You Will Be Challenged

Think about the scope of societal change over the last three decades. From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the emergence of the Internet as a powerful force in our lives, the world is radically different in 2012 than it was in 1982. There is an old adage that the only thing that remains the same is change, and this certainly seems likely in the years ahead.

An academically rigorous education is one way to prepare for such a future. Our students have the opportunity to take classes in a variety of areas (see our liberal arts section). They also interact with faculty – not teaching assistants – every day. Instruction usually occurs in small classes and small labs. While some of these attributes make education a little easier (if you get the chance to ask professors questions, you are more likely to be successful in the classroom), most of them are designed to challenge students.

A Rich Classroom Experience

How tough is it going to be? The real answer is, about as tough as you make it – because in this kind of learning environment, you’ll keep setting your own “bar” higher.

At the same time, you’ll be surrounded by classmates who are as engaged as you are – and by professors who sincerely want you to succeed beyond your wildest dreams. Whatever challenges you face (or create!), they’ll be there to help you figure out how to meet them.

You won’t be sitting in a huge auditorium, trying to pay attention while a graduate assistant who’d rather be somewhere else drones on and on. You won’t be cramming fact upon fact into your brain so you can spit them back out on a multiple choice test that bears no resemblance to anything you’ll be asked to do in life after college.

Small class sizes mean our students are more likely to come to class every day, since their teachers and classmates will notice their absence. It means they have to be prepared, since small classes depend on faculty and student interaction, as well as student-to-student interaction. As faculty get to know students, they give them additional challenges and encourage them to stretch.

State University Alumni

Lutheran Alumni

I was involved in extensive classroom discussions.

I had many classes with fewer than 20 students.

I had professors who challenged me, but helped me meet those challenges.

At our colleges and universities You will:

• Be taught by professors, not graduate students.
• Take many small, discussion-oriented classes, where you’ll be expected to contribute to the discussion, to write both short and thesis-length papers, to make presentations in class and to show what you’ve learned in essay exams.
• Take courses in the hard sciences, literature, social sciences, foreign languages, history and philosophy – no matter your chosen major.
• Have many opportunities to study overseas or off campus, create your own independent study and collaborate with your professors on original research.

Ready for Anything

The broad range of courses our students take means they will have the chance to hone skills in areas they know they like, but also help them meet unexpected challenges in areas that are less comfortable for them. At the same time, our extensive focus on international education and faith-based inquiry means that students will be challenged to look at themselves and their beliefs in a variety of ways.

Why are our graduates so successful? Because they have been challenged intellectually for four years. They developed their skills and leave our campuses prepared to recognize, address and meet the expectations of working life or graduate school.