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What are classes like? Are professors accessible? Are classes challenging?

Classes at William and Mary are generally very small in size (average is around 20 students, although there are larger classes and there are smaller classes), and very engaging.  The professors, for the most part, are experts in their prospective fields.  Many of the professors you will encounter at William and Mary do not just know the material from the textbook...they wrote the textbook.  Because the professors are so well-versed in their subject matter, they expect a lot from their students.  It is not uncommon to receive a C or even a D on a paper which required a tremendous amount of work and time.  It truly is not enough to go above and beyond.  Students here are expected to push themselves to their utmost potential.  Professors know how challenging the various courses are however, and are extremely willing to meet with students and work with them.  Students can often be seen having lunch or a coffee with a professor to discuss an upcoming assignment or even to expand on material covered during class time.