I have been reading some blogs and it seems the school tries to weed out the students? How is this done? Are there resoursces for these classes that provide help to get the student through? How competitive are the students with each other in these classes? Are they taught by TA"s?
I’ve never experienced “weeding out” at WashU, yes the classes are difficult and some people decide that pre med is no longer for them, but that’s a decision they make. The administration never stops you from following the path you want, and are very encouraging at every step of the way. THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES TO HELP STUDENTS IT’S INSANE. From group review sessions, office hours, peer led team learning, Biology Team Learning, Cornerstone tutoring and help desks, the list goes on and on. Tutoring has absolutely zero stigma at WashU, and almost everyone takes advantage of these opportunities whether or not they are struggling. Additionally WashU is a super collaborative environment and the professors emphasize it is the students vs. the material, never students vs students. I’ve never witnessed any cutthroat or negative competition at WashU, everyone genuinely wants to help eachother out. I’ve had countless experiences in which I didn’t understand something, and all I had to do was ask someone to explain it to me, and they’d make it their personal goals to make sure I understood the concept. All classes are taught by professors, but TA’s will lead our labs and recitation sections.
Thank you for your reply. You sound very happy there! How are the social activites on campus for freshman and sophomores?
There’s a wide variety of social options available, but WashU definitely isn’t a massive party school. Each frat throws one completely open party during first semester and a lot of different cubs and organizations will do off campus parties. Greek life parties are usually much more closed second semester but you can hear about them if you have friends in the frat or rush. Other major party times are WILD and Mardi Gras. For non partiers Ursa’s hosts nightlife events every Friday and most Saturdays with free food and activities. I really do love WashU, if you have any other questions feel free to ask!!!