How Much Homework Do You Really Have at Vandy?
Many of my friends at other schools often ask me, “wow you go to Vanderbilt? Are you like always studying?” and I can genuinely tell you my answer is no! Vanderbilt has amazing classes that are often challenging but professors are much more understanding, kind, and invested in students’ learning that many people outside of Vanderbilt may expect.
Of course, the amount of homework you will have if you choose to come here varies by major, semester, and personal work ethic and time management. To snap things into perspective, last semester I did around 2 hours of homework every weeknight, while this semester, I rarely have mandatory homework but rather, I have large tests three times per semester for each class. For these tests, I usually spend over 10 hours studying for each but it is nice because the rest of the time, I have little to no homework.
However, if you are overwhelmed by work or have a tough week (which you will at any college), professors are very helpful in office hours and often hold review sessions. I personally think this is one of the main advantages of a smaller school because professors are always available to answer questions because they have fewer students. For example, I always go to office hours before an economic statistics exam, and there are usually only about 2-3 students there, making the time very useful, productive, and personalized.
I have also found that many professors are receptive to their students’ stress and will arrange assignments and exams accordingly. This semester, I had a professor give us two possible dates (one before and one after spring break) to turn in an essay so we could choose the date that correlated best with the coursework of our other classes and personal commitments. I have also had professors in the past who were always willing to give extensions if needed.
The moral of the story is that Vandy is a great, challenging, and rewarding institution but you do not have to worry about being swamped with homework at all hours of the day, and if you ever feel this way, the benefit of a small school is that there are always professors and students to give you support!