Washington State University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Feddiena

The academics are not too hard. Just as long as you pay ttention to due dates you will survive. The professors are really helpful and give you plenty of time to finish assignments

Ruth

The academics are very important.I am a freshman and our RAs make sure we are doing okay and check in to see if there are other people on our floor to help if we are struggling.

Christine

Professors at WSU enhance student's learning through a passion for the job. I remember as an incoming freshman how afraid I was to speak with or ask anything of a professor. It felt like an imposition on them and their busy lives, but after numerous professors reminding us over and over to come talk with them, I learned the professors at WSU represent one of the biggest resources you will find on the campus. In my experience with the communication, music and honors departments, I have found that professors actually get excited when you talk with them because it is an opportunity for them to discuss their passion. The professors love what they are teaching, so they put more effort and enthusiasm into their lectures. Ultimately, if students interact with the professors they will provide the extra knowledge and feedback that makes the subject sink in and have actual meaning.

Christine

Professors at WSU enhance student's learning through a passion for the job. I remember as an incoming freshman how afraid I was to speak with or ask anything of a professor. It felt like an imposition on them and their busy lives, but after numerous professors reminding us over and over to come talk with them, I learned the professors at WSU represent one of the biggest resources you will find on the campus. In my experience with the communication, music and honors departments, I have found that professors actually get excited when you talk with them because it is an opportunity for them to discuss their passion. The professors love what they are teaching, so they put more effort and enthusiasm into their lectures. Ultimately, if students interact with the professors they will provide the extra knowledge and feedback that makes the subject sink in and have actual meaning.

Jonathan

Here at WSU, you will more than likely go through some GER courses where the students in your class are far too numerous for your professor to know by name, but once you pick your line of study and get into your major classes, almost all of your professors will know you by name and will tailor to the class they are teaching. Its awesome having professors that come into the room, throw the textbook on the table, and without lecture notes can teach you subjects like Differential equations or dynamic systems of mechanical bodies. The most unique class I have taken so far is Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, it is taught via tele conference to TriCities WSU and is very informational taught by a professor that worked in the industry for decades. I am in the Honors college, which has class sizes consistently lower than 20 students in each class, where it is not uncommon to spend time outside of the class with your professor, or even inviting them to dinner and such.

Yixuan

Most professors are very good, and the rest are trying to be better, TA's always help a lot during labs.

Elizabeth

There is not a straight answers for how academics are at WSU. It depends on the department and how much initiative each student has in pursuing their learning. Classes run large and it is vital to personally make contact with a professor if you want to have them know your name. There seems to be a divide in how often students study. There are lots of students who study actively throughout each week and there are groups of students who seem to value their social lives more than their performance in class. Being such a large university, if students want to talk with their professors they will need t visit them during office hours. Classes are restricted to the lecture and there is commonly no extra time allotted for personal talk or visiting. Overall, I am personally not satisfied with the academics offered at WSU. The professors themselves are wonderful but I often feel like a number. A student has to seek out a more connected relationship with a professor, it is not a given like with smaller universities. For many the academic environment of WSU suits their needs perfectly and many (if not most) of the students here love WSU. If you want the public, state school, "typical," college experience then WSU is definitely for you.

Crystal

For the proffs, for the most part, the one's I have experienced are willing to assist in any way that they can. But careful some of the 200 level classes. You may be taking them for a requirement, but they could be weed out classes. Students treat classes like they are the frickin olympics. If they don't do well, they'll get mad at the person next to them for doing better. WSU's academic requirements can be BS. Seriously, I'm a molecular science major, what do I need humanities for? What do I need music and women's studies for? Just the same old song and dance heard everywhere. Word of caution, DO NOT SOCIALIZE WITH PROFESSORS OUTSIDE OF CAMPUS!!!!! I once had a professor in the Hort dept. come to my house dead drunk, corner me and tell me how insufficient I was and that I was lacking 2{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} in my work skill and that he would always call me 2{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} everytime he saw me getting a little discouraged. He also had these un-realistic visions of what lab life should be like (unprofessional visions), cat calling to females through windows (closed but still), sexism, always 'teasing' me because I am Native American, telling me that I am making him regret giving me an A in his class, and so forth. He also damaged my professional reputation to other proffs by excreating some artificial story and spreading it to not just my lab mates, but other proffs in the department. This is why I left school. There are lots of science proffs like this, so if you are going into a science, particularly plant sciences in the IBC and MPS programs (SBS excluded, Clark hall and Plant Biosciences buildings especially) just be a little wary of the proffs. Charmers at first I tell ya.

Blake

Studying is a joke, Criminal Justice was one of the top programs in the country and my minors required more work than my major

Nico

I am in the Distance Degree Program. Some instructors are not too organized which makes it hard to learn. Others let their assistants do most of the work - I am paying top dollar for the instructor not a wannabe instructor. Group activities are hard in this environment because everyone's schedule is different. "VIRTUAL MENTORS" are not helpful and often are contradictory to instructor's views. It would be nice to see a picture of the instructor we are learning from, maybe a voice feed to know what they sound like. Overall experience is good- students from all walks of life and areas of the world.

Jo

I am in a very competitive major, pre-veterinary medicine, and the students are very competitive, but yet very supportive of each other as well. I am in the honors college and in the honors classes the class size is small and you get the chance to know your professor well. In my general science classes, however, classes are huge and you get that kind of a relationship with your TA rather than professor. Professors and TA's make themselves available during office hours and will often take extr time to meet with you if needed.

kyle

Professors are very interactive. Many majors are in the top 5 or 10 in the nation (communications, architecture, veterinary medicine to name a few). The university focuses on writing, which is very important for new graduates. Critical thinking focal points in the curriculum will help people in the future.

Sarah

The smaller the class size, the better the experience. In the larger classes such as lower-division chemistry and biology, there's almost no individual attention and sometimes the lecture is very fast paced and you may not have time to ask questions in lecture. Summer session has treated me wonderfully this year. The class sizes are very small, you attend class daily, and you get all the credit of a normal 16-week semester done in four to six weeks, depending on the class. I got a two semesters worth of Spanish done in eight weeks. I couldn't be happier.

Megan

Most of my professors know my name, now that I'm out of the huge freshman requirement classes. Once you get into your upper division and major classes, professors interact with you on a one on one basis. Developing relationships with professors is crucial, because it can help you with your grades, and especially internships and job searching when you graduate.

Alexander

I like some of the professors here, but compared to the ones I dislike (who most people also detest) they are an extreme minority, barely making up one percent of the total. Grades are not competitive and studying is a rarity. As far as intellectual conversations, you can hope for one every blue moon or so, but the general populace is much more likely to tell you about how smashed they got the night prior as opposed to their views on politics, scientific research or ethics. Education at WSU is supposedly geared toward producing well rounded students, which is essentially a way of saying you aren't getting out until we waste a great deal of your time and money. Within science majors there are a fair share of good professors, but there are also some that should never be unleashed upon the public, much less set in front of a white board and put in charge of someone's grade.

Jason

well there is a reason why WSU lost thier athletic scholarships. because the academics suck. well they are really good, but the teachers are given inscentives to make people fail. and its hurting them. I was in a physics class with an A- and the entire class had A's because it was a new teacher and he made the class to easy, and so since everyone had A's they took the lab scores from everyone and docked them by 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} which screwd evereyone and gave me a C+ in the class because they needed to fail people. What a joke

Christina

It took me almost a year and a half before I really found what I wanted to pursue. I found that once I finally was in my element and focused on the goal of graduation, my academic life was a lot more positive. It was a challenge through those first couple of semesters when I really had no idea about what I wanted to do.

Katie

Even after graduation I have kept in contact with several of my professors, and I have made it a point to visit them when I am back in Pullman. Not only were they amazing in class, but they got to know you outside of class; what you were interested in, what you would be doing during the summer, and what they could do to help you succeed. My professors worked hard to find us the best summer internships and full time positions there were available.

Dylan

the students amongst the science departments are very competitive. Especially the pre-health professions. As for the arts and humanities. they don't know how easy they have it.

Harper

Exploring various subjects ranging from film studies to the Chinese language has been very eye-opening and exciting. There is also a range of types of students at Washington State. Some study 12 hours a week or more while others may call it a week after 3 hours. Some majors and classes are more competitive than others. In my classes I have found that interaction with the teacher is emphasized more than competing with fellow students.

Andy

I like them but the psychology department really sucks when it comes to picking teachers for 105.

Jennifer

Academics here although not known for being outstanding are not as bad as some may assume. Professors are readily available when needed and are constantly in contact with their students. The help that is offered here is amazing from the workers in the library to tutoring to office hours professors hold.

Courtney

Freshman classes are normally some of the larger science classes (big lecture hall, but smaller lab sections of about 20-25, with a TA) Math, English and other elective classes (depending on what level you are taking the classes can be smaller or larger) Depending on what Dorm you live in, you are assigned a "Freshman Focus" Class- one that you take with all of your floor mates so you get to know people. Most of these classes are GER's (General Education Requirements, basic classes that the university wants you to complete before graduation)

Sean

I came in with an entire year's worth of credits due to AP classes. This significantly advanced my education and as a freshman, I am taking two 300-level science classes. WSU accepts a lot of AP credit which is extremely helpful in lowering the cost of education. Also, I am in the Honor's College, which I suggest everyone apply for. The classes are smaller and class participation is easier than in large lecture classes, you also get to know your professors better and they are able to say hello to you outside of class.

Chris

Academics are taken very seriously at WSU. Although many classes early in your career will be very large, it is easy to get to know your professors if you try, and TA are extremely friendly and helpful. Honors classes really break down class sizes and help you to bond with professors who grow to really care about your academic and future careers. Study Abroad is very available at the University. Students are generally not extremely political for their age group, but are environmentally and globally aware, and discussions often taken place outside of class.

Bridget

I love my professors and know most of them personally. I love my classes and often talk with others about the courses I have taken as well as the content. I am very competitive in my classes and leave empowered from those within my major every single day. Professors encourage you to make a difference. My major is fairly new but I absolutely love and enjoy the department and people within it. They set you up for a future career and are dedicated to helping me with all I need. They're more than administrators, they're mentors.

Jennifer

Academics are becoming more recognized at Washington State. I still wish the class sizes were smaller, especially for your lower division classes where students are new to college and can easily get lost in it all. My favorite class has been Human Genetics. My least favorite, physics...in every shape and form. Class participation varies from class to class. It is rare in large lecture based classes, but in smaller discussion based classes or labs it is common. My department is big and thus, you don't really get to know all of the students within your major. I wish my department was more unified like other majors such as engineering, nursing, etc. I think that would make studying easier and would make classes much more enjoyable. I think for my major, college is showing that I am capable of learning. The knowledge will be great background information, but learning will still be required for the actual job I get. I feel that to some degree this occurs for every graduate though.

Chris

Classes at WSU are a lot harder than high school, but I love them. I have learned so much and feel as though every class is beneficial to me and my future. The professors really want to help and get to know you, which I feel is different from other universities.

Mel

The number one thing I don't like about my classes at WSU is that they are so large. I don't know any of my professors and they definitely do not know me. Also, I don't like that class grades are mainly exam based. I think I am a pretty weak test taker and therefor it is a poor representation of what I actually know. I much rather would have some busy work also such as homework and projects.

Alisyn

Most professors get to know you if you are majoring in that department, and some teachers are really awesome and go out of their way to get to know you. My favorite class has been my textiles class, i had sooooo much fun learning about textiles, I learned alot too and it was a hard class to take! I study alot! I am in my hardest semester at WSU so i do hit the books alot but i still have time to have fun! WSU students DO have intellectual converstaions outside of class all the time! We really are smart kids! My major is Apparel Merchandising, and I love it, many people feel it is a copout but in all reality it is a really hard major that is why we are ranked 7th in the nation! We have all kinds of unique classes that are fun to take and yet you learn ALOT! I feel that WSU academic requirements are great, they make graduation requirements tough so you have to work to get a degree, its not just all fun and games, you work hard for what you get and they make sure you are ready for the working world

alisha

there bomb... we have so many different fields that you can choose anything that you want to study

Robin

We have many world-renown areas of study that I think are underrecognized. I started out as and Interior Design major - a really difficult, time consuming major - that doesn't get much credit. There are lots of stigmas about the major, that it is really easy and pointless, but it is actually really hard. WSU has some of the best faculty for the program and I really learned a lot. The standards are really high too. I think that the image of partying overshadows the strong academics we do have.

Chelsea

The introduction classes are generally really big and chances are, the teachers won't know your name unless you make an effort. Upper division classes are more specialized and therefore smaller. I personally make sure that all of my teachers know who I am by going to officer hours or e-mailing them several times throughout the semester. When it comes down to submitting final grades I want them to know who I am. I'm a double major in psychology and human development specializing in adolescence with a sociology minor. My advisors and teachers are absolutely amazing and many of them are published researchers.

Kelsey

In the beginning level classes it it much harder to get to know your professors. However, once entering my major all of my professors know be my name and I feel comfortable going into their office hours to get help and advice. A lot of my classes are based on lecture, but the professors encourage discussion and comments from the class which really helps to cement the information in my mind. My major includes an undergraduate speech and hearing clinic where we, as seniors, have our own clients and come into contact with more professionals. We are supervised by a faculty member who helps us come up with therapy for our certain client. We also have team meeting where we give other students advice for their clients.

Amanda

Despite stereotypes, our school is definitely academically high achieving. We are a great research school and have fantastic education, communication, interior design, and more programs.

Bobby

My favorite class this semester would be Gened 110. I took it last year and struggled, and disliked everything about it. But this semester I have a really fun and funny teacher and great class-mates. It's easier to follow whats going on and to get involved. And my teacher speaks english this time. In all of my classes class participation is big. A lot of teachers count participation as a big chunk of your grade.

Devin

I want to be taught by professors and not books. That's all I have to say. We have some really great prof's and I hope our education improves.

Casey

People underestimate the strength of our academics here. Our school has some of the top communications and veterinary programs in the country. I also think most people enjoy the classroom atmosphere of our school. Some classes are large, but most are limited to less than 50 people so it's really easy to get to know you professors if you want to.

Katrina

I know all of my professors and their office hours. My favorite class is History of Rock and Roll, and my least favorite was environmental science. Homecoming and Greek Week are a big deal with tons of competitions. Grades are a high priority, especially among the Greek Community. I love my major, Communications. We have the best Communications school in the country, named after Edward R. Murrow. Also, we have the best study abroad options and the school works to keep it affordable.

Dan

Students here at WSU take their academics very seriously. Each student is required to meet with an academic advisor to discuss their classes for the upcoming semesters. The communications college is regarded as one of the most elite in the nation, as is the veterinary school. The General Education Requirements ensure that we do not only learn what is essential for our own major, but for knowledge in general to improve our quality of life.

Candice

I am in a small major so my classes are small and the professors know my name. In class participation is very common in my major but your first two years you hardly ever have to talk and you can usually skate by never saying anything. WSU education is definitely geared towards getting a job and working in the real world. You have to have a internship with real experience in most fields in order to graduate.

Lance

Academics. . . I think people visiting are often surprised about how well regarded and highly ranked many of our programs actually are. Many programs are placed in top 10-20 brackets in national ranking pools. Professors are for the most part pretty accessible, giving exception to a couple stodgy academics. Classes at least in my tract are very much geared to finding a job, the program kind of seems to be taking an experiential learning emphasis.

Cassandra

My professors do not know my name but it's because I'm still finishing up my general education requirements so the class sizes are too large. However, in my labs the TA's know my name. My favorite class was so far would have to be chemistry. My least favorite would be either Human Development or Comparative Ethnic Studies.I think that class participation depends on how large the classes are. Because the bigger the class, the harder it is for the professors to hear.I think that how often the students study depend on how hard the class and how motivated they are. My friends and I do some sort of studying or homework everyday for at least a little while. I believe that the education is geared both towards getting a job and learning for its own sake. It depends on how far into your major you are.

Krista

In my smaller classes, the professor knows my name, but half my classes have around 300 people in them. Those ones don't know my name My favorite class was Animal Science 101. I loved the labs where we got to see all the different facilities on campus, and I am really interested in animals. My least favorite was Chemistry 106. I ended up dropping it right before spring break because it was stressing me out too much and I wasn't doing good on the exams. I don't study as much as I should. I usually spend maybe an hour a couple times a week per class. The only class that participation is common is english for me, because it is such a small class. I don't have intellectual conversations all that often, but occasionally. Usually it's just catching up with people and talking about what your plans are Some students are competitive, but I don't think its that common The most unique class I've taken so far was AS 174-beef cow calf management. We went out to the beef center once a week and worked with black angus heiffers and halter broke them. And for our final, we had a show-off to see how much we had learned and how well we had worked with our cows. My major is animal science in hopes of getting into vet school to be a large animal vet I have only met with a professor once outside of class, and I pass some of them once in a while around campus, but that's about it. I think the academic requirements are pretty high. I have had some difficulty with exams, which has brought my grades down quite a bit. I think the education is geared mainly towards learning for its own sake for the most part because there are a lot of prerequisits that I really don't feel apply to my major, but I still have to take them

Justin

Academics are great. Friendly teachers make it easy to approach with a question and they are good at what they do. They make sure that you will learn something and have fun doing it.

Katie

I transfered to WSU for my Junior and Senior years. I came from a small private school in LA. There were only 1200 students at my previous school but I feel much more at home at WSU. The faculy in the Philosophy department truly care about me. The are always there to talk about life and my confusions with my place in it. We have some amazing discussion and great times at BBQ's they've hosted. They welcome you as part of the family and if you earn their trust and respect you'll be rewarded with a wonderful education.

annette

Yes, my professors know my name. My favorite class was the philosophy of religion--the teacher was really sarcastic and dry. My least favorite class was anatomy--I hate classes that are all about memorizing things. I don't know how often students study but I usually just study right before my test. Class participation is pretty common. I partake in intellectual conversations outside of class so I assume others do as well. Some students are competetive. The most unique class I've taken was probably the philosophy of film. My major is pharmacy...I think that most of the students in my class have sticks up their ass because they think that they are better than everyone else b/c they will be well off financially after college. I do not spend time with proffessors outside of class. I feel that WSU's academic requirements are fair. I think people make what they want to make out of the education they recieve here...if they're only purpose was to get a job after coollege that is what they will do and if they want to learn for the sake of learning they will do that.

Gene

As for academics, the school's actually becoming a lot tougher to get into and the education you receive here can be very beneficial to you. Most of the professor's are very friendly and more than happy to talk with you. And the counselor's do a good job of helping you look for internships, as well as jobs.

Jeff

You can get by without ever talking to a professor or them ever recognizing you in your first couple of years. However, once you get into your major, your classes get smaller and its tough to skate by. I never study too much and get pretty good grades, just make sure you attend class and participate. A lot of classes make attendance like 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your grade.

Daniel

At this point in time I am taking the required courses to be accepted in the Business Department So my classes are really big, and if you want to know your teachers you have to make a series effort. Sophomores generally study about one and a two hours a day of course juniors and seniors probably an hour more. Class preparation is common although you can get by in many classes by winging it. Students generally do not have intellectual conversations outside of class and if they do it’s probably because they are so shitfaced that they have finally taken the time to think of something bigger their immediate life circumstances. People are generally concerned with completing assignments and the next party, with little to no conversation of intellectual substance. WSU’s academic standards are starting to increase because of our new president. I feel that WSU teachers do a good job of pushing student without breaking them; however overall in my experience teachers are not very engaging and inspiring. WSU Is geared to getting jobs especially in the Business Department but all of the colleges combine to participate and indorse such events as the career fair which happens once a semester.