Wake Forest University Top Questions

Professors definitely know your name. Some professors even invite their classes over for dinner. The classes are small which is great for discussion. The Business School has a lot of group projects, which are great to talk about during interviews. It seems that students in the Business School and pre-med have the most homework, but overall, there is a lot of studying going on. We work hard, play hard. Students are competitive, but more with themselves than each other. I have never had another student refuse to help me with something just so that they do better. Wake has a lot of academic requirements, but you do have options and it does broaden your horizons. No matter what you major if, you are going to learn a lot of valuable information for your future.

It's called Work Forest for a reason, but you'll learn a lot and learn to manage your time really well.

All of my professors know my name, as well as how I'm doing in their class. If they feel as though I need a little extra help before a test, they will come to me to ask if I'd like to meet. I feel as though my teachers truly care about my success in their class. My favorite class is my english class. We have been able to choose between different books to read so that the class is always enjoying what we are reading. The class is also only about 11 students, so it is a very discussion based environment. The amount that students study varies from person to person. Some people are the type that seem to be naturally smart. They can read their notes over once and memorize it. Other students, such as myself, need to study at least 4 or 5 hours a day to keep up with my work. Students are very competetive here. In fraternities and sororities, everyone wants to keep the sorority's overall gpa up, so they tend to help each other out. Other than that, though, it's all about getting a better grade than the kid next to you so that you can be helped by the curve. The most unique class I have taken at Wake was my anthropology class. Most of my other divisional classes were ones that I had already taken in high school (math, science, english, foreign language). My anthropology class was so interesting because it pertained to cultures that I had never learned about before. Aside from office hours, students tend to stay separate from their professors. I think Wake's academic requirements are way too much. I will be taking divisional classes until I graduate because I don't have enough time to focus on both my major and my divisionals. There is also a great deal of grade deflation making it nearly impossible to get A's. Education at Wake is geared toward getting a job, by means of "weeding out" the students who can not achieve the highest grades.

grade deflation. seriously

Wake's academics are definitely demanding. You can't float through and expect to do well. Wake kids are really dedicated to their work and the library is always packed. On the same token though, Wake kids still find time to go out! Intellectual conversations may happen out of class, but I think because we are so overloaded during the week, when we get the chance to hang out it is the last thing we'd want to talk about. Students are competitive but usually you have friends in other departments because of the liberal arts curriculum, so I think that eases competition a bit. I am an English major and I really love the department. The teachers are friendly and brilliant. They always know your name. The department also hosts some great events. I am a Journalism minor, which falls in the English department, and there is a lot to be desired in the department. We have some great professors but not many classes are offered each semester. Professors are extremely available. Office hours are constant and they usually have no problem making an appointment outside of office hours. Many in the English department are willing to go over papers with you and work through your rewrites in order to help you become a better writer. Relationships last past one semester--I am still in contact with professors I had over a year ago. I think the business program at Wake is overly geared toward getting a job that it really detracts students from enjoying their education. The liberal arts are much more geared toward the process of learning as a whole. Wake really needs to improve on its career services department, since it mostly helps out only business students.

the professors know my name and are always very eager to help students (at least in my experience). wake students have intellectual conversations outside of class but i would like to see more. i feel like once we get out of class a lot of our energies are focused into studying so once we finally have downtime to actually have a conversation we don't want it to be intellectually focused.

Wake's classes are small and therefore more personal. It sucks though because with smaller classes it is harder to skip. There is absolutely no grade inflation at this school people work extremely hard to get good grades. Everyone works hard and wants to do well. The professors are good and personal your professor will know and say hello to you outside of class. The academic requirements are great at Wake. They have recently changed them to make it alot easier and the requirements are very doable now.

Academics here are excellent. My professors all know my name, even in my giant chemistry lectures (giant being about 50 people). In general I like my classes. Any class I've taken from a head of department has been excellent. A warning though: don't come here if you don't want to be challenged. We call this place Work Forest for a reason. For the science majors and premeds, though, there are abundant opportunities to do real research (not just washing glassware) for your professors and even up at the medical school. The summer research grants aren't that hard to get and most professors are receptive to having undergraduates work for them. Premeds do tend to be pretty cut throat, but not quite to the extent of pencil-kicking: the aggression stays passive. The main problem with a Wake Forest education is that, for such an large investment, I don't know if the return (i.e. your job after school) will be so lucrative. Most kids plan to go to graduate or professional school before the go to work. It's pretty funny when I tell them to travel abroad, though. A semester here costs more than all of college in Latin America, for example, and they ask, so what will you do when you get out? Will you make lots of money? And I say, ummmm....no, I kinda have to pay some more and go to school some more.

Every professor I've had at Wake knew my name. I've loved every single class in my department but some of the pre-recs have been a little iffy. My favorite class was most likely a class called "Gandhi" in which our final prohect was to enact Gandhian method somewhere to ignite some change anywhere in the world. My least favorite class was theater. Classes like theater definitely have been wastes of my time but other pre-recs like Astronomy can be pleasant surprises. This situation will improve though, as the school has drastically decreased pre-rec requirements. Classes are very much a give and take between students and professors and students are expected to provide insights regularly. Wake students are very intellectually involved and are constantly talking about thought provoking lectures, articles, or speakers. Wake doesn't feel competitive at all. In the political science department I am constantly shooting the breeze with professors outside of class and encountering them at community political events. The professors at Wake, despite their mind blowing resumes, are some of the most humble, kind people you will meet in your life. Sometimes other students are more worried about careers after school and less about intellectual exploration at Wake.

Yes, professors know my name, for the most part, because classes ( even the introductory, prerequisite courses are small). Least favorite class was Chemistry. Students often study late, and if possible, with a group of students in the same class. Yes, Wake students have intellectual conversations outside of class. Education and the curriculum is geared toward getting a job.

Academics at Wake are definitely tough. Given this, the faculty and staff try to give students every chance to succeed and do well. Classes are small which fosters learning and encourages participation. Teachers are always available for extra help. Wake provides an active learning environment in which the student is challenged, but has the tools for success. In the end, the value of a Wake Forest education is something that I expect will evident for the rest of my life.

Wake recently changed their divisional requirements, so now we have more freedom to take what we want instead of what's required. All professors hold office hours, and in my experience all are willing to schedule other times to meet if their office hours aren't conducive to your schedule. Many professors build class participation into the grading percentage breakdown, but class sizes are small enough to where this isn't a problem.

I'm impressed that professors do know everyone's name. My favorite class was Dr Batten's Human Sexuality class and my least favorite was American and Brit Lit. Personally, I don't spend a significant amount of time studying but I do know a select few that when they aren't in class or sleeping, they are in the library. Intellectual conversations outside of class do happen but the ones I've experienced are usually in a bar setting with alcohol involved. Are students competitive? Ruthless is a better word. The education at Wake for me seemed like it was for learning's sake. I am job searching right now and I don't feel prepared at all.

Wake is great as far as academics are concerned. One key example of how great the professors are in general just happened to me. I am in a Religion course and I got a grade on a paper that I was not happy with. I talked to the professor, who was more than willing to give me tons of feedback and scheduled a time to meet with me around MY schedule, and he allowed me to write a replacement paper and drop that grade! I don't think that this could happen at any other school with a larger student body, and that's why academics at Wake are great.

Students definitely study and work hard. Let's not lie--really hard. The classes are small enough that the professors almost always know your name and recognize your presence in class. Many really want to support you both in and outside of the classroom. I have been over to multiple professor's houses for dinner for a special class discussion or celebration. I have the type of relationship with a few of the professors in my department such that tears have been shed in their offices, laughter is common, and conversation extends way past the classroom.

Yes. ~ Favorite this semester: Internship at Baptist Hopsital, Least this semester: Hindu Religious Traditions ~ My friends study all the time. ~ Yes. ~ Yes. ~ Yes. ~ Magic Ritual and Power in Indian Culture ~ Religion major - the Religion department is amazing I love all of my professors and I'm close with most of them. We're a small department too so that helps. ~ Yes. ~ Tooo many required courses - though it's getting better. ~ Learning for its own sake on the Undergraduate side thats based on Liberal Arts.

All of my classes are really small--the biggest class I've had yet was 40 students and the smallest was 15. Unfortunately, the professors do learn your name and they notice if you skip class. But it's nice, too, because the professors are always available to help you out. As a freshman, I really appreciated my first semester Spanish professor. I was struggling in the class and she made a point of meeting with me once a week until I understood the material better. I think Wake tries to make classes about learning for the sake of learning, which is why we have the liberal arts divisional curriculum. But students seem driven to get good jobs when they graduate, which is why a lot of students are pre-med, pre-law, or business majors. Students don't really compete with each other but they do tend to compete with themselves over their grades and work really hard to be academically successful. My favorite class last semester was Introduction to Asian Religions. It has nothing to do with any major or minor I'm interested in, but I thought it sounded like it would be an interesting class, so I took it. It was fascinating and I looked forward to going every day. It wasn't easy, but it was really interesting.

the professors here are terrific. all my professors know my name, and the class size is perfect. i really love my econ class with Boko, he really knows his stuff and he's really interesting. students here study a lot; pre-med students tend to live in the library. class participation is often a part of our grade, so there is a lot of it in the classroom. wake students are rather competitive, but not as much as i've seen or heard about at other schools. i haven't picked a definite major yet, but i'm interested in economics. the education i'm getting at wake is partly for its own sake, because of everything im also learning outside of the classroom, and because it's liberal arts so i get to learn about everything, and also towards getting a job because i think it will impress my future employers.

All of my professors know my name and a lot about me because I haven't had a class with more than 30 students in at least 2 years. The departments (at least the ones I'm a part of--Psychology and Religion) are very intimate, with faculty-student dinners and socials at least once a year or semester. Students work very hard, study a lot, and are usually very vocal in classes, especially in classes of 10-12 people. All my Wake friends are very intelligent and political, and engage in disciplines outside of their majors...constantly fostering a well-rounded education. If you want to be prepared for a specific job, you can definitely do that with Wake's pre-med, pre-law, accounting program, and business school. I chose to approach my education with a more liberal arts focus, studying primarily psychology and religion, but dipping into other disciplines and classes that have interested me. This hasn't necessarily prepared me for anything specific, but has prepared me instead to be continually interested in learning for the sake of learning.

I love the small classes I have at Wake. All of my professors know my name and I feel like I have relationships with many of my current and past professors. Some of my favorite classes so far have been outside of my major, my divisional classes, like Philosophy and Theatre. Students here study a lot, some people keep crazy hours and don't sleep. The workload is definitely not impossible though, especially if you choose your classes wisely and use good time management. The psychology department here is great. I got to know a professor my first semester here who has helped me out a lot planning my classes and giving me other advice. I started helping with her lab's research for class credit spring semester of my freshmen year and I have continued up until now. I am now the only student investigator on a project with her and another professor that will probably become my honors project next year.

Academics are the best thing about Wake. Class sizes on the whole are very small and professors are absolutely amazing. This is not to say the work load isn't difficult and requires a lot of studying, but often times classes are interesting so the work is enjoyable. I've had many great professors who are not only geniuses but do a great job of teaching class and offering help outside of class. I have multiple professors who I consider friends and visit with whenever I have a chance. Academic requirements give students a taste of everything and are to the students benefit. Wake is geared for learning for it's own sake, but will definitely help you get a job after school.

For the most part, professors will know your name, and may even remember it years later if you had a relationship with them. Favorite classes: Foundations of Education with Scott Baker, Jewish American Literature with Dean Franco, and Contemporary American Lit with Jim Hans Least favorites: Intro To Christian Tradition, Juvenile Delinquency Students study a lot and are quite competitive. Most unique class: Theological Perspectives on Ecology with Mark Jensen Students occasionally have intellectual conversations outside of class if you know the right people. There are many great professors in the English department where I am a major, but the actual layout of the dept. and the required classes definitely needs to be updated. We only have to take ten classes to major, but we currently have to take 2 pre-18th century Brit lits AND a class on Shakespeare, and I have little to no interest in this time period and wish I could specialize in something else. There is also no room to really concentrate on a particular genre or era of literature or even to concentrate on creative writing, which I think is a weakness of the department. I love the small classes and sitting around a large table instead of at desks in rows. The education at Wake is definitely geared toward getting a job, which is a definitely flaw of the system. Maybe the individual teachers place more emphasis on the learning component, but the overall vibe I get is that we are here in order to become successfull, and success seems to be correlated to happiness and the amount of money you make. That said, the school is definitely NOT good at helping the true liberal arts majors like English, Philosophy, Religion, etc. find jobs. They assume that everyone wants to be in the business world.

Most professors know my name. I am a biology major, and all of my professors are so enthusiastic about the classes they are teaching. Students study all the time anywhere they can, but have fun too. Many of my classes are lecture style, so class participation is less in those. But my english class and sociology class were very involved. Students are competitive to a certain extent, but not to a malicious extent. People are willing to help if you do not understand something. I am going on a trip to Peru that my Bio professor from last semester takes every summer. There were too many divisional requirements when I entered Wake, but they've lowered them some. Education is geared toward learning and then once you get to junior year they start getting you to attend career services events.

While students have other activities around campus, academics are obviously the main focus of all students. For the most part, professors do know my name. Even in my Introduction to Economics class, with about 50-60 students (which is HUGE for Wake), my professor knows my name. I would say that on average, students study almost every day. This is not like a large state university where you can go out every night of the week. Students mostly only go out on weekends or Wednesday nights. Classes, for the most part, are not optional. Almost every teacher has an attendance policy that expects students to be there on a regular basis. Wake students know this and rarely miss class. Class participation is very very very common. Almost every teacher has a percentage of the grade allocated to class participation. Wake students are very competitive. It is just the nature of people here. Even if students are not in the same classes, many students will compete with each other to have a high GPA.

Professors know my name: almost always Favorite class: MIS with Professor McCray, always depends on the teacher Least favorite class: most core classes Study: all the time except on weekends Class participation: a must for a good grade Intellectual conversations outside class: yes with good friends Competitive: yes to a degree Most unique class: Interpersonal Communication with Professor Louden Major department: business with the undergraduate Calloway Business School Outside class time with professors: no Academic requirements: too many core requirements although recently revised Job or learning centered: mainly learning but job as well

Some do and some don't. Students study a lot, they don't call is Work Forest for nothing. Class participation is very common. Students are competitive with themselves not each other. The education at Wake is geared towards learning for its own sake.

Yes, many professors know my name. Students study constantly, although I think a lot of people just aren't very good at time management and sit in the library doing nothing. Also, people LOVE to complain about how much work they have. Not a ton of intellectual curiosity on campus outside of class. I'm an Econ/Psych double major and I really have enjoyed all my teachers, but don't really spend time with them out of class. Students are competitive but it is not at all cutthroat, not a lot of relative curves so students aren't really directly competing against each other. Students are very willing to have study groups, help out if someone doesn't get the material, etc. We had a lot of divisional requirements, which they've since cut down, but I liked them all because it opened me up to a lot of subjects I wouldn't have thought to take, like Econ, which I ended up loving and majoring in. Education is geared for learning for its own sake, maybe should be a little more focus on helping students look for and obtain jobs. Career services could do more alumni networking, etc.

In most classes my professors know my name. My favorite class is my modern art class, my least favorite is my math class. Students study varying amounts, but most study a good deal in order to keep up. Yes in most classes, people participate. Wake students do have intelligent conversations outside of class, especially about current events and politics. Yes students are very competitive, it is the reason why we are all here. My most unique class was my social dance class. My major department has great faculty and a great arts building. No I don't really spend time with my professors outside of class unless I have a question or concern. Wake has too many divisional requirements. I think it is a good mix depending on your department between learning for learning sake and getting a job.

-academics are intense, professors have high expectations, students have higher expectation -wake has a great deal of academic requirements -everyone is highly concerned with getting jobs after graduation, everything appears to be a means to an end, rather than just learning for enjoyment; this isn't the fault of our professors though, the education isn't geared in such a manner, but rather it is a result of the competitive nature of students

Love my professors... I even call one by her first name. They invite groups over to their houses for dinner on occasion. Students study ALL THE TIME. The library is a social place. Participation is common and expected. Intellectual conversations occur all the time. Wake students are the most competitive I know. I just wish the academic reputation would have more credit.

Due to the size of this school and its small classes, Professors become closer with their students. My favorite class was a seminar on the founding of Virginia and my least favorite class was Calculus. Students here are constantly studying and getting little sleep. Class participation due to the size of the classes in almost mandatory. Education at Wake is intense.

overall I like the academic setting at wake...although sometimes I struggle to get the classes I want and I have a lot of school work

My least favorite class was Calculus 112. I got a five on the AP Calculus AB exam (somehow) and in return received four credit hours and was placed into the higher level calculus when I got here. My adviser recommended that I go ahead and take the class, but when I did I had a terrible teacher. He hardly taught and had incredibly confusing exams. I ended up failing the class. In class participation is extremely stressed. Most of my classes include participation as a large portion of the grade and nearly all of them have attendance policies. For older students Wake has required a ridiculous amount of core classes. The students just coming in don't have to take nearly as many, but also don't receive credit for their AP's anymore. I personally would have rather not received hours for AP exams and had less core classes to take. That being said, most majors and hours are not hard to attain, nor are they very restricting. I'm a communications major and while there are concentrations, you can pretty much do what you want with it. The ones that really want to kill themselves are the business majors.

Most of my professors know my name, the class sizes are small enough for them to get involved with their students. It is not an easy school, the library is usually pretty crowded and I know I at least was used to a much lighter course load coming into school. Education is both aimed at learning for the sake of acquiring knowledge and making connections to find a job out of college.

I hate going to class, but who really likes class? All nighters and adderrall. Unfortunately, thats how it is. Class participation is terrible. Every teacher requires it...so you are always stuck in class with the annoying kid who never shuts up.

My professors know my name. Favorite class is biology. Least favorite is History. I study for at least 3-4 hours a day. Class participation is very common. Students do have intellectual conversations outside class. Students are very competitive. Most unique class would be RAD. My major is biology. I do not spend time with professors outside class, however I intend to change that. Wake's academic requirements are very rigorous, but i think they have to be that way. I think the education is geared towards both.

professors know names almost always. students study a good bit, but also make plenty of time for going out/partying. there is definitely a balance of the 2. wake students do have intellectual conversation outside of class and the students are competitive. depending on the major, Wake can either be geared toward learning for its own sake or for getting a job- but i think almost any wake graduate has a great opportunity to get a decent job upon graduation if they try hard enough.

Professors know my name. My favorite class is biological anthropology -- combines my interest in history and genetics. Least favorite -- any and all physics. Students study all the time. Participation is common and expected of students. Wake students have many intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are definitely competitive. Most unique class -- Art History. Major department -- history..generally small department. I do not spend time with professors outside of class but I know of students who do. I feel the underclassmen academic requirements are too much. Geared towards learning.

Challenging! The classes here are hard...you will work harder here for a 3.5 then you would at Duke, UVA, Vanderbilt, or BC. But also you don't have TA's teach you, you get to know your professors, and you are getting a legitimate education. They aren't teaching you to get a job - if they were they would try to boost your GPA - they are teaching you to make you think.

Students are type A and very competitive. The most unique class that I have taken was my first year seminar in the theater department. It focused on creativity. Wake has too many academic requirements. I think that the education is geared more toward learning than getting a job, at least in the chemistry department.

yes, class size is great. ive been able to get close to a good amount of my professors. students study very hard here, class participation is very common and strongly encouraged. very interactive-type teaching methods. students are competitive, but mainly within themselves...students are very helpful and encouraging with one another. most unique class: psychopharmacology. im a psychology major. i spend time with my psychology honors professor outside of class. liberal arts education is about learning for its own sake (wake forest)...but they do a great job of giving opportunities for teaching outside the classroom which helps in getting a job.

Yes professors know their students names because classes are usually somewhat small. I love my political science classes, and dislike foreign language. Students study all the time, we are always working! Wake students are intelligent and interested in world issues and have intellectual conversations in their everyday lives. Students here aren't really that competitive. I feel like the foreign language requirement is entirely too much! I like the liberal arts aspect though.

yes; business law; study time depends on major; heavy class participation; yes for intellectual conversations; very competitive; first year seminars tend to be unique; common to meet with professors outside of class; both academic and practical focus

Most of my professors this semester know my name, and in the past, the majority has known my name as well. My favorite class was last semester- Human Physiology. It was so interesting because you sit there and think, "that's all going on inside of me right now!" My least favorite is Philosophy 112 because it's very complex and difficult to understand. Students study every single day. Class participation is common and expected. Students sometimes do have intellectual conversations outside of class, with some of these conversations even straying from talking about a certain class. Students are extremely competitive, yet willing to help eachother. The most unique class I've taken is Anatomy because we get to work with cadavers. I am a Health and Exercise Major on a pre-medical course. It's very difficult and demanding, but interesting. My HES classes have been my favorite classes thus far and the faculty in the department is phenomenal. I have started seeing professors outside of class during office hours, and spend about an hour a week outside of class with one professor with whom I'm doing an independent study. Wake's academic requirements are strenuous and tedious, but do make for a well-rounded liberal arts student. When someone comes in to Wake knowing what they want to study, the divisional requirements seem annoying. However, these required classes allow students to think in different ways than they might be used to. I think the education at Wake is geared toward getting a job when you get into upper level classes. It's hard to see how Biology 112 will prepare you for a job. I want to go to medical school, so I'm not really thinking about getting a job! The divisional classes (if they are outside of your major) are geared toward learning for its own sake because you can develop critical thinking skills and can have a small taste of the various departments on campus.

I'd say most of my professors, if not all, know my name. My favorite class this semester would probably have to be photography and my least favorite philosophy, which i am only taking as a divisional requirement. Students study a lot here, too much, which is another thing I would change about it-it's a great education, but too much work-students need more of a college/party atmosphere throughout the week. I dont spend time with my professors outside of class. Wake helps you in terms of looking for careers, which is nice, and I'd say its mostly geared toward that as opposed to the joy of learning.

Class size ranges, and obviously gets smaller as you delve deeper into your major requirements, but even my Psychology 101 class didn’t feel too large for me to feel uncomfortable asking questions. Just like everywhere else, your relationship with your professor is pretty much up to you. Most professors make a big effort to get to know names and they all encourage students to come by during office hours. If you’re struggling in a class or just displeased with a test grade, it is so easy and helpful to stop by the prof’s office to let him or her know you’re really trying. Class participation is usually a must, even in large lectures. Like I said, Wake is filled with a lot of driven people, and internships and job opportunities are a frequent topic of conversation. But let’s be honest, seeing as it is a school of mostly elites, these internships are generally gained through familial connections. Nevertheless, the stress level and the pressure to get work done are usually very high.

See above. Professors make a serious effort to learn about each student - more than knowing each student's name. Class participation is expected, and is very good and classes always benefit as a result. The students all work very hard, but there is no sense of competition among students like at other schools (Duke).

Professors within my major knew my name and a handful would still remember me now (3 years out). Didn't study as much as I should- but still did decent! Classes are normally small and set-up to encourage class participation. Students within the Business school were definitely competitive. Wake is liberal arts, meaning that you are forced to take classes outside of your major. I would suggest taking what interests you and really try to enjoy those classes because you will most likely never have an opportunity to take those classes again. If you aren't good at science/math/reading (insert your weakness), make sure that you do not get in an overly difficult class because you do not want it to ruin your GPA. The career development center was very helpful, but I think the Calloway Business School was more geared towards helping people get jobs.

My professors know my name; students study a good deal; class participation is generally very common; I have intellectual conversations with my friends outside of class and I know of other people who do, but I have a feeling that it is uncommon practice; students are not all that competative; my major is great-- the Bio department here is strong with great professors, great research opportunities, and a fair selection of classes; I do spend time with professors outside of class- two in particular are good friends of mine now and we go to lunch every month; Wake's academic requirements for the current class are fine; Education here is more geared towards learning mostly, but some classes have a different mindset

My professors did know my name. Students study four times a week. People did participate in class. Students are competitive. There are a lot of core requirements.