to be writing as a journalism student - oh no, with the school's new incorporation of multimedia, expect to become great enemies with video cameras, audio recorders and Flash programs. Students study a lot around midterms and finals, but many of us (me me me) are slackers and procrastinators who put off work until the last minute. Some Northwestern students have intellectual conversations outside of class - I have debated religion, politics, and ethics with my friends on numerous occassions. We've iChatted while watching the presidential debates in our dorm rooms and referrenced things from philosophy class in every day conversation. I haven't come across many overly competitive students; most are competitive with themselves but let others do their own thing.

Most professors don't know my name but thats because I've taken large lecture classes. TAs know my name. My favorite class was Religion, Medicine, and Suffering in the West with Professor Robert Orsi. He was the man. Always encouraged class discussions and being open with people's opinions.

My professors are great but I since I don't take the initiative to get to know them I don't know them very well. However, if you you take the initiative, you can definitely foster a relationship.

Well, I should be writing a paper right now, seeing as I have to write six this week. But I'm filling out a survey. I don't know what that says about NU academics. I think it says more about my tendency to procrastinate.

Not in my lecture classes. My favorite class is spanish. My least favorite class is modern cosmology. Students study alot and have their priorities pretty well set. Yes, yes, yes very competitive, scandals and reputations, I want to be a spanish major and im premed but still kinda undecided. No, they're fine, geared towards both.

Hah! I am an Economics major and am usually in huge classes where most, if any, personal interaction is with a TA during office hours. My favorite classes are ones that are more intimate and discussion oriented, however they don't really offer those for Econ majors. It depends- some people like to cram while others will study everyday. NU students are pretty good on keeping up with their work. Another benefit of being surrounded by intelligent people is that the conversation even outside of class is more substantial. I constantly engage in in-depth conversations and debates- and I know the people I am discussing with will also provide valuable arguments to the table.

All my professors know my name, even if it's a 300-student lecture. I think in general professors are very well qualified and personable, esp. in the French and Econ departments, if you get to know them. I had a poor experience with a class in the International Studies dept because the professor was so boring, but for the most part, they are very interesting and enthusiastic.

If I wanted to, the professors would know my name. I prefer not to go to office hours, etc, but the possibility is there. There are a lot of good classes available at Northwestern, but it completely depends on the person taking the classes. I'd like to take more classes about Poland, for example, but since nobody else does they're not available. NU students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class, if they want to. It all depends on who you decide to spend your time with. Students can be competitive, but not too intimidating. It's actually kind of humorous when there's a person in your class who makes a visible effort to get the professor to remember their name, especially when no one else cares. I think all of my classes have been unique, especially compared to other schools. I feel like whatever happens in the class somehow makes me learn more. I think NU's academic requirements are pretty good. If I wanted to, I would be done with both of my majors by the end of my fall quarter senior year. As far as my departments are concerned, Poli Sci is pretty huge. I only really interact with them in regards to my major requirements getting done or getting study abroad classes to count (I would definitely recommend study abroad - best experience of my life) and even though Intl Stud is a bit smaller, I don't really interact with them either. Then again, if I wanted to, I definitely could. I think that it all depends on what your major is, if its leaning towards getting a job or learning for its own sake. If your major is more humanities oriented its kind of obvious that its geared towards learning. But if you're a business person or in a pre-professional program, it can definitely get you ready for a job.

Northwestern students are generally very intellectual, holding political and philosophical discussions quite often outside of class (along with many superficial ones as well - but hey, it's college). They are competitive, but often not as competitive as high school. Some schools are definitely more competitive than others - especially the smaller schools where everyone knows each other and accomplishments are very transparent (ex. journalism, theater). In a large lecture, like at most schools, professors don't usually know your name. If you make an effort to go to their office hours, however, many are happy to get to know you on a more intimate basis. In smaller classes professors almost always know your name. Some more than others, but in general, professors are invested in their students' success. Class participation is usually encouraged and common. My favorite classes thus far have been my psychology classes. The psych department has some amazing (though often controversial) professors. Human sexuality is one of the most popular classes at the whole university. In the first lecture, the entire class takes a very detailed sex survey. The professor then refers back to the results of this survey as the class goes on, referencing the number of students who are homosexual, who have had anal sex or been abused (to name a few). It is really interesting to learn about yourself and your community in such a way that you are able to relate to often sensational information. The journalism school is currently experiencing many changes. The new dean wants to modernize the program, but many think it is at the expense of good reporting. Many students are extremely dissatisfied with the school - some hate the professors (brilliant but often arrogant and unsympathetic to the time constraints of a college student's life) and others - especially those who have decided against journalism as a career - hate the demanding classes. It is an extremely job-oriented curriculum and this can be frustrating for thus who are unsure of their futures. Still, its reputation alone is enough to keep most pushing onward toward their degrees. Even in the most career-focused curriculum (like journalism), there is still great importance placed on a well-rounded education. Students are required to take classes in all areas.

Academics at Northwestern are world class. There are a lot of big introduction classes but also a lot of small intimate classes as well. Professors are usually very approachable and encourage going to office hours. A lot of professors love knowing their students. I had an English class once with about 120 students enrolled and by the second day of class, the professor had already memorized everyone's names by their school id picture! I have made good friends with a lot of my professors and some I am just in awe of. I have never taken a class and afterwards thought it was useless. I have learned something valuable in every class thus far. The students here also take academics seriously but are not cut-throat about it. The library sometimes becomes the place to be seen! Everyone is really smart but not obnoxious about it. Yesterday while shopping for groceries at Whole Foods in Evanston, I heard two students talking about Italian language and literature in the produce section ... only at Northwestern!

Professors at Northwestern are so much more approachable than I ever thought they would be. While classes are actually as difficult as you would think--which means most of us spend a significant portion of our lives studying--professors are always available to help you out. While they have posted office hours, I haven't yet met a professor who wasn't willing to schedule a private meeting to discuss anything from the calculus derivation of the theory of relativity (Cosmology) to exactly how to conjugate a past tense verb in Arabic.

Distro classes are usually not bigger than 150 students, so professors will remember your name if you talk to them a couple times. If you get a good TA you've hit a gold mine. I had one TA who wrote outlines of everything we read in my poli sci class, and she gave us extra credit (which pretty much never happens). If you are pre-med or an engineer, I hope you do not value your friends, because you will not see them until next summer. Students are all overachievers, but they are not terribly competitive...unless, that is, if you're taking a class where grades are distributed on a bell curve. In that particular case, no one will lend you their notes if you miss class, even if you really were sick. Northwestern students love, love, LOVE to have intellectual conversations. Though they may care little about the subject at hand, students care deeply about impressing their peers with their vast stores of knowledge. In every class there's always that ONE KID who always asks 'insightful questions' every single lecture. Don't be this kid. No one likes you. There are definitely some outstanding and diverse professors here. I have had professors from South Africa, Nicaragua and Tel Aviv. Quite a few professors are highly entertaining...such as sociology great Dr. Charles Moskos (AKA "Charlie") who once started a lecture by saying, "Girls give sex to get love, but boys give love to get sex."

Some- The best class I ever took was Tolstoy in which you read War & Peace, the worst was Diversity of Life where you memorize living organisms, enough said- students only really study during midterms and finals but they are intense about it then- Class participation varies- Very little intellectual conversation happens outside of class- Students are extremely competitive- Writing the Horror Screenplay- I'm primarily a RTVF major and I can't say I've been thrilled with the selection of courses or the professors I've had although I do like the general curriculum- I rarely spend time with professors out of class- The academic requirments are good, they encourage students to be well rounded- I would say learning for it's own sake, I'm rather nervous about my job prospects.