Boston University Top Questions

Professors don't want to know your name but if you're obnoxious enough during class they'll be forced to learn it. I've had multiple professors get in front of my class and tell us that they hate teaching and that they only do it for the grant money from BU. My favorite class was psyche of learning with Fabio. It was actually intellectually stimulating, unlike many classes at BU. My least favorite were the CC 101 and CC 102 because BU pushes the classes so forcefully but the discussion professors are all remarkably bad and the courses are mostly review because most of the texts have been read by most decent high schools. Student seem to claim to study more than they actually do. They like to seem like they're swamped with material but the university, for the most part, is easy to coast through with a 3.3. Class participation is common among the two most annoying kids in your class. No one else will dare to speak. Student don't really have intellectual conversations outside of class (or in it, really) although they often think they do. Students are competitive academically to an extent but academics do not dominate their lives as much as extra-curriculars so while they're competitive in general it's not so much in academics as it is in other areas. The most unique class I've taken was a class on fairy tales and feminism and it was small, personal, and magical. It is one out of the two classes I've taken at BU and actually liked - and I've taken 16 classes! I feel that BU's requirements are normal and appropriate. They match most other universities requirements. The education at BU is neither about getting a job OR learning for it's own sake - it's about walking out of college with the most expensive and prestigious degree possible.

In my major (Manufacturing Engineering) professors know who you are, I'm only graduating with 27 other people. In the larger pre-req classes you take as an underclassman, your treated like livestock. You're an ID number and you have to fight to stand out to get a decent grade.

Yeah, professors know my name because I am a loudmouth kiss-ass in class. They will not know your name if you are not. Favorite classes have had tons of reading with professors who were willing to accept discourse. Least favorite class was statistics in which the professor could speak English poorly and on top of that was a horrible teacher. Some students study constantly others don't. Class participation varies. Most BU students don't have intellectual conversations, my friends very often do, so that is subjective. Some students are competitive, but typically more in classes that have curves... less so in film studies and english or the humanities in general. Every class was unique... that is a silly question. Film studies department I don't know much about. English department is pretty cool, but it has silly requirements and a limited number of classes and space in said classes. I spend time with some of them. Professors are known to sometimes have a beer or two with students of age. BU's academic requirements are ok. I learn for my own sake, in my department I don't think anyone cares about getting a job... SMG is a different story.

To get to know professors, you really have to make an effort. They will not go out of their ways to ask your name or get to know you, but it is possible to forge relationships. In the journalism department, the students are very mainstream and very competitive. They tend to write about what is safe and what is, in my opinion, dull. Being at BU is all about getting the best internships and making money as opposed to social change or worth.

One of things that surprised me when I got to college at BU was the focus within the classes. I was expecting to make all my friends in my classes but no one tells you that everyone just shows up in 'class mode' and is really focussed and doesn't really talk outside of it. Of course you meet people later though. I've deffinitly had a mix of big lectures and really small specific seminar type classes. I'm only a second semester freshman and my largest class is probably only like 70 people. My smallest right now is 12. Professors are all different but going to office hours is deffinitly the key to good standing, it helps if they can recognize your face if the class is really big. Most the of the professors have led really awesome lives, just get them to tell their stories. Because BU has such a diverse student population in the sense of academic focus, you can really find your niche wherever. I got lucky on my floor because generally we're quiet so it's easy to get studying done. Other dorms tend to be crazier- it just depends where you are. I feel like the requirements aren't bad, but that is only because I got credit for all of them from AP/IB scores (soo worth it I promise!). College is obviously harder than high school, but the adjustment to BU really isn't that bad. There are lots of tutoring places and writing centers. Of course, we are right across the river from Havard so anything seems chill in comparison.

Most professors didn't know my name, because I didn't really go to class much. I'm sure if I did, they would have. I took my favorite class my senior year, a creative writing seminar - my teacher was this incredible grad student who I've kept in touch with ever since I graduated almost-three years ago. My freshman year, I took only classes that were after 11am, so that would explain why I ended up as the only white and the only Jewish kid in a Chinese Literature class. Good course to take, though. I found that kids don't study until they need to. I think it was a requirement for people to participate in class - professors would say that it was 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of a student's grade - although I talked to professors after the semester had ended, and they said it was all bullshit to have the classroom not sit silent for an hour. BU students can and will have intellectual conversations outside of class - that is, if you steer clear of the idiot sorority girls and frat boys. American Studies was the perfect major choice for me, as I was able to study whatever I wanted, as long as it fit into the American culture in some way. So, I studied rap music and hip-hop culture, and now I work in that industry.

I am a double-major in English and psychology, and I have to say that I prefer the way the English department operates. They have small classes and faculty that, aside from being simply passionate about and good at what they do, have a genuine interest in teaching. You can tell when they are in class that they want to be there, and English professors are I've found the most consistently available for office hours, to discuss and revise assignments, etc. Granted, this might have something to do with the small size of the school and the nature of the topics, but the system definitely works for me. I also like the flexibility of an English major at BU. There is a system of required courses, and some specific classes that you need to take (none of them insufferable) but for the most part a range of topics and course numbers is available, and you are able to pick those classes that most interest you. In one semester I took one class on the Contemporary American Novel (the main requirement for a book to make the reading list was that its author be still alive) and individual author courses on Emerson and Milton. I loved them, and the professors definitely brought the class to life with their passion about their subjects. Without personal experience it's hard for me to contrast this experience to other schools, but I've had friends from the College of Engineering for example tell me that they weren't even able to consider studying abroad because of the number of required classes and the frequency at which they were offered. One missed class put her off schedule, and she had to take summer classes just to get back up to par.

Professors do not know your name unless you introduce yourselves to them. It's very hard for them to memorize 200 + students' names but that doesn't take the "good" about the course they're teaching. If you want to be known to your professor, you have to make it happen. Students are of course very competitive. Everyone is competitive here. We want to be the best and at the top of our class. In order to do that, you have to single yourself out and be the exception. The only thing I don't like really about academic requirements are the college writing courses we have to take our freshman year. We have a bundle of books to read and so many essays and papers to write. Other than that, there isn't much I would complain about. BU is definitely all about getting a job afterwards. There are job fairs here for anyone who wants to come and see what they can do after graduation. I'm an education major and I know for sure I will have a job and BU has great connections.

I'd say all of my professors know my name, even though most people assume that BU is too big for that. My favorite class is my Literary Types: Drama class. The professor is really young and really funny and does an amazing job of keeping us entertained and engaged. I didn't love my science class first semester, mostly because it wasn't what I expected. I'd definitely say that it depends on who you're talking to whether or not you have intellectual conversation. The academics are really easy to fulfill, especially if you have some AP credit coming in or have place high up in a language. And if you do Core, a lot of those requirements get fulfilled.

Some professors know my name, others don't. I've interacted a lot with professors in smaller classes, but otherwise I'm not one of the ones who goes out of her way to introduce herself. But the professors have always been approachable, so whoever wants to know them well, can. My favorite class has been organic chemistry. It's not terrifying and impossible to learn, and my professor is ridiculous. His 8am lectures always fill up quickly so I still have to get there 15 minutes early. His lectures are hilarious and fast-paced and he's backed this year by a TA who is very, very capable on her own in helping students more closely in discussion (some TAs don't make discussion worth it. She does). Least favorite are definitely any intro classes. You don't want to be there, the professors don't want to be there, and these are usually the classes that ask the trivial questions. Also, I took some unnecessary intro classes. BU doesn't really outline for you what is required and what's not. You have to be careful and can pretty much just hope you meet a few good upperclassmen who have figured it out and are willing to share. I have friends I haven't seen for a semester because they've been locked up studying, and I have friends who I've never seen study. It depends on how challenging your coursework is and how much you want to rock it. I hate class participation. It's somewhat common in the small classes. I think most people find friends who have similar interests and who can talk about intellectual stuff outside of class. Of course, there are also a lot of idiots. Competitiveness depends on the student and the program. Premed is definitely very competitive. People chase the professor, ask questions in class, and actually go to office hours. But I haven't had to worry about it reaching the level of sabotage or being cutthroat. Just a lot of people running very, very hard. Most unique class I've taken so far would either be Sympathy for the Devil and my Peoples and Cultures of Africa classes. Sympathy for the Devil is a WR150 course, the professor is funny and British, the works aren't so forbidden or evil, but it gets you a look into a lot of important classic literature, and you read Master & Margarita, one of my new favorite books plus other modern stuff. People and Cultures of Africa, the professor is amazing. We've referred to him as Mufasa. He's a passionate, humorous, approachable professor who is very informed (he wrote one of the books in the class, and it was my favorite out of about a dozen we read). Careful: the final assignment is a 30 page paper, which isn't so bad either. I was previously in international relations. I didn't like the intro course, but the upper division ones are definitely all amazing. Biochemistry & molecular biology (BMB) is a very difficult major, but it's put me with a group of students that are at a higher caliber of science-geared students than I've ever worked with. Premedical program here is known for being tough. It's competitive, the classes are very hard, but the premed students are definitely not as smart as the BMB students and can be frustrating to work with. French, I've only taken one class so far, but I loved the professor, and I've only heard good things about the others, so I'm excited to finish my minor. I wouldn't spend time with my professors outside of class, but I have run into them or ended up chatting with them before or after class, and I know a lot of people can relate to them as peers and have fun. Academic requirements are typical of a liberal arts education, luckily they took all my APs. They are manageable. Just the writing requirement a lot of people think is stupid. Depends on the department. My science classes, I feel like I'm just trying to get into med school, but the other ones have felt more like they really just educate me on the topic. You decide what job you want and what courses will apply, they'll make sure the course provides a lot of good information on the subject.