Hey There Francisan University Students!

[Annie12]

I'm thinking about seriously transferring to Franciscan next semester. Tell me all the good stuff about FUS. I really want to know about the stuff that's probably not on their website! lol! Thanks!

[the171]

Whenever they say they are academically challenging, they aren't lying. Get ready for difficult classes.

[Amppax]

Whenever they say they are academically challenging, they aren't lying. Get ready for difficult classes.

 

Eh, agree to disagree, with a few exceptions. 

[4588686]

They're

[Annie12]

Eh, agree to disagree, with a few exceptions. 

 

what is your take on the academics?

[DeoDuce]

Oooh! I am going to Franciscan University as well!

[the171]

I'm going to a school. That's all I know. But funny stuff: I just got a call from admissions today. *They totally want me*

[Amppax]

what is your take on the academics?

 

Fine.  There are some majors that are extremely challenging (Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, Humanities and Catholic Culture, and possibly Catechetics) and there are difficult but good professors in pretty much all the majors.  It's a good school overall, but there are definitely some professors here who have no business teaching college level classes.  Then again, this is the only university I've attended, so I don't necessarily have a lot of experience of different professors. 

 

What major are you going to pursue? The answer to your question varies by major. 

Edited February 27, 2013 by Amppax

[franciscanheart]

Fine.  There are some majors that are extremely challenging (Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, Humanities and Catholic Culture, and possibly Catechetics) and there are difficult but good professors in pretty much all the majors.  It's a good school overall, but there are definitely some professors here who have no business teaching college level classes.  Then again, this is the only university I've attended, so I don't necessarily have a lot of experience of different professors. 
 
What major are you going to pursue? Because the answer to your question varies by major.

Most of the nursing programs with which I am familiar ARE difficult. Same goes for biology and chemistry. At least -- they can SEEM difficult to someone who doesn't have a science-oriented brain. Or whatever.

I don't find bio or chem to be difficult, but I know some do.

[PhuturePriest]

Beware of Scott Hahn exploding your mind in theology classes.

 

I like how I almost called him "Father" Scott Hahn.

Edited February 27, 2013 by FuturePriest387

[4588686]

I have a friend who used to live with him.  He was expelled from an Evangelical school for converting to Catholicism and Hahn let him live with him while he waited to see if Franciscan would offer him a tuition rate that was manageable.  It didn't.  Now he's a graduate student at Notre Dame.  He though that Hahn was brilliant but didn't think much of the academic environment in general.  The last time we talked he was going to be translating Hahn's thesis (the parts that were citation in Greek or Hebrew) into English so it could be published but I haven't heard anything of that in years.  

[Apotheoun]

It is a nice school, and there is a small Byzantine Catholic parish that you can attend in Weirton.

[Amppax]

It is a nice school, and there is a small Byzantine Catholic parish that you can attend in Weirton.

 

Did I hear a rumor that you're an alum? Or is that just me making things up?

[Slappo]

Beware of Scott Hahn exploding your mind in theology classes.

 

I like how I almost called him "Father" Scott Hahn.

 

I actually really disliked his undergraduate class on the new testament that I took. I thought Dr. John Bergsma was a much better teacher.

Fine.  There are some majors that are extremely challenging (Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, Humanities and Catholic Culture, and possibly Catechetics) and there are difficult but good professors in pretty much all the majors.  It's a good school overall, but there are definitely some professors here who have no business teaching college level classes.  Then again, this is the only university I've attended, so I don't necessarily have a lot of experience of different professors. 

 

What major are you going to pursue? The answer to your question varies by major. 

 

 

I think you'll find that is true at almost every college except maybe the most prestigious of colleges. I think it has less to do with the professor and more to do with the United States view on what is considered a college level class. A 3.5-4.0 is like the top 30-40% of students these days in the US whereas it should be more like the top 10%. College has become something that everyone should go to and be able to pass with decent grades rather than truly an academic challenge.

 

 

With a lot of the professors, especially the theology department (which is what I'm most familiar with), you learn what you put into it. You can pass the class with a B or even an A with a little effort, but to really learn the material you need to be spending quality time with the reading materials and outside research of the subject matter according to references and materials the professor suggests during lectures.

 

There are of course the more rigid rigorous rote learning classes such as the biblical studies classes where memorization and intense research is required to complete papers and pass tests. These are difficult more for the amount of workload rather than the difficulty of workload.

[Amppax]

I actually really disliked his undergraduate class on the new testament that I took. I thought Dr. John Bergsma was a much better teacher.

 

 

I think you'll find that is true at almost every college except maybe the most prestigious of colleges. I think it has less to do with the professor and more to do with the United States view on what is considered a college level class. A 3.5-4.0 is like the top 30-40% of students these days in the US whereas it should be more like the top 10%. College has become something that everyone should go to and be able to pass with decent grades rather than truly an academic challenge.

 

 

With a lot of the professors, especially the theology department (which is what I'm most familiar with), you learn what you put into it. You can pass the class with a B or even an A with a little effort, but to really learn the material you need to be spending quality time with the reading materials and outside research of the subject matter according to references and materials the professor suggests during lectures.

 

There are of course the more rigid rigorous rote learning classes such as the biblical studies classes where memorization and intense research is required to complete papers and pass tests. These are difficult more for the amount of workload rather than the difficulty of workload.

 

I was pretty sure that that was the case.  And I concur with your assessment, that's fairly applicable across the departments I have experienced.