Arizona State University-Tempe Top Questions

Professors never know my name, and I do ask a lot of questions, they just don't ask. My favorite class was an english class with Mr. Rathkamp my freshman year. He was my favorite teacher because he seemed like he really wanted us to do well and really helped. My other classes are kind of just whatever classes. All we do is go sit and they talk and then we leave and classes always get out really early. I don't generally study outside of class and i have never talked to anyone about any class topics or anything. At ASU I really have no clue what I am even using my major for and where it is going to take me. There is no organization or communication between advisors and students like I hear there is at other schools. I feel like I am just learning to get a degree but that there will be nothing left for me from ASU once I get a degree because they don't discuss possible job opportunites or careers with us after graduation.

The teachers are very open and cooperative with their students. There are tones of places where students can study and there are always people to help them out.

Classes have very differing sizes but don't think that big classes are evil. Two of my most interesting classes during this last year were in giant lecture halls. They often are easier classes and can be very entertaining.

Professors in the small classes learn your names, especially in the honors college. Obviously, the teachers of the larger classes will only learn your name if you do something to stand out and make efforts to communicate with them. My major department is fantastic and the advisors are awesome (Bioengineering). The Honors college is also a great help (including the advisors). Students do have intellectual conversations if you find the right ones.

I like the classes at ASU. Ratemyprofessors does help with picking your classes and making sure that you get good teachers. The students are very competitive. I'm in the nursing program and those with a GPA under 3.5 won't get in to the nursing program. It is highly competitive and I suggest you know exactly what GPA you need to get in to the major of your choice. Some of the classes are bogus, but you need to take it for the degree. Some classes are really fun though. PGS 222 is all about human sexuality and it's a fun class.

If you are involved in your class and actually participate, the professor will most likely learn your name. Some teachers try to make an effort to learn EVERYONE'S name while others really don't care. My least favorite class was Chemistry 113, but it was because I did not understand the material. I recommend getting a tutor as soon as you do not understand what is going on in class. This is what will help you pass.

do professors know your name? if you want them to. i've never had a problem talking to a teacher before or after class, over email, or during office hours. or if not a professor, at least a perfectly nice and knowledgeable TA. my favorite class? this semester, MUE 310: music in early childhood education. we play with rhythm sticks and crayons and do clapping patterns and sing silly songs. but i also feel like i learned a LOT, especially with regards to becoming a teacher. last semester it was probably POS 160: Global Politics. who knew something as boring-sounding as political science could be such a blasty blast (props if you just went "ahaha dane cook yay!")? least favorite? DAN 194: Latin/Ballroom/Swing I. i could go on and on about that class, but just for one example: the teacher stood up and said he had no patience for beginners. and me...well let's just say the hokey pokey is pretty challenging for me. class participation common? actually, yes. even i, famous in high school for giving death glares if teachers tried to make me talk and for being the girl who stands up to give a presentation and hears "has she always been in this class?", find myself participating in my classes. do ASU students have intellectual conversations outside of class? well some of them. remember that 60,000 students part? yeah...it depends on who you're talking to. many of them do. are students competitive? i...don't really know. i avoid any hint of competition. most unique class i've taken? ballroom dance, music in early childhood, children's lit, service learning (tutoring at-risk kids)...there's a lot of awesome classes at ASU. my major is multilingual/multicultural elementary education. basically it's elementary education, with a bilingual/ESL endorsement. you finish your general ed and a few required education classes your first two years, then you apply for the ITC - initial teacher certification, the professional program. then you're in a four semester block where they give you the classes to take, which ends your last semester with student teaching. i've gotten to take a lot of fun classes so far, like MUE 310 and RDG 311 (music and children's lit). there's also a fine arts requirement for education majors, which i think is AWESOME! i switched my major on a whim when i was registering for second semester (i started as spanish). i'm so glad i did! do i spend time with professors out of class? well i don't...but i think some people do. i know lots of people go to TA's and peer tutors and suchlike a lot when they need help. is the education at ASU geared towards getting a job, or learning for its own sake? well both and neither and everything in between. the great thing about ASU is that it's so big, with so many choices and resources, that you can make what you want of your education. i chose a path that is geared more towards getting a job. my sister is on a path (the double major in japanese and creative writing path) that is more geared towards learning for its own sake.

Many classes are very large and you will never know the professors and the classes will be graded on a massive bell curve because everyone will fail. Many classes will have thirty people, the teacher will know you by name and you will continue to be their friend even after the class is over and they will eventually write you recommendation letters for work. Some of the best work can be done in the library on campus which is open all night where there are many tools and resources to help with papers and projects.

Academics at ASU are good, it is what you make of it and nothing else.

The acedemic part of ASU is what you make of it. For me, I've taken classes where I just wanted an "easy A" and didn't give that much to the class; and I've also taken classes because I wanted to learn about the subject. For those classes I did all the required reading and then some. I paid attention in class and gave feedback. The professor was always available for a dialog (most common and easiest is through emails). It is what the student puts into the class that determines how much he or she takes out of the class. In my experience the professors are more than willing to help out if the student takes the initiative to go to office hours or to send emails with comments or concerns. Sometimes you aren't going to understand your professor or you aren't going to want to speak out in front of your fellow students so the availability of the professors outside of the classroom setting is really beneficial. Also, there are different classroom settings available for all types of learning. Within each required general studies course there are classes that only hold 20 to 30 seats and there are classes that hold 150 to 200 seats depending on the student's preference. I think this is really helpful in making all the new students feel comfortable at ASU.