Trinity College Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Amara

Great. Most professors are smart. Funnily enough although social justice isn't my major Johnny Williams was my professor at a time. I truly learned so much at Trinity from my language and literature courses to my art and film courses. And you can reach out to your professors. Something I will always value.

Cullen

Academics are challenging, especially high expectations of writing. Even if its a theatre or calculus course, there will always be a major writing component. While abroad in Paris, which features visiting Trinity professors, we would often take classes out at cafés, jardins, or museums. In my french literature course we had only two students--including myself--which allowed for some exceptional opportunities. For our Diderot lecture, the three of us visited the location where he penned Rameau's Nephew (our assignment for the week). This coming year, I will be writing two thesis for my double-major Theatre & Dance and Film Studies. The former will be concerning the theatrical works of Albert Camus and the latter will be a short film. Needless to say, my year will have plenty of work in store, yet I am well prepared and honestly quite excited to get started.

Tommy

Every professor will no your name. Often times you will be required to come to every class. You will be given homework, and it will be collected and often graded for correctness. There are many professors that are great, and fun to learn from. There are also professors that are terrible and make easy and potentially interesting subjects dreadful. Students will study all the time. If you don't study all the time, you really can't even do decent. You'll find all types of kids (even the party types) in the library at all times of day and night. Teachers expect students to follow up with reading and be able to discuss them in class. The students, who somewhat resemble machines, seem to only study because that is what they are expected to do. (Not for enjoyment, passion, desire, or even interest). They often do not enjoy what they are studying and are rarely passionate about what they are studying. As soon as a student is out of a classroom and done with their work, it would be rare to see them talking about academia. Students are extremely competitive and it is great that academics are so strongly rooted in the personalities of the student body. (that is one positive quality about the student body) The most unique class I have taken was a music class. When you take a class that seems interesting be warned: You will become an expert on the material you are choosing to study. Which is great if you're taking classes about things you love, as you should. (Unfortunately for me, I now know a lot of obscurities that I sometimes wish I didn't waste my time on. I enjoy Economics and think I will try to major in Econ. I don't spend time with Professors outside of class, but if there is ever a question, an email to a professor will always be responded to promptly. Trinity has great academic requirements. Forcing some basic knowledge of all disciplines of academics helps to change our plain student body into one with some understanding of the world. Because of this, you can take an Econ class, and love it. The next semester you might take a Psychology class and love it even more. This enables exposure to all types of curriculum and allows for students to major in subjects that truly are of interest to them. Education at Trinity is completely geared towards getting a job. The bland-student body is programmed from birth by their white, wealthy, absent parents, that they should get a job on Wall Street upon graduation. (Ironically, this actually is something that interests me) Things that I would change: As a freshmen, you get last picks on classes. Often times you can't even get the class you are looking for. In my case, I couldn't find a 200-level economics course (to continue my pursuit in an economics degree) or a science course (for non-majors, so that I could meet my requirement. But I guess, that is expected, because like everything at Trinity, class selection being no different, is based on a hierarchy.

Emily

Professors at Trinity are, for the most part, truly exceptional. They are committed to their classes, and are devoted to their students. Unfortunately, the relationship between professors and students is not reciprocal. Most students, especially in the case of classes that fulfill distribution requirements, are entirely uninterested in their classes, and seem only to be taking them for the sake of actually being able to attend college. There is virtually no intellectual curiosity. Another unfortunate truth is that many students have the attitude that their professors "work for them," and thus do not demonstrate any kind of respect for the professors, particularly in terms of classroom etiquette.

Leighan

There is no core curriculum at Trinity. However, we do have distribution requirements, one in each of the following areas: Natural Science, Social Science, Numeric and Symbolic Reasoning, Fine Arts, and Humanities. Most students fulfill these requirements within their first year without even trying. Also, many of requirements for any major satisfy several of those distribution requirements. Additionally, there are several general education requirements: one year of a first year seminar, 2 writing intensive courses, a global engagement requirement, and 2 semesters of a foreign language. Those requirements are also easy to fulfill because most students take those courses anyway. Trinity requires 36 credits (each class equates to approximately one credit) and each major requires about 10-14 credits, which leaves a lot of room to explore, take different electives, or add additional minors or majors. The weight of the workload depends on the student’s choice of classes and major. Typically students take between 4-5 courses a semester for a total of about 9 each year. Most students are taking challenging courses, contributing to the “work hard, play hard” atmosphere at Trinity. The student body is far more cooperative than competitive. Grades are not shared or stressed as the most important part of course. Because of Trinity’s unique first year program, students have an advisor before they even step foot on campus. Their first year seminar instructor also serves as their advisor until they declare a major, which is typically done by the end of the sophomore year. Once you select a major, you may choose any professor in the department as your academic advisor. My experience with my advisors has been very positive. Any professor, whether he/she is your advisor or not, is more than willing to sit with you and plan out your future courses. Students must speak with their advisor before they are permitted to select courses. Course selection is done online, which makes the process much smoother. Each student receives a time slot based on their class year and last name. Additional courses are created or dropped based on the expressed popularity during registration. There is usually a cap to courses to maintain the small classroom environment. If there is a course that is not offered that interests you, most professors will allow you to take the course as an independent study if you ask. Trinity’s extensive opportunities in research set it apart from other liberal arts colleges. I have researched with the math department every semester since my second semester in my first year. The plethora of research opportunities at Trinity enriches the academic experience at Trinity. These opportunities are possible because the faculty is so supportive of its students, and are committed to the growth of their students. Over half of the science majors participate in research at some point, yet research is available in any major. Many students leave Trinity with one or more published articles, having presented several times at science symposiums throughout the country. Besides research, students are often involved in internships throughout the country. Over half of students are involved in an internship for one or more semesters. There are well over 250 established internships in Hartford that students can either participate in, for pay or credit, during the school year or over the summer. The vast alumni network allows for students to have internships throughout the country. Studying abroad is also very popular at Trinity; over half of the students study away. There are two unique features of Trinity’s study abroad program. The first is that students are allowed to study abroad for up to 3 semesters, more than most colleges, and the second is that students’ financial aid packages travel with them, making studying abroad much more affordable. Trinity has two popular satellite campuses, one in Rome and one in Cordoba, Spain. Trinity also has special programs called Global Learning Sites, in which there will always be one faculty member as a contact who sets students up with internships and community service projects of their interest. Faculty members are very accessible. They are required to hold office hours, yet most are available to students for many more hours than that. It is very easy to schedule appointments to meet with them and it is highly encouraged because they are such a valuable resource for students. The degree requirements depend on the degree. A few require general examinations to graduate, yet most do not. In order to receive honors in a major, typically a student must complete a senior thesis or senior seminars, but again this depends on the major.

Ali

Many professors here really do care a lot about their students, and if you put in the work and show that you really care about their class, they make it totally worth it. You can learn so much from the faculty here, and the fact that the classes are small make it possible to really get to know them. There is a lot of intellectual dialogue and activity that happens outside the classroom as well, and there are a lot of kids who are interested in learning from each other and expressing their feelings. My favorite thing is that you have so much freedom in picking which courses you want to take. If you don't know what you want to do, or you have many interests, or if you want to explore an area you never got the chance to, you can do that while still successfully completing a major or even two. If you push yourself you can become incredibly well rounded and an interesting person.

Nick

all the professors know my name, its a very close knit academic institution. Students work 2 hrs a night at an average. Everyone participates in class. It depends on who you talk to about intellectual conversations. Again it depends on which students you ineract with about being competitive. I do not spend time with professors outside class. Electronic and Computer music is the most unique class I've taken.

Harper

extremely rigorous; they work you into the ground, but you're prepared. You will notice your essay writing skills develop in leaps and bounds by the first two months.

Tristan

they are great, no complain on any of them.. probably just one, but we all know teachers have their way to teach and the world is not perfect

Piper

I know all my professors by name. Students study a variety based on their major or grades they wish to achieve. As a chemistry major, I am studying or doing research most of the time. I have presented my research at a national conference. Students are competitive, but not to the point that they don't want success for all their peers. Every student will help one another anytime they ask.

Erin

One of the greatest things about Trinity is that Professors know who you are. I have had some of the greatest experiences here. Class participation is a must in many of the courses but this is also dependent on the department. Many of the departments are great, but there are a few that are not as hot. The Public Policy and Law department has some of the most interesting classes as well as some of the best professors. I think the current graduation requirements at Trinity are great because the student has a lot of flexibility even as a freshmen. However, I think many of the new requirements are going to greatly limit that flexibility and students should be aware of that.

Jordan

You can skate by in most classes with Bs without doing much. Going to class is usually important. I live with 8 people of all different majors and we all are constantly learning new things about each-others experiences and education. Education at trinity is NOT geared toward getting a job, it is a liberal arts school.

Kate

Yes professors know my name. My favorite classes have been within my major. Trinity students work hard, party hard.

Clifton

Some majors are tougher than others and the writing is very important for anyone who wants to be successful here

Kendall

The professors are fantastic, they try and have close relationships with most of their students and are a real asset. The American Studies department is one of the schools strongest and most dynamic. The faculty especially Louis Masur, are constantly putting on interesting lectures and offering unique classes such as as class on Presely, Dylan & Springsteen.

Sarah

The thing about trinity that is true for many liberal arts colleges is that you can basically work as much or as little as you want to. Some departments are known for being easy, some even for being a joke (example: public policy and law). If you care about school, you'll find the good professors and departments and have a great experience. If you want to slack off but not fail, you'll accomplish that. Classes are generally small, and there are few truly bad professors. Most encourage class participation, although you usually won't be faulted if you don't. Get to know your professors, it will help out your grades if they see you care. If you don't have a question, come up with one, they will take notice that you took time to delve into material. Because it is a small school, you want your professors to know your name, it will improve your experience. Whether you chose to work a lot or a little, for the most part, Trinity students aren't really the academic type. Most are smart, most are not intellectuals. Economics is one of the largest majors, big surprise at a school full of rich kids who want to be investment bankers. Being smart is recognized, intellectual pursuits and discussion are not for the most part.

Katie

THe professors at Trnity are generally very good and personable, and are always wiling to meet outside of class and get to know you. the curriculums are more focused on learning for its own sake, which i think is a good thing. considering that many students (but not all) come from privileged backgrounds, it seems that they do not take advantage of the great school they now go to, nor study as much as they should. i would say that maybe a half or less do have intellectual conversations outside of class, but there seems to be many who talk of nothing but their social life. Students are somewhat competitive. You often get the sense that they are strictly interested in getting a good grade as compared to learning anything.

Mary

theres a lot of help from teh teachers and from all your fellow classmates. all teh teachers are really nice, and they come and support the athletics, and all of the fun stuff going on around campus.

Gene

Terrific professors. Truly. One can obtain an excellent education if one so wishes. The student body is the problem: they play hard and work as little as possible. Trinity's academic requirements aren't all that bad at all -- one class in the arts, one class in the humanities, one class in the social sciences, one class in the natural sciences, and one class in the quantitative reasoning areas. The only two requirements I didn't do naturally were the last two, and they're not so bad at all to manage.

Monique

My favorite aspect of Trinity academic life is our global sites. The more emphasis Trinity puts into expanding and supporting our study abroad options, the better Trinity will be. We have a college community that supports a curriculm that incorporates hand-on experience based knowledge.

Courtney

Because the school is small, and classes run about 20 -25 people, it is very easy to get to know Professors well, and for them to get to know you. My favorite class at Trinity is Psychotherapy. I am a psychology major and this class, taught by a professor who works full time at the counseling center on campus, is one of the most interesting classes I have taken. There are always intellectual conversations to be heard in the library and in the various coffee shops around campus. The education at Trinity is really what you make of it. If your primary goal is to get a particular job, you will be well prepared. Because of the small required core curriculum, it is easy to design your education around what interests and suits you best.

Laura

Trinity has excellent Professors, clasees, and interesting sperkers.

Harper

professors great, small classes, they know my name. my friends and I have lots of "academic" discussions when we are "partying" but that's probably because we're a group of phiosophy majors. students not too competetive, i dont think academic requirements are easy. education for its own sake, not job oriented

Rory

If your into small classes where professors know your name then Trinity will probably suit you well. Most of the professors are really friendly and easy to talk to and genuily do try to help you out and make sure you succeed. In terms of an overall education it's really what you make of it.

Crissy

Generally the academics are good, I love many of my professors. I spend a great deal of time with my advisor,as do many students, his office door is always open. Having a professors cell phone for a late night question is common. Trinity students are smart and you will hear them talking/debating about some pretty heavy material as you walk threw the halls, you will also head them talking about the latest TV shows, new cars coming out, boats, new designer collections.

Sasha

Absolutely fantastic. The chemistry and biology departments are particularly puissant for a smaller school. Recent foreign language requirements have drawn a sharp line between the humanities and natural sciences professors and students.

Caroline

My professors do know my name. I think one aspect of the curriculum which could be improved is the language department. They should offer more classes and each level each semester in order to be accessable to more students. I like that there are not required courses yet the requirements do ensure the students have dabbled in many different areas of study and will make an educated decision when electing a major.

Casey

The professors at Trinity are fantastic. I truly believe that you get what you pay for and we have some of the best. Class discussion and participation is always encouraged and usually part of your final grade depends on it. Trinity is a writing intensive school so you do a lot of writing. There are also great opprotunities for students like internships and career services. The liberal arts cirriculum allows students to take classes that they are actually interested in. There are only 6 general requirements, which are very easily to fulfill and you have a wide variety of classes to choose from to meet those requirements.

Virginia

I was surprised at how big some of my classes here at Trinity were, because one aspect that the college advocated as one of their strengths was small classes. You have to be careful for what you sign up for, such as the lectures and Introduction courses are going to be bigger than other courses. I highly recommend taking any small, discussion based class here because you can really get to know your Professors. I really enjoy a lot of the Political Science classes here, and what's really unique here is the extended Human Rights classes they offer. What's nicea about Trinity's academic environment is that students are not too competitive with one another, but not to say that they don't work hard. One of Trinity's mottos that is evident and true is that we all work hard, play hard.

Brooke

Trinity is known as the dumbest NESCAC school and whether that's true or not, I do not know. It's what you make of it. Whether you're at Tufts, Middlebury, Amherst (probably the 3 most competitive NESCACs to get into right now) or Trinity doesn't really matter if you're gonna screw around at all the schools. Depending on what classes (easy or hard) you choose to take often will determine your GPA and you could have a really hard or easy course schedule at any of these schools. I have taken classes with no more than 35 or 40 students and all of my teachers know/knew my name. It seems like a lot of kids are serious about their work, but there are a fair amount of kids who don't realize what a privilege it is to be at a good school like this and thus don't take advantage of the classes and opportunities on campus...rather, they waste time and party too much.

maggie

I really enjoy attending class at Trinity and very rarely miss. I think Trinity has a lot of interesting professors with interesting things to say on interesting topics. While students are not overly competetive so as to make class formal and strenuous, most students are serious about their studies. Many students do develop relationship with their professors and professors do a good job at learning peoples names and being approachable for their students.

alyce

i think sometimes the school feels a little too small but it is what you make of it. i love the small class sizes and the fact that i can know my professor and he/she knows me. i feel comfortable speaking in class and i love the individual attention all students receive. I feel as though trinity is a college where the students work really hard-i know that i am always in the library and my friends are always right there alongside me. in addition to this, i feel as though the students are very competitve in terms of classes and grades. i LOVE the religion department; the professors are all great, the classes are great-the professors are always available for you outside of class as well and really care about you learning.

Ashley

the class sizes are small, but that being said i got very lucky with an advisor who i'm very close with. i know this is not always the case with students, and i would like to see that develop more.

Danielle

Trinity's academic community is geared towards learning for its own sake and class participation is greatly encouraged. I not only know my professors by name but have been to some of their houses and I cannot say enough wonderful things about the English department.

Britney

The classes here are all fairly challenging, depending on the ones you choose to take. my favorite classes that i have taken have all been taught by Gregory Smith, and they are philosophy classes. i also enjoy the sociology and psychology classes i have taken thus far.

amanda

my favorite class was medical anthroplogy. least favorite class was statistics. students study all the time. students are active in class. anthropology department is small, close-knit. trinity should have a class about diversity/race/ethnicity as an academic requirement. education is definitely about learning for its own sake.

Stephanie

High academics for a school of our size. Good relationships with professors but students don't always make an effort to learn outside the classroom. Small class sizes promote class participation and generally, most students attend the majority of their classes. I like that Trinity does not have any required classes or a core curriculum.

Shelby

academics are what you make it at trinity. If you want to be challenged and be engaged in class, there are many opportunities to do so. if you want to take a backseat on your education, there are ways to take easy classes where attendence is not required.

Chandler

The classes are not that hard and professors are generally very helpful. I don't work to learn though.

Emily

The professors are awesome and almost always know their students by name. Students study quite a bit and have the perfect work hard play hard balance. At exam and midterm time, the library is filled with students but most of these students will socialize and hang out with their friends to relax and have fun after their work is over. As an econ major, I have had numerous wonderful professors who sincerely care that their students do well and learn a lot. Professors are required to hold office hours during the week so that their students can receive extra help if need be. This creates a very friendly environment with professors. In addition, professors often take their students out for dinner or have them over to their house for tea etc.

Sarah

I have had a wonderful academic experience at Trinity. I am a part of a small major, so I've had the unique opportunity to form close relationships with several professors. In terms of the class environment, professors are for the most part engaging, and the students range from involved and vocal to detached and unenthused.

Dale

The classes are small which is nice, most teachers are available to give extra help during their office hours. I sometimes have a hard time finding classes to fill my schedule outside of my major.

Katie

The professors at Trinity are informative, interesting, and demanding, yet understanding of any personal hardships that may arise for the student. Having smaller classes helps to improve the quality of education within the classroom and the individual's personal relationship with the professor. I have thoroughly enjoyed the majority of my classes.

Molly

Academics are a great part of Trinity. The classes are challenging but they don't rule your life nor do they take up every moment of your time. I look at Trinity as having the intelligence level of an ivy league school but not taking academics quite so seriously. As students here at Trinity, we chose to came here to be intellectually challenged but to have a great time while we do so. The professors here are interesting and for the most part, they actually make you want to attend class. Whether you're in a lecture-based class or a more interactive class, the material is worth your while and very engaging. There is a huge selection of courses and Trinity gives their students a significant amount of freedom in choosing classes.

Kate

professors really care about the students, very active in student life. Workload is certainly extensive, and work is hard but very rewarding.

Alex

There's a bit of everything: Small classes, large classes, ok professors, great professors, lots of homework, easy workloads, challenging, easy, etc. Some students want to learn, and some that just want to party, some get good grades, and then some get good jobs.

samantha

The classes are small and I feel like all my professors recognize me inside and out of the classroom. The library is always very full- sometimes it becomes a social scene. One time last year during reading week before finals, my friend went to the library with no books, just to hang out with everyone in there that was studying. Class particiation is factored into your final average in most classes, so class participation is very common. In a lot of classes, teachers will often randomly call on students, therefore forcing the students to stay caught up on the material. I am double majoring in Economics and Art History, both my advisors and all the teachers in both departments are very helpful and I love all my classes. I think that Trinity's academic requirements are well rounded. My Freshman year I took classes ranging from Religions of Africa to Neuroscience, before I chose to double Major in Art History and Economics.

Emily

The education at Trinity is geared toward learning for its own sake. Class sizes vary from lectures of 50 people to small intimate classes of 10-15. Every freshmen takes a first year seminar.

Kellie

Professors all know you buy name, they are very involved and helpful. Students study a lot, the library is always busy. It isn't a very competative atmosphere, but I have found that a lot of the students are surprisingly smart.

Olivia

While I would definitely not label Trinity as a "party school", it is one of those colleges where people go out a lot. However, that's not to insinuate that academics aren't important; most people take advantage of the attention such small classes offer. As an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing, most of my classes have no more than 12 students. Teachers definitely know their students names and they highly encourage class participation. In fact, your grade depends quite a bit on how engaged you are in daily class discussions. One of my favorite things about Trinity is that everyone graduates with a well-rounded education. You are forced to complete requirements in all major academic fields to ensure that you don't focus primarily on your major.