Nova Southeastern University Top Questions

The students at NOVA are very intellectual. Again, you have many students at NOVA that are working on post graduate degrees and also many foreign students. Also, the class sizes are small and the professors definitely know you by name. The school is definitely geared towards learning. Nova graduates are definitely poised to make a name for themselves. The library with the largest volume is the southeast sits on our campus!

Not only do professors know your name, but they get to know who you are. The first class starts with the professor talking a little bit about themselves, followed with each student expressing something about themselves so that everyone can get to know one another. Any program will require effort and determination in order to be successful. Professors assist students both in the classroom and during office hours. Also, students tend to form study groups to help prepare for exams or to proof read papers before turning them in for a grade. There are plenty of resources and tools available at Nova. All you have to do is utilize them. In my program, (Writing) students and faculty gather together outside of the classroom to create a more in depth relationship. This has been a great experience for me. It has allowed me to get to know my peers and faculty members in a more relaxed setting.

As I have previously stated, upon entering each class at Nova the professor learns your name and a little about you. You are also introduced to the professor, where they studied, and given information about how to contact them. Classes are tailored to each professors way of teaching, so although some students may like one class better than another, they are given a broad spectrum of what it is like to be in the academia world. Students must be willing to study and put in time and effort after class in order to succeed at Nova. However, each professor is also willing to put in extra time to help students in whatever they might be struggling towards. Many of the core classes offered are difficult, however professors know this and therefore usually broaden there office hours in order to help students who work or have other commitments. Email is also widely used as a way to communicate with your professor, which means you don't even have to be on campus in order to get help in your studies. I would suggest, however, to use office hours as a way to not only get help, but also learn about your professor and make a kinship that can help you get a job or other opportunities either during or after your time at Nova.

I am a Biology major in the premedical track, so I could most adequately describe academics within the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. So far I have not had any outright horrible professors. Everyone knows who the "bad" professors are and who the great ones are. Classifying quality of professors is difficult, though, because while some may favor an easy professor who gives no homework and gives review packets for tests, others like myself favor challenging professors who force you to think of the material critically. Two of my favorite classes were medical terminology and biology II honors. In Biology II, we took a trip to the Everglades and a group of students also went snorkeling. My professor was enthusiastic about the material which encouraged me to learn and pay attention. My professor for medical terminology also showed genuine interest in us and offered opportunities to develop as medical school candidates. Next semester I am doing a research project under his supervision while volunteering in the emergency department at a local hospital. Since there are no auditorium-sized classes, discussion is encouraged. Especially interesting are honors classes like one I took this semester: "The Problem of Consciousness." We read 4 books by leading neuroscientists in the field including Incognito by David Eagleman. Eagleman is coming to our school next semester as part of the Distinguished Speakers program, so it is awesome that I already know about him and have read one of his books. There are many good places to study around campus, and you will find many students studying at the library and the University Center. The study rooms in the library and main residential hall, The Commons, are great. Students within my major are a bit competitive, but it is not so fervent that people are back stabbing each other. I have found that we actually work together and advise each other on what classes to take, different opportunities, and such. You do need to take responsibility for yourself though. You cannot rely on an academic advisor to tell you exactly what classes to take every semester. You need to do your own research and talk to different people including faculty.

Academics at NSU is top of the line. You get personalized attention from all of your professors. I have had a class with 9 students and the most I have had is 35 students. Most of the professors here are truly interested in helping the students. Of course there are a few who are teaching for the wrong reasons. However, for the most part each professor has their own gift in teaching. The majority of professors have their MDs and PhDs; therefore, they come prepared with real life events. There are so many beautiful places on campus to study which makes study a little bearable.