Cornell College
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Academics at Cornell can be summed up in one word—OCAAT. OCAAT, or One Course At A Time, stands for the unique block plan Cornell’s academic calendar follows, and it’s pretty much what it sounds like. Students take one course for 18 days, and then have a four-day break before beginning their next course. Most courses average two to four hours of class time per day and all classes finish by 3 p.m., so the rest of the day is free for extracurricular activities and studying. This means no juggling an English paper, a math test, and a science presentation all in the same week. And instead of end-of-the-semester finals mania, you have just one final a month. Students still learn about the same amount of material as they would on a standard semester plan, just in a more condensed and intensive setting.

OCAAT provides a number of exceptional opportunities for students aside from the ability to focus on a single subject. With classes capped at 25 or fewer and professors who are only focusing on one course as well, many students develop mentoring relationships with professors in their major fields. Additionally, opportunities to study off campus are easy to come by and very affordable. There are between 20 and 30 courses offered in both domestic and international locations in a wide variety of departments. These block-long experiences include studying the genetics of fire coral in The Bahamas, learning about education in South Africa, and absorbing literature and theater on a tour of Great Britain. Cornell students can also take advantage of semester-long programs offered by the ACM—Associated Colleges of the Midwest—with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

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Academics at Cornell College

JRamirez14

Anthropology and Archaeology '14

4.2

A-

Advisor Helps With Everything

You adviser helps you pick the best classes for your intended major. They base it on your capability and if you really need it. Also, if you do not want a specific class, they will try their best to either get through it or help you find another.

Jul 18, 2011

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Academics at Cornell College

tinyspider

Mathematics Teacher Education '14

4.6

A

Special Study Options

The BSS option at Cornell College really gives more options for every student in that you can design your own major.

Feb 26, 2011

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Academics at Cornell College

Dzung

Business '13

4.6

A

You Have Lots of Opportunities With Every Major You Are at

My major is Economics. There is Berry Center which helps Econ students a lot with everything: internships, reading groups, independent study etc. All the professors are very nice and helpful in finding resources for students in their majors. Other majors like Biology, you can do research with your professor throughout the summer. Or Anthropology major, you have chances to travel to study about cultures in different regions or countries

Feb 11, 2010

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Photos of Cornell College's Academics

Art Building

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Art Building Painting, sculpture, pottery...

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Obama At Cornell

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Obama At Cornell President Obama at Cornell

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Ped Mall

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Ped Mall The brick walkway that leads to the academic buildings everyone uses to go to class.

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