Academics

(I am a chemistry major who took POB for fun because I like biology) The Sciences are no joke especially POB106 (principles of biology) which you would take in your 2nd semester there. If you plan to go the science route make sure you are CERTAIN. More than half of the students who initially signed up for being a biology major get dropped out. The rigor I cannot emphasize enough is quite overwhelming. You will be spending countless nights in the library or Schaefar under some study light studying or writing some paper for another class. It IS NO JOKE, St. Mary's is called the Honors college for a reason. For any intro classes and classes after that fufill your major requirements, you must obtain a C i.e 74.5% to continue pursuing that major. If you do not obtain it, you will have to take the class over if you still want to continue. However, you will get credit still for the class if it a 4-credit class for example. Just as long as your grade is not below a D. The standard at St. Mary's is set pretty high which is why it is ranked among the top 3 liberal arts colleges in America.

It is hard to gauge the difficulty of classes, because they vary. In general, I believe that many of the 100 level classes are relatively easy to adjust to and pass, as long as the student is managing their time properly. There are 100 level classes that are very difficult for students, again, with time management these classes are easy to overcome. Upper level classes are fairly predictable in their difficulty, since their challenge rises as their level gets higher.

It should be noted that this is a liberal arts college, so about eight of the courses throughout your four years at the college will be to fulfill the core curriculum. Due to this, students will have to take courses outside of their direct field /major. This alone can create a challenge for students that struggle with certain subjects, and make courses within those subjects seem more difficult. To help students, there are plenty of opportunities available to help students that want support in a course, even if they arenâ??t struggling in it.

It is an honor's college, with the focus of heavy critical thinking and discussion within the curriculum of most classes.