<p>How are the tests different from LAC and high school? Are all the tests in college, essays or does it have some multiple choice questions? Also how are the writing assignments different from college and high school? I would like to know these differences in a LAC setting. Also how do LAC go about improving student's speaking skills?</p>
<p>How much contribution do you have to make in class discussions at LAC? In high school I could just sleep or just listen when we have class discussions.</p>
<p>“In high school I could just sleep or just listen when we have class discussions.”</p>
<p>Well one of the reasons that students choose a LAC is because classes are small and professors are much more involved in “teaching”. You might want to rethink your commitment to sleeping or consider…</p>
<p>I have never had a multiple choice test in college at my small LAC (though I do hear that lecture classes at big universities sometimes have them). Most classes with exams only have one to three exams spread out over the entire semester. They range from 60-minute in class exams to unlimited-time open-library exams that we have a week to work on. Many classes, most notably in the humanities and some social sciences, don’t have exams at all. Instead they might assign a number of papers (I have had anything between five 5-pagers and two 20-pagers) that prompt you to develop and communicate your own point of view. In high school most exams tested if I had memorized the material. In my college classes that has been taken for granted. Instead the professors test whether I can work with the material, apply it to new situations and represent my own view on the topic.</p>
<p>
First off, that’s just rude. Secondly, you would be wasting a lot of money and the opportunity of an excellent education, but no one will force you to participate. You should know that the most successful students in college tend to be the students who participate actively and learn more material than necessary. Showing an interest in your professors work does not only lead to higher grades but other opportunities as well (a research assistantship offer, for example).</p>
<p>^^^ Yes, class attendance is often optional, and sleeping through class is the easiest way to fail. No stress at all. :)</p>
<p>LAC24, the structure of the class and its learning environment is professor- and course-dependent. My D attends an LAC, with a major in the sciences but with a minor in the humanities. Some courses, particularly intro science courses, have multiple choice exams and fewer discussions. As you get more advanced, even in the sciences, the emphasis moves to discussion, presentations, and papers, with an exam or two thrown in. Other courses are completely essay- and discussion-dependent. </p>
<p>The (generally) small class size in an LAC means that you cannot disappear in class. Imagine sleeping through class when there are only 15 students in the room. Or being the only one who never says anything. The strength of an LAC is discussion-based learning, with an emphasis on written expression, and interaction with the professors. You learn these techniques – written and oral expression – through practice, grades (often with a critique on what was missing), and peer examples. </p>
<p>Most students at LACs – at least, at the top ones – don’t want to be anonymous. Rather, they are looking for an intimate learning environment.</p>
<p>I honestly prefer to sleep when I am tired. I can force myself to go to class anyway, but I will not remember anything that was said in any of the classes that day because I was too tired to pay attention. Alternatively, I can sleep through one class and then pay attention in the next. This way at least I paid attention in one class. I heard that sleeping at night might work as well, but I haven’t tried it yet :)</p>
<p>^ I think a shy kid would be better off in a LAC, which are usually described as “small nurturing environments” where everyone gets to know each other and you see the same people everyday, so you’ll get comfortable around them. Professors/advisors also give you more individualized attention which might help reclusive students (if you’re too shy to tell the Prof you’re struggling, he might contact you directly instead of ignoring you).</p>
<p>That said, I was a bit shy before I started college and going to a huge school in NYC really changed that. Being shy just doesn’t work here because you’ll get lost amongst thousands, you have to learn to speak up. I feel like going to a large school in the city made me much more indepedent, social, articulate and aggressive (in a good way, I used to be passive agressive).</p>
<p>As for tests in LAC’s, I’m sure it depends on major. For liberal arts classes you will be writing lots of papers and not have much multiple choice stuff, for math/science you’ll be doing more problem sets/short answer questions than writing essays.</p>