Reply to I went to state school, kids going to LAC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Didn't read the bickering.

One thing that can be helpful for a parent to understand the difference in institutions, is looking at the expected credit load. Look at credit required to graduate and divide by number of terms, e.g. 8 semesters if that's the setup. At my state school this was something like 15 units per term, so 5 classes give or take was the norm. Often lacs are 4 classes per term. This isn't just about counting, it means the courses are set up differently. The professors and students know the constraints everyone is working under and budget accordingly.

Fewer courses per term means higher work load per course, and broader reach in the topics (including personalized research). As a parent coming from a state school, my approach had been to max out on credits, more is better, get something for free. That worked because none of my courses were particularly demanding or at least had very regimented predictable demands. In a smaller setting, the way you get extra is the prep put in to the individual course. Complete the reading/problem sets and push the discussion beyond the bounds of the course.

The transcripts look different but the outcome is the same. It was helpful as a parent to understand this early in the process and lay off bad advice. The students understand, of course, because they do what everyone at their school does, but they can't necessarily explain the distinction to a parent.[/quote]

Excellent point. I was a little surprised to see my SLAC-bound kid only has to take four courses each semester. A different model, yes.[/quote]
It tends to be 4 classes and 1class-&gt;4 credits[/quote]

Sorry, I don't follow?[/quote]

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