Tufts University Top Questions

my favorite class is western political thought with professor devigne. he's vibrant and interesting.

Haven't ever been to a professor's house or out to dinner with a professor--wonder if that's all a myth, at least for undergraduates. Still, I do get to know about half my professors personally. I really like the faculty I've dealt with at Tufts, and the workload is pretty appropriate. The distribution requirements (two classes in each of five categories) are annoying, and a nuisance.

There are a lot of really dedicated professors here. I had one professor for School and Society who memorized all 40 students' names, hometowns, and high schools by the second class; this is just a small example of how devoted the prof. was. Healthcare in America (CH2) is one of the best classes I've taken (and most kids would say the same)--it's fascinating, challenging, and applicable to our lives because it teaches students all about the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. healthcare system and the alternatives in other countries. Most Tufts classes are dependent on class participation, especially classes under 50 students; these smaller classes are usually discussion-based, and the professor just serves almost as a moderator. Lectures are less participation-heavy, but there are opportunities to talk in class if you like to. Tufts has pretty strict academic requirements, but it's not too hard to fulfill them (just start planning early!). kids complain the most about the math requirement, but there are some courses in other departments that count for it (like Psych Stats). Tufts emphasizes its global focus, so the foreign language requirements are pretty extensive, but there are a lot of different ways to fulfill them. You have to take 3 language classes, but then you can take 3 culture classes or a combination of language and culture. Even though you may complain about it while you're doing it, I promise it's completely worth it.

I know my professors names and would feel comfortable with going to office hours or for speaking- up constructively and critically if something happened in a class that I did not like. I probably study for four hours a night--my classes have tons of reading,but oftentimes I can do just fine by picking and choosing which readings to do. I am a Community Health Major, and it is by far my favorite department with the best professors. I have developed a nice relationship with the director of the CH program and joined a reading group with her and some other students this past semester. I was able to help her with some research and she also taught me how to knit! I had another professor in this department three times because I liked his teaching style so much and could not get enough! I think that once students find their major they become highly involved with the department and do some pretty cool things. Tufts helps you learn information for both the workforce and both the sake of education. You have to remember that "getting a job" is not as traditional as it used to be, and students here are able to carry a lot of their interests out into jobs they are really interested in doing. Students here are not overly competitive. Everyone is pretty much just wanting to do the best they can for themself. I think the competition in the Natural Sciences is greater than in the Social sciences.

The academics at Tufts are alright. There are

Most of my professors know my name (I'd say about 1 out of 4). I've taken some great classes - Intro to Sociology was great, African American theater and Film was quite a class. I also really enjoyed my freshmen English II class called love and sexuality. I have had a few intellectual conversations outside of class, although I think I had more in high school. I don't have a major yet. Students compete with themselves, people are too nice to do anything to harm any one else's grade (I think). I don't spend time with professors outside of class, although I'd like to. The academic requirements at Tufts are horrible. One of the worst things about the school. There are way to many requirements.

Tufts has very good academics. The classes are challenging and there's not a lot of grade inflation, so students should be prepared to work hard. Tufts also has a pretty rigorous system of academic requirements, but they're not difficult to meet. There are many science classes geared toward non-majors, for instance. Depending on the classes you choose, it's easy to get to know professors. Introductory lectures are large, but I also had classes with five and eight students- even as a freshman.

Academics are important to Tufts Students. People want A's and if they don't slack off they usually get them. There is major grade inflation at Tufts, however, the rigorousness which is required to do well really depends on the class, the professor and even the department. There are entire departments that are considered to offer easier classes and others that are generally considered to offer much more difficult classes. International Relations at Tufts is notoriously intense and demanding, however, it pays off to major in IR at Tufts, because the IR department at Tufts has an internationally recognized reputation due to the praise and acclaim of the Fletcher School of Diplomacy - Tufts' most well-known graduate school. IR students therefore benefit from access to some of the world's most well-known and seasoned International Relations scholars.

Although as my classes become more specialised they also become much smaller, i do not feel as though many professors have personal investments in their students. that said, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. some of the profs i've had are so in love with the topics they teach, it's so inspiring to see them speak about something with such passion. academia was never a field that perked my interest at all, but tufts professors have made me seriously consider it. The requirements are stringent no doubt, but as I'm double majoring in an interdisciplinary major (ir) and a language, they have not been at all difficult to complete. natural sciences were two credits i was particularly dreading, but after taking an anthropology class to fill one, i took two more and even considered switching my major to the subject. what i have realised about the requirements is that so many classes fulfill each one, that they provide a good balance between giving the student flexibility so that he/she doesn't feel trapped taking classes and wasting time/money on a subject totally not of interest to them, and urging the student to step a bit outside of their comfort zone and explore new areas that their peers are experiencing.

The professors at Tufts are amazing at learning names and really getting to know individual students. Office hours are flexible, as professors really try to make themselves approachable and accessible. I have also gone to coffee with a couple professors, and I secured my summer internship through one professors networking recommendation.

Academics are difficult but it really depends on your major. Classes are pretty hard.

You either got it, have to work really hard to get it, or you just won't get it

suck

I'll just talk about study abroad, since I've spent the past year doing Tufts in China and Paris. Tufts is a hotspot for study abroad lately, with some-really-high-percentage of kids going, and there is a reason behind that for sure. Both of my programs were really awesome, and we had more opportunities and Tufts-funded trips than any other programs I've heard of. In China we spent the semester in a big city (Hangzhou) and took trips all over the country: to Beijing, Shanghai, Shaoxing, Lijiang, and even spent a week visiting peasant villages nearby. I absorbed so much language and culture just by living day to day life. It was the best time of my life, and I know it would have been so different if I had chosen any other program. In Paris, we lived with a host family, took classes at real French universities, and went on group trips around the country. Tufts makes staying with a host family mandatory, which is such a great system-- you are forced to learn to communicate your needs in French (even if you don't want to?) and you not only get a glimpse of French family life, you LIVE it.

While there are certainly a couple professors that are beyond awful, most of the professors do care about their students, will meet for coffee to discuss a paper, and know their students' names. Most classes are pretty small (except for some intro courses) and usually range in size (at least from the classes I've taken) from 10 to 20 people. The amount of discussion versus lecture in a class depends both on class size and topic. The core requirements might be a make or break for a lot of students applying to college. Compared with Brown University that really has no distribution requirements, Tufts feels like all you do in your first two years is fulfill requirements; however, since so many course meet distribution requirements, you really should have no problem finding courses you will like to complete them.

There are many intelligent students at Tufts. However, most students are always willing to lend a helping hand if there is something that you don't understand on a homework assignment or other course related work.

Professors did know our names at Fletcher and were involved with students development both in the classroom and in the professional, after-Tufts life. The education was a balance of academics and career preparation.

Academics at Tufts are hard as hell. Don't come here if you aren't looking for a challenge. The professors are available and give you the tools to succeed.

Tufts academics is the main draw, which I'm sure every student looking into the school is aware of. As the cliche goes, Tufts is tough. Every student coming in got straight A's since kindergarten and it's a rude awakening when you get your first paper or test back. I sometimes felt like professors or TA's refused to give A's for no good reason. In fact, I know for a fact that my IR professor told his TA's to give out only eight A's for a class of around 150 students. It is not an easy school. I have developed a very close relationship with the library. It is truly a fantastic place and I study there many hours everyday. In general, students study hard. I never heard of kids studying on Friday nights until I got here, and the stress can be overwhelming at times. Despite how bad this might sound, though, I feel like if you got into Tufts, you wouldn't want your academics any other way. I personally am not a big talker in general and have found class participation very difficult. I found some professors particularly intimidating. There are definitely opportunities to participate in class, though. In fact, my Ethics professor has been criticized because he allows too much class participation. All professors and TA's hold office hours. TA's are definitely helpful during paper time and realize that freshmen may need even more guidance. I came into Tufts undecided. After taking Intro to International Relations, I was blown away by the material and the professor and will most likely major in it, maybe a double major in French or something in Political Science. Tufts is definitely known for its IR department because of the Fletcher School (grad school for IR). I guess the only negative is that so many kids major in it. It's easy to feel lost in a crowd. The major itself has its pros and cons. After the intro class, there isn't really any IR follow-up. The requirements are made up of classes from pretty much any department you can think of -- Political Science, the languages, Economics, Philosophy, English, even the sciences. While this interdisciplinary aspect is certainly a draw in itself, it almost seems like the IR part of the IR major is a bit lost after the intro class.

Tufts is a pretty serious academic school. The big majors are premed, international relations, plus there's an engineering school. Class sizes can be a couple hundred at the intro level, but most tend to be under 20 students, so professors will often know your name. I take mostly science and math classes, and in those you can get away with not participating in class. A lot of kids are pretty genuinely interested in what they're studying, so they will talk about it outside of class to anyone who's interested. Most people's semesters start off pretty easily, but from the first midterm to the end of finals, most student's academic calendars get pretty hectic. Tufts has a lot of requirements. Six semesters of language, two of math, science, humanities, and social science, and one of "World Civ." Between that and your major, you don't have many credits to take classes that interest your outside your major.

There are a lot of requirements, so make sure you really want a liberal arts education. Some of the intro courses are pretty damn hard, so don't just take them as a joke. They are definitely a step up from APs and there isn't grade inflation. Most larger classes' grade point average is an 80

The academic atmosphere is probably one of my favorite things about Tufts. The professors try to learn your name even if it's a big lecture class of 100 or more. Students like to cooperate with one another rather than compete, so it's a great environment to work in. I hear intellectual conversations wherever I am. I think the education at Tufts is geared toward learning, but Tufts tries to make sure that what you're learning will be useful someday.

my classes are small: i have one class with nine people as a freshman, which is a great discussion class and i only have one large lecture intro class. most professors encourage participation and want to meet you outside of class. i never feel like there is so much work that it's impossible, fairly low stress level if you can manage your time. there are a lot of requirements, but they are easy enough to fulfill and you can count them towards your major. For the science requirement you can take non-labs like nutrition, plants and humanities, and biological anthropology.

One thing is for sure. College can change your plans! I had always wanted to study architectural studies and came to Tufts and took classes geared towards it my first semester in the fall. What I found was classes that didn't interest me and gave me lots of trouble. The great thing about college is that it is an environment in which you can experiment in- I didn't really do that academically my first semester and I regret it. Second semester came around and I took random courses that really interested me and had nothing to do with architecture. I fell in love with two of my classes and now think I know what I REALLY want to do with my life. These classes are Biological Anthropology and Drugs and Behavior. Biological Anthropology is by far my favorite class. For a person who doesn't enjoy lectures, I love this one. My professor is so interesting, although usually late, he makes class enjoyable every single Monday and Friday. He adds personal anecdotes to help us think about things in terms of real life and they also tend to make us laugh. In small classes such as language courses and english classes it is extremely easy to get to know your professors. I have a great relationship with my Spanish teachers and my English teachers. They know me outside of the classroom. In a large lecture class such as art history or biological anthropology you have to make an effort to have a relationship with your teacher. You have to go to office hours or talk to them after class which is understandable- they can't memorize 150 kids names and know about each of their lives. You can tell right of the bat that a Tufts student truely cares about their education. They are interested in learning for the sake of learning, yet also taking that knowledge and applying it outside of school. Students definitely feel the pressure to get internships and or jobs but that is not what first comes to mind when learning.

If not in a lecture class, it's very easy for professors to get to know you, but you have to take the initiative. It's college. They're not there to baby you. Many of them are down-to-earth, but I've met a couple of professors who are pretty stuffy and rigid. Students aren't terribly competitive, which I like. You think you want to go to a competitive college. Let me tell you, hells no. I already competed enough in high school, and right now I am exploring the subjects that I want without worrying so much about my GPA.

Some professors know my name. It really depends on whether you make the effort to get to know THEM or on the size of the class. My favorite class is my Hebrew class which has about 15 students and the professor definitely knows my name. My least favorite class so far is Nonwestern Women Writers, an English class that I took first semester that was just incredible impersonal and not my style. Some students study a LOT some students dont study...there is a wide spectrum. Yes to intellectual conversations...even in my very laid back group of friends we have quite a bit. The most unique class I have taken is INtro to Yiddish Culture which is FABULOUS and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. I think a Tufts education is geared more towards the side of learning for its own sake, however in recent years I think it has shifted slightly. Education for the sake of knowledge and bettering the world is TUfts general philosophy I think.

Classes get small once you get out of the intro classes. Some of the classes are as small by Sophomore year as 6 students, while others are still around 30. Students have a lot of intellectual conversations outside of class, and it's welcomed to talk about such things. Students aren't competitive, and are always willing to help other students. Engineering is pretty underrated, and it's one of the harder departments in the school.

I think the academics here are pretty great. The classes are engaging without being too challenging. The only classes I don't really like are the large lecture hall ones but there aren't too many of those. My favorite classes are the specific art history ones (ie Romantiscm and Realism or Medieval Art of the Mediterranean) because they're fascinating and you really get to know the professors. Students here study a lot and they're pretty competitive even though nobody likes to think so. On any given weekend during the day most people can be found in the library.

Besides big intro-level classes, most classes are small enough for students to form relationship with the professors. I've been happy with nearly all of my classes and professors, but I always find out as much information on classes before I register for them. There's plenty of student feedback online to make good choices. Students study a good amount (the library is always packed on Sunday and before midterms and finals, and generally pretty full in between), but not excessively. Class participation is average, depending on the type of class. Students are not outwardly competitive, but usually very driven and interested in what they're learning. My major is new and therefore the department is small and sometimes disorganized, but the professors are great. I spend time with my advisor outside of class. Tufts has a LOT of requirements, which get tedious and annoying, but it forced me to take classes in subjects I never would have studied otherwise (a nice well-rounded liberal arts education).

Yes, I know my professors name. My favorite class is thermodynamics because it is applying all I have learned to real life issues. My least favorite class is materials because it is just another form of physics. I study quite often. Class participation is not prevalent enough. Tufts students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are also rather competitive. I spend time with the professor who mentors me for Nerd Girls. TUfts academic requirements for engineers are too rigid.

Some professors are good, others not so much. In my freshman year lecture class on Intro to International Relations there were some 200 students and the professor knew everyone's name and hometown, he was great and so was the class. Students study a lot, its an academically rigorous school. Class participation is very common, everyone here has an opinion and wants to share it. Yes, students have intellectual conversations outside of class. No, students are not really competitive, everyone strives to do well but it is not cutthroat at all. The most unique class I have taken is History of Blues.

Mostly everything depends on the class size. Class sizes vary from 10-15 people to about 150 people. In my smaller classes, the professor usually knows my name. In large lecture classes, it is doubtful. My favorite class is probably my Spanish class, probably because it is a small and therefore intimate class where I get one-on-one interaction with my professor. Students usually study/do homework everyday during the week. Saturday afternoons and Sundays are big work days as well. One of things that surprised me about Tufts students is that they are very different in intellect. I have met plenty of students that do indeed have intellectual conversations outside of class, discussing things like politics, foreign affairs, etc. Some students, on the other hand, are simply interested in doing well in class and then not caring outside of class. Students are surprisingly not at all competitive. Sure, everyone wants to do really well in their class, but most people do not like sharing grades nor do they care how other people do. Some people complain about the foreign language requirement at Tufts, which is pretty unique for a school. Tufts requires 6 language credits. Tufts is a very international school that stresses the importance of learning languages. Most people don't find it a big deal though, because you can take 3 actual language classes and then 3 culture classes to fulfill the requirement. One of the great things about Tufts is that it not only highlights the beauty of education but also prepares you for the world after college. Learning is no longer a chore or a burden for me as it was in high school, but the diversity in classes and the professors at Tufts makes me genuinely interested in what I am learning.

I think that whether or not the professor's know your name depends on the nature of the class. Language classes at Tufts are small (they cap off at 16 students), so the teachers for those courses know their students much better. The teachers for big lecture classes won't make an effort to get to know every person in the class, but they will always hold office hours when you can go see them if you have any questions or just want to stop by. Most students at Tufts are motivated to do well academically, but they are not competitive with each other. People are driven and work hard to succeed... they don't do this to outperform someone else--they do it for themselves. Personally, I rarely talk about grades with my friends; I know what their interests are, I know what classes they're taking, I know what they want to pursue... everything BUT their actual letter grades. It's a perfect college environment to be in.

My classes so far have been okay to fantastic. I have yet to take a class I truely disliked. Class size really varies; I have one class with 50 kids in it and another with 12.

Intro class professors rarely know their students by name (although a few try to), but this is true of mostly all schools. Besides that, the professors truly care about the students and try to connect with them. If you go to Tufts, you are most likely coming out with a good opportunity to make lots of cash.

In larger lecture halls for introductory courses, unless you go to office hours - which a lot of students do- the professor will probably not know your name. but if you do ask the professor questions, he or she will learn your name. in smaller classes the professors definitely learn names, especially if its a discussion style classroom setting. my favorite class thus far was my freshman english class. the readings were really interesting and we had amazing discussions every day. the students in the class became really close so we went out for dinner at the end of the semester with the professor. tufts even subsidized part of the meal. students are not competitive about grades at all in my experience. people study together and help each other on assignments all the time.