Western Michigan University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Aaron

In my exeperience most classes are too large for professors to know your name. I have had a couple of classes where they did though. I loved Dr. Johnson's Psychology class. He was an absolutely amazing professor. Most students do not study a lot in my experience. Class participation is semi-common. Some students have intellectual conversations outside of class but not a lot. Students are competitive...AT BEER DRINKING! Thus far the most unique class I have taken was my genesis and devlopment of rock and roll class. It was a really fascinating look at the roots of American music. I have spent time after class talking with professors and I have never had a professor who was not willing to talk to me after class for as long as I wanted to about a subject. I wish they would clamp down on the academics here. I feel it would help a Western degree be looked at more favorably.

Tobias

Western Michigan University is a top 100 school in the nation and is as competitive academically as any other state school in Michigan. If you believe the stereotype that Western is a party school and that you don't need to come to class and still get by, you are sorely mistaken.

Margaret

My professors did know my name except for in one class. I had the benefit of having smaller class sizes, all being under thirty so it wasn't exactly a challenge for the professors to learn their students' names. My favorite class was calculus. I had never taken it before so it was extremely challenging in my first semester of college, but nothing feels better than knowing I completed and passed that class. I love math so I enjoyed the class overall and was really able to engage and push myself to achieve the grade I received. Students study different amounts based on their schedules. Most students have homework everyday and depending on the class have at least one test or quiz in each class per week so studying is required often but not so often it's unmanageable. Class participation is encouraged and common. Professors look to students to contribute and everyone's there to learn and everyone has opinions so why not share them? Some classes develop intellectual conversations after class more than others. With such a large university if a student wants to have an intellectual conversation they can find people to do it with. Students can be competitive but I haven't run into any problems. It's healthy competition if anything. It provides a way for students to motivate each other but in the end they usually support one another as well. The most unique class I've taken was the first year seminar class entitled "Arts in Action." My professor taught in the school of music and showed us Indonesian art, music and helped us Discover Kalamazoo as well as taught us basic skills to succeed during our time at Western. My current major is Undecided, however I am in the Business School. I am leaning towards a major in either Management or Nonprofit business. In the next semester I have signed up for classes that will hopefully show me a little more in the world of business so that I can narrow down and declare my major. The Business School has been very helpful in advising and always welcome questions and work with the students well. I do not spend time out of class with my professors too much, but I have stayed after to discuss what we talked about in class or grades. I feel that the academic requirements are appropriate for the different majors and departments and ultimately fairly determined. Education is geared toward both getting a job and learning on it's own. It mostly depends on the class but in today's society the amount of jobs are minimal and so it's important to be qualified. Professors provide real-life situations to prepare students for jobs in the real world but also teach them the basic information needed to receive a degree.

Elizabeth

Western has a range of classes from huge lectures so no more than 16 people. A lot of the prerequisite classes are in huge lecture halls. Since so many students have to take a the same classes, this is what is necessary. The majority of professor's I have had, even in huge lecture halls, are more than willing to help you. I have been struggling academically in a course before along with 200 other students and my professor dropped what he was doing to help me. You have to make the extra effort to attend their office hours but it is well worth it. Students are friendly and willing to get together to help one another with classes. Even if you don't know the person you're sitting next to, it's easy to start up a conversation and get a new study buddy. There are constantly people in the library at all times of the year so if studying is your number 1 priority, you aren't alone. My favorite classes have been the ones with funny and charming professors. No student wants to sit through a 2 hour lecture but I've had professors that have made it well worth it.

Alyssa

Academics at WMU are awesome! Classes range from large lecture settings to small classrooms. In my two years at Western, I have had both small classes and big ones and almost every class has made me feel like I can go to the professor with a question and they will be there for me. My favorite class at WMU was my COM 2800 class. It is an organizational communication class. The material was not even my favorite part about the class, but the lecture and the professor. My lecture had about 85 kids and still my professor knew about 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the kids by name. She made class exciting with her power point slides and she even showed Youtube videos to help us relate to the material more.

Remy

Great school academically, and geared to prepare students to find a job upon graduation

Nick

Any degree from Western is a solid investment in my opinion, but there are many programs that stand out nationally. The Aviation program is unrivaled, the College of Fine Arts is surprisingly impressive for a Midwestern school, and majors like Nursing, Engineering, Education, and Business are also popular and competitive. Professors in smaller classes always know my name, or at least recognize me outside of the classroom and professors who lecture in 100+ person halls do seem to genuinely care how the class is learning and grasping the material. Some people are better students than others, but study groups are common and people are willing to help, including your professors so go to their office hours! I am a Business student in the Haworth College of Business, which is competitive. To give myself an edge and supplement what I learn in the classroom I stay involved with student organizations. Many of my professors recommend getting involved, which can be great preparation for life after college (networking, people skills, having leadership roles.) Getting an education from Western is ideal for someone looking to immediately enter the workforce, but also for those who want a solid undergraduate background for graduate level programs.

Nick

Any degree from Western is a solid investment in my opinion, but there are many programs that stand out nationally. The Aviation program is unrivaled, the College of Fine Arts is surprisingly impressive for a Midwestern school, and majors like Nursing, Engineering, Education, and Business are also popular and competitive. Professors in smaller classes always know my name, or at least recognize me outside of the classroom and professors who lecture in 100+ person halls do seem to genuinely care how the class is learning and grasping the material. Some people are better students than others, but study groups are common and people are willing to help, including your professors so go to their office hours! I am a Business student in the Haworth College of Business, which is competitive. To give myself an edge and supplement what I learn in the classroom I stay involved with student organizations. Many of my professors recommend getting involved, which can be great preparation for life after college (networking, people skills, having leadership roles.) Getting an education from Western is ideal for someone looking to immediately enter the workforce, but also for those who want a solid undergraduate background for graduate level programs.

Nick

Any degree from Western is a solid investment in my opinion, but there are many programs that stand out nationally. The Aviation programs are unrivaled, the College of Fine Arts is surprisingly impressive for a Midwestern school, and majors like Nursing, Engineering, Education, and Business are also popular and competitive. Professors in smaller classes always know my name, or at least recognize me outside of class and professors who lecture in 100+ person halls do seem to genuinely care how the class is learning and grasping the material. Some people are better students than others, but study groups are common and people are willing to help, including your professors so go to their office hours! I am a Business student in the Haworth College of Business, which is competitive. To give myself an edge and supplement what I learn in the classroom I get involved with student organizations. Many of my professors recommend getting involved, which can be great preparation for life after college (networking, people skills, having leadership roles.) Getting an education from Western is ideal for someone looking to immediately enter the workforce, but also for those who want a solid undergraduate background for graduate level programs.

Amanda

Western attracts great professors like a hummingbird is attracted to a flower. We have amazing professors along with great class sizes and lecture halls and rooms. Many classes are contained to less than 100, and if we are enrolled in the Lee Honors College we can bet all our classes are under 30 students. We are driven by success and learning, along with knowledge. Students strive to learn more and want to grow as a person by experiencing the moment when someone shares that perfect piece of knowledge that makes the light bulb go off within our minds. Class participation is expected, but often over exceeds the professors expectations. The conversations are deep and insightful and we can walk away knowing something that we hadn't before. It is a great feeling to know that we are getting what we are paying for and will take what we learn away when we graduate and go on with our lives.

Anndreisha

When you are at Western Michigan University, you are never just another number in a big lecture hall unless you want to be. The professors encourage you to visit them before class, after class or at their office hours if you need help with anything. Students here study a lot on campus together at study tables, in the library or the Bernhard Center. The group projects and more hands on courses allow you to interact with your peers and make new friends everyday that may be there for a life time. I'm a Human Resource Management Major and I am always in the Business college where all of the staff and advisers are very good resources for any questions o concerns that i have with classes, scheduling or anything at all.

Michael

The classes and majors obviously, but the teachers I've had so far are very understanding and will work to get you that good grade

Tate

I've had two different experiences with classes at Western. On one hand I've had many huge classes with 200+ students. On the other, some of my classes have had under 30 students. In the smaller classes the professor knew my name and would interact with us before going into a lecture. Even in the larger classes, the professors would constantly ask students questions, or try to get the class to participate. I'm part of the business college, and everyone their is very friendly. Many of the students in the business college are really focused on their future professional career. Their are tons of opportunities for internships, and companies constantly stop by for job fairs. It's definitely a great place to get your career started. I do wish their was a little more encouragement for entrepreneurship, but knowing that I could find a job really easily after I graduate puts my mind at peace.

Dawson

Since I am a undecided freshman, a great deal of my classes are general education classes and other various classes that I need for basics. Basically this means they are very large classes (some 200+) students, and my teachers do not know me by name. For some of these classes I do have a lab that meets once a week, so my lab teacher (usually a grad student) does know me by name because there are only 10-30 students in the lab.

Jess

there are a lot of academic programs to choose from. class sizes are just right, and most of my professors know me by name. also, there is many opportunities to meet with professors outside of class

Ryan

My professors do know my name for my upper level classes It more like least professor and favorite professor, I pick my classes by which prof is teaching that semester In Engineering we study a lot Class participation isn't common I do have intellectual convos outside of class, but not that much Students are competitive, there are a lot of study groups and helping out, a big plus on what I like about WMU I know all my professors and I can ask them a question at any time. The engineering college is away from the rest of the school, so it gives you that small school environment and you can really get to know your teachers

Beth

Professors know my name because I am actively involved in class. Yes, WMU students have intellectual conversations outside of class.

Morgan

All of my professors know my name and generally greet me when I come to class. The education at WMU seems to be more geared towards getting a job than just learning for learning sake.

Andy

The Communications department at WMU is the one I've had the most experience with, and it's great. Of course, there are teachers I could live without, but one of my favorite classes at Western was in the Communications department too. It was my first semester here, and it was the first Comm. class I took, Communication Theory. I loved it! The professor was so energetic, and even though it was a huge lecture class, I felt like my prof. knew me. My other favorite class was in the women's studies deparment; Media and the Sexes. It too was a big class, but the professor was great about getting to know everyone. I still talk to him sometimes! Another thing that made those two classes so great was student participation. Of course, there are some classes where students hardly participate at all, maybe because it's too early, or because it's not that interesting, but mostly I've found that students are willing to share their thoughts.

Ainsley

Freshman academics are to be exprected of any large university. The attendance policy is crazy for those of you interested in Frostic School of Arts or anything that has a class size of less than 20. Professors demand that u miss less than two classes with an excuse or doctors note, if u miss anymore than that with or without a note your grade is lowered by an entire letter, and two tarties equals one absense.

Kaylynn

I know my professors name and they know mine! My favorite classes are my Elementary Education classes. I love them ALL! Class participation is very common. I have a lot of discussion-based classes that are require involvement in order to get the most out of them! Some students are very competitive, while others are not very motivated at all... I'm in the Early Childhood Development major within Elementary Education. My minors are Science and Language Arts. Early childhood development basically means that I will be specialized in grades K-3rd and certified in grades K-5th. In terms of spending time with professors outside of class, I go to office hours, but only if I need to. I'm not the type to just stop by to chat. At least I haven't thus far! I'm glad that WMU is starting to try to get students out in 4 years. That needs to start happening again.

Miranda

All my professors know me by name and are actually interested in how I'm doing. My classes are very participation oriented and most students take class time serious. I think that the academic requirements are well rounded, however, i do not like having to take a public speaking class. It feels unnecessary to me but I'm required to take it.

Brad

It depends on the class in huge lectures its hard for them to know your name but in smaller classes they normally do. My favorite class was a sociology course i took it was just really interesting and the professor really knew what he was talking about. My least favorite was statistics because i just dont like math that much. During finals week everyone studies a ton but on an average week its not that much. Once again it depends on the class, in big lectures people tend to not participate but in the smaller classes you get to have more input. It's college so most people here are intellectual to some extent so yeah you talk about intellectual things sometimes. I dont really notice the competitiveness yet being only in my second yeah but I'm sure it will become more noticeable later. The most unique class I've taken has got to be racquet sports. I havent really taken and classes in my major yet I'm still fulfilling other requirements. I don't but they have office hours that you can go to if you need to talk to them and they are all pretty flexible. The education at WMU prepares you to get a job but the general education classes give you room to do learn about other areas that interest you as well.

Katie

Proffessors in my major know my name, and some that i have had along the way. they are for the most part friendly. I have a hard time when i get a foriegn teacher though, not that i judge or discriminate, but when you get a teacher you can't even understand it makes classes very hard. In my program, advertising and promotion, education is very geared toward getting a job. Teachers are very helpful in terms of networking with you and helping you in anyway that you need.

Jo

The smaller classes know my name. My favorite class was water aerobics. My least favorite is Principles of Biology. Students don't study as much as they should. Class participation is getting more common than what I heard it was in the past. Yes, WMU students have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are competitive. Whether its mexican train, ping-pong--we are competitive. WMU's academic requirements = waste of time=Gen. Ed's. When you get to college, I think one should be able to just jump into the field they are going into. If there are pre-reqs for those classes, then they should be taken. Otherwise, these proficiencies are a waste.

Adam

yes, Communication eithics is very interesting to me, when i took Phychology, some, Meditation or Video Game and Society, Film/Video/Media Studies its learning everything about TV and Film and society, no, the requirments are normal i would think, getting a job i feel.

Craig

The professors I've had have been pretty good, in general, about getting to know the students. Most of the classes are reasonably sized. Most of the students are students first, and drunk idiots second - it is not hard to find interesting people to have interesting conversations with. The philosophy department is particularly good.

Edith

The professors know my name. My favorite class is my only class--Conversation German. I do not have a least favorite class. Students vary in the amount of time they study. Some students seem to work hard, while others just do the minimum. My professors try to encourage class participation, but students do not seem to like to participate. I've found WMU students very engaged in intellectual conversations--especially regarding politics. Students are somewhat competitive, but they also like to work in teams to help each others. I believe WMU's academic requirements do not include enough writing. For the vast majority of students, the education at WMU is geared toward getting a job more than toward learning for its own sake. In my case, the focus is on learning for its own sake.

Sarah

some profs know my name...in particular the small classes are nice because you really get 1 on 1 time with the prof so that the material is covered and understood really well! my favorite class is anything dance! i really liked ballet history but i also really enjoy my technique classes... the time i spend with profs outside of class is during performances and tech weeks where we are all in rehearsal crazy amounts of time

Andy

Professors do not know my name.

Amanda

Some of my professors do know my name, and aside from one class, the smallest room I'm in is packed with 30some people. My favorite classes are my psych classes, it really interests me. I found Abnormal Psych particularly interesting, but not applicable to my hopeful line of work. My least favorite class I took last semester - Methods of Data Collection for Sociology. Possibly it was worse because I had just come from Research Methods for Psychology, which wasn't particularly fun either. I'm not sure how often most students study, but I study nearly every day, weekends being the exception. During the week, I spend a lot of time studying, possibly more so because by the weekend I want a break. Class participation is uncommon in some of my classes. It seems that after the first couple weeks, it is established who will speak up, and after that it's more difficult to start. I feel like I take part in intellectual conversations outside of class. It might be wishful thinking, but I feel like I do. My boyfriend is an International Politics major, as well as Social Psych, and he knows his stuff, and is not afraid to have an opinion. We tend to talk about a lot of the stuff we've been going over in each of our classes, or discuss our feelings on issues covered on The Daily Show and Colbert Report. The psych class I'm in right now (PSY 3600 Malott)is definitely geared toward getting a job if you take the Croyden Practicum. I guess that would make the program geared toward career, rather than the class specifically. A lot of my classes feel like learning for its own sake, but I hope to put that to use in my career. I have never gone to a prof's office hours, as of yet. This is my 4th semester at WMU, and haven't had to meet outside of class, other than to get an email address.

KennyH

Depends on the class size. My favorite class was World Ecological Problems with Will Reding. It really opened my eyes to whats going on in our environmental world.

Amanda

Some of my professors know my name, but I don't usually speak out in class so those teachers don't really know me. My favorite classes are ones in my majors; accounting or finance. My least favorite classes are the gen ed classes. I don't see the point. Many classes have students that study in groups outside of class.

Ann

A few of my professors know my name. Mainly in the smaller classes. I have never had a bad experience with a professor. They have always been there to help in any way they could. I tend to have a problem studying but it is my own fault. Sometimes I tend to get caught up in having fun when I should be studying. A lot of my friends do study quite often though. I was just saying how I really loved it here because I can actually have intellectual conversations with other students. I love it. Someone always has something of substance to talk about. So far my classes seem to be more towards learning for learnings sake. But, I still have only taken a few classes toward my major, a lot my my classes have been gen eds. My Major is Education. I have been very happy with my consolers. They are always friendly and ready to help.

Brooke

yes. my favorite class is photography. my least favorite class is geography. some students study constantly; others never. class participation is relative to your major, usually. all of my friends have intellectual conversations outside of class frequently. competition is relative to area of study. the most unique class i've taken is literary classics. i'm an art major, going into graphic design, and wmu is the only fine arts school in michigan. i've just recently had a professor help me with a photo shoot outside of class. wmu's academic requirements are just right; not too overwhelming, but challenging. wmu's education is geared towards both of those: learning to learn, but learning more specifically as your program progresses.

Aaron

Depends on the classes with professors. Some of my professors are awesome, but others don't try to get to know you, but that is partially because they are bigger lectures. My favorite class is probably y chem labs. My least favorite class is my Physics 2 class because the professor doesn't answer many questions. Students in my classes study often I would say, but that is because I'm an engineering major. I think in other majors such as business it isn't s high rate of students studying. I find that I am one of few people in class who answer questions the professor asks. This I believe is because of different personalities. I find that I do have conversations with other students about industry. The students in my classes are highly competitive, but we also work together to get homework and studying done. The only time i see my professors is sometimes at the hockey games, but some professors are going to Germany with students this summer. It think that academic requirements in some departments are just right but I feel the overall requirements are low.The education at WMU is geared toward getting a job.

Tristan

Some professors know their students names. It just depends on the size of the class. My favorite class is Child Psychology. The teacher is really cool. It's hard to say whether or not students talk about stuff outside of class. I'm sure some of them do, but probably not a majority. At least, not anything more than homework. I think WMU is geared toward helping students find employment after their degrees are earned.

lydie

My professors know my name but honestly it's about how well you get to know them too. It is not soley they're responsibility to know you. My favorite classes are my psych classes. LOVE the psych department. I study about 10 hours a week depending on what i have to do, though i think that may be more than a lot of the students. Class participation is sometimes manditory which i think is good in some classes and irritating in others. some classes you really do have to show up to understand the material and some you don't. The students here are sometimes competitive-but i think it depends on what your field is and how far along you are in it.

Tristan

I feel Western has nicely sized classes. Most classes seem to have an average of 30 students. There are several lecture classes, but they don't seem so overwhelmingly large. My biggest lecture class, Finite Math my first semester as a freshman, had about 230 students. Obviously, for the lecture classes you have to make it a point to get to know your professor otherwise, to them, you’re just another “WIN ID”. However, for the most part, my professors know me by name. They’re all very personable, and they encourage students to stop by for office hours. WMU does require students to take general education courses. These classes are anything from foreign languages to introductory science course and Intermediate Swimming to Music Appreciation: Rock and Roll. Generally, I like taking the general education credits; I suppose I like being "well rounded". But, there is one distribution area that I dread-- Natural Science and Technology. Philosophy of Science? Introduction to Manufacturing? Oh dear. I cannot offer too much insight about classes for my major. I only declared my major about two or three months ago; so, I haven’t taken too many of the required classes. But, I can say, my favorite classes each semester are my English classes. Of course, the subject matter interests me—my major is English. But, I feel the teachers also play a big factor. I kind of get the feeling that the English teachers at Western are a little crazy. But, crazy in a good way. Crazy in a way that keeps students wanting to come back to class. Crazy in a way that keeps students wanting to learn more. As for academics outside of class, I'd say I spend about 3 to 5 hours a day doing homework, completing reading assignments, or just general studying. It usually depends on how lazy I am that day or how much I've procrastinated earlier in the week. Sometimes, my friends tell me I neglect them because I spend so much time studying rather than hanging out with them. Personally, I'm baffled they have so much free time. Maybe we have different work ethics, or maybe I've chosen incredibly work-intensive classes.

Andrea

All of my professors know me by name, mostly because I am done with gen. ed. classes and now have small, tight-knit classes. I don't have a favorite teacher per se but I have had many favorable teachers. The ones that have pushed me to do my best and really take the time to get to know me and my work are my favorite. My least favorite teacher would be one of the graduate student teachers I had for a critical reasoning class who didn't show up to class often, and completely skipped out of coming to class the last 3 class periods before the final exam. Most of my friends study a lot (so do I) but I think it depends on the person's work schedule and class load (or subject matter). For my classes, class participation is key. Most of my classes are lecture and discussion based classes, as well as writing classes in which we must interact with peers to perfect our pieces. The people that I interact with all have intellectual conversations outside of class; however, I have heard some pretty ridiculous conversations in passing. I think that there is a general laziness by many students on campus who don't really care where they end up in life, but on the other side of things, many do care and are competitive in a sense that they want to achieve as much as possible and get the most out of their education. The most unique class that I have taken was a Dark Comedy and Satire english class last semester. I love the subject matter, even before I took the class, and was surprised to see it as a offered course. The professor was incredible as well. My major is English with emphasis on Practical Writing. My goal, as of right now, is to get into publishing. The english department has a very eclectic group of professors who are very successful and intellectual. I have yet to have a bad professor. The best professors are the ones that really push you to think outside the box and promote a conducive environment for learning. Very laid back and liberal as well. I generally don't spend physical time outside of class with my professors but I do keep in constant contact with them via email. The academic requirement is adequate for my department and is very focused on the area you are studying. The getting a job/learning for its own sake depends on the area of study I suppose. The english department is very focused on developing your skills to be successful in your career but also focuses on the actual learning of the subject as a whole.