Some general questions about Clark

Hi, I am an admitted student and I have some questions about academics and campus life:

  1. What are classes like (especially in social sciences)? are they small? are students active learners(not looking tired all the time)? Is it discussion based or lecture based?
  1. I cannot live without extra help or building relationship with professors. Are they willing to help? and are they willing to help beyond office hours? Any TA/tutors available?
  2. Is it easy to find academically-focused people there? I am nerd and I love to talk about GPA, LSAT, career, grades and current events all the time, hopefully I won't be alone
  3. Can I take 5 courses in a semester? Can I take 200 level above as a freshman? (I have some AP credits)
  4. For campus life, can I get a single room as a freshman? Is there any substance free or (party free) housing?
  5. Safety. How likely is it to be stolen or robbed on campus? I know Clark has a great escort service for off-campus. Can escort pick students up at the Union station?
  6. Anyone know something about pre-law at Clark?

Thank you in advance!

Great questions, I know we’d like to explore some of these areas as well, although sitting around talking about stats probably isn’t the best way to make friends lol.

I will try to answer all of these questions to the best of my ability, but I don’t have personal experience with everything.

  1. I have found the classes to be much more small and discussion based than lecture based, but there is definitely a spectrum. The two largest classes (Intro psych and Intro bio) are over 100 students, but also have lab and/or discussion sessions which are much smaller and very much discussion based and hands on.
  2. a) One of the biggest benefits I've found in a smaller school has been the ability to build relationships with professors. I am often too busy to find time to meet with professors during regular office hours, though I've definitely had classes where I've need to meet with a professor outside of class. I have met with professors for coffee at our on campus coffee shop, or just met in their office for a scheduled meeting on their own time, and I even had a professor who would take a few different students out for breakfast before class just to chat and catch up. b) In terms of TAs/tutors, every department does this differently, and so I'm not able to give a completely full answer to this, although I can just give my own personal experience. Sometimes labs and discussions will be run by TAs, who will also have office hours, but also there are many undergrad students who tutor. My best experience with this has been in the chemistry department, which offers tutoring for anyone during the week nightly. When I was taking organic chem, I would go there several times a week just to go over problems and past exams, etc... I found them super helpful, especially because the tutors are all students who have recently taken the same class and really know what the professors are looking for.
  3. I would say somewhat of a mix between yes and no, and I'll explain why. I think there are lots of different kinds of Clarkies, so it is hard to generalize the whole student body. There are plenty of what might be classified as "nerds" here (myself included) although I don't think most Clarkies take themselves as seriously as they take their work. What I mean by that is that I think many Clarkies care more about the things they are doing than the results of those things; so I will often hear long and deep conversations about the content of classes, and the things students are passionate about, rather than just the grades that everyone is getting. The fact that Clark very much does not have a typical academically "competitive" atmosphere (in that students are more collaborative than "against" each other), and yet Clarkies are still very academically rigorous is something that I really love.
  4. After your first year, you are able to petition to take a 5th course each semester, and in most cases it will be allowed. Depending on your incoming credits, you may be able to take some 200 level courses. In both cases, you really shouldn't feel pressure to do so though.
  5. a) There are only a small number of singles available for first years. Most are for students with some kind of extenuating circumstances, or medical reason to have a single, though occasionally if you really want one, you might get it. Almost all first years will be in a double though, and I think that living with a roommate, even if for only one year, is a very important experience/skill to have. b) For substance free housing, in short, the rules follow the laws. Since almost every first year student will be under 21, alcohol is not allowed in first year halls. That being said, if anyone from any college tells you that there is no drinking/partying, then they are lying, and things like that do happen. There is a Wellness floor available in one of the 3 first year halls, as well as a wellness house for upperclassmen, which has a more strict no substance policy, and so most students living there will have similar views on wanting to live party/substance-free.
  6. Safety on campus has a lot to do with the culture of the school. In my almost 3 years here, I have almost never heard of any instances of safety issues on campus. Honesty, I have always felt comfortable leaving my stuff in the caf/library/etc... to go to the bathroom, or something like that, and I have never had anything stolen, and I think most Clarkies feel the same. For escort, they technically only have a 1/4 mile radius, although that extends in some directions, but they do not regularly go to Union Station. In the past year, they have done temporary trips there for the beginning/end of vacations, but it is usually easier to just get a cab or take the bus (which can drop you off right across the street from campus).
  7. I unfortunately don't really know much about pre-law, other than that it exists because I'm friends with the Pre-Law Society president, and a few pre-law students. For a better answer, I would recommend asking on the accepted students' facebook page!

Wow that was a long answer, I hope it gave you some insight, and if you need any clarification, don’t hesitate to ask!

1 Like

@ClarkU2016‌ thank you so much for your answers! Is Wellness floor quieter than other floors? are people living in that floor isolated? and for dorm bathroom, is it shared by all people living in that floor? is there a shower curtain only or shower curtain+a door in the showering area?

I would say yes, the wellness floor is quieter. Mostly because the people who choose to live there are also looking for a quieter living environment. It is definitely not isolated though; the wellness floor is just the 4th floor in one of the 3 first year residence halls, so you’ll still be living around a lot of other first years.

For bathrooms, it depends on the hall. In the hall with the wellness floor, the bathrooms are gender neutral, but they are single bathrooms, where you go in and lock the door behind you, so completely private. In the two other halls, there are stalled bathrooms/showers, and it is up to each individual floor each year to decide whether they want them to be gender neutral or gender separated.

@ClarkU2016‌ so how many bathrooms in the wellness floor,since they are private?

There are actually 6 bathrooms on that floor, 4 that are private, and 2 that have multiple stalls.

All of the layouts of halls including bathrooms are on the Clark website.

@ClarkU2016‌ Do you know anything about language department at Clark, cuz I learned that there are only two French teachers there… and I am considering majoring in French