Colorado State University-Fort Collins Top Questions

At CSU classes can both be very large or small. Typically in the first two years students take more general classes which are very large lecture halls usually. Some of these classes have recitations though so students can have a smaller class in order to ask questions and have personal communication and interaction with a teacher's aid. As students get further into their major the class size usually decreases and they get to know their professors in their specific college on more of a personal level. So far my experience has been that the classes have been fairly easy. There are some classes though, such as chemistry and other sciences, that many students fail and have to retake them. There is a mix of students who study and those who don't. My hardest classes so far have been organic chemistry and writing arguments which I am taking right now. Both professor of these seem to care about their subject and students, they are just difficult material. Every department seems to be focused on what jobs are like within their field and many professors give advice and tips about how to succeed.

Most of the classes I've had so far are large lectures, but every professor I've had seems to be very passionate about what they're teaching and it makes me more interested in learning about the subject. All teachers have office hours when you can go get help if you're struggling, and getting to know them can be really cool and helpful. My favorite classes are the smaller ones, where you get to work with classmates and talk to a professor directly if you have questions. Most students I know attend class and do the suggested amount of studying, but are also helpful to others that aren't as prepared.

Class sizes vary greatly depending on the type of class. I've had large lectures and I've had small discussion classes. Normally, your first year or so, you take mostly general classes which are on the larger size but as you get more into your major the classes downsize greatly and professors are able to give you more individual attention. However, even in the big lecture classes the professors urge you to take advantage of their office hours to meet with them one on one. I'm an equine and animal science double major with a minor in agriculture business and I can honestly say that the professors in all of these departments truly want you to learn and experience as much as you can. They want you to succeed. I'm also in the honors program and most of the classes I've had in the honors program are very interesting and are there to give you a different view on the world that you may not get from classes in your major.

The education at CSU is geared toward learning for its own sake. The students are not wildly competitive, but grades are generally taken seriously. As a member of the Honors program, I have the privilege of attending seminars with fewer than 20 students total. My general classes tend to have anywhere from 120-300 students but I never feel neglected by my professors. My seminar professors know me by name but my general professors do not unless I interact with them outside of class. My favorite class this semester is the Psychology of Human Sexuality and my least favorite is Mind, Brain, and Behavior Psychology. Although I have not officially declared, I intend to become a Psychology major with a double minor in Spanish and Peacemaking. The Psychology department is my favorite on campus, though I may be a little biased. The Psych professors are not only knowledgeable, but the majority have a plethora of field experience and regularly research their science on the side.

Academics at CSU are great! Of course, being a larger school class sizes can get large but typically these are the introductory, lower-level courses. My largest class had almost 500 students, yet I never felt lost in the crowd. I've been fortunate to have nothing but amazing professors who are not only available to me personally, but really engaged in the material their teaching. The passion and commitment that the professors have is truly inspiring, I don't think that this is something every school has and I suspect it comes from from our status as a Research One institution. Because the professors are actively involved in research, their attitudes towards the subjects they teach are full of vibrancy and relevancy. Studying outside of class is convenient as there are many places on campus or throughout the community that provide quiet, studious atmospheres. Most of the students on campus are seriously dedicated to their education and it's not hard to find other students to create study groups with. Additionally, students are often very engaged in class, though it's not expected for everyone to speak up, often the classroom environment is interactive and exciting - providing lots of opportunity for laid back and constructive participation. These types of conversations are often continued outside of class as well - I feel smarter just walking around on campus and over hearing the many intellectualized conversations going on around me. I supposed that everyone's interest in their academics may be competitive, but as far as I've seen on campus, everyone is really encouraging of one another. I've had countless conversations with other students across majors, and though I've expected judgement I've only ever received insight and been encouraged to share my own as well. The most unique class I've ever taken examined the evolution of humans and plants together and showed the influence of the two populations on the growth and development of one another- I learned so much about the interactions between species that I still bring up in conversation today. Being an English major I'm so privileged to have multiple published and renowned faculty within my department, it really makes my education worth that much more to me! CSU's academics are definitely geared toward the success of each student, whatever that might look like for them!

For my undergraduate I was a Communication Studies major, and loved all of my professors. In the general ed classes, there are many more students and to get to know the teacher you have to engage in class. This is worth it in the long-run, since teachers are more willing to help out students who participate. Students constantly engage in class lectures and discussions, and are always willing to help outside of class.

They are good at CSU. We have some amazing sciences and almost all of my professors have been fantastic. In the bigger classes they obviously don't know everyones names, but they always have office hours or are willing to meet with you if you email them. It doesn't feel intimidating being in giant lectures. In the smaller classes, for the most part, the teachers work hard to know your name. All my professors have been great so far. They are accommodating, understanding, and friendly. I hate public speaking, but that class is required to graduate. I ended up loving it because my PS professor was so awesome. She made our class more of a little family so it was less intimidating, but she taught us so much, as well. She had the perfect balance between being our teacher and our friend. Professors really do try to get students involved as much as possible, even in the bigger classes, which can be a nice break from being lectured at all the time. Sometimes it is frustrating because I feel like CSU's education is geared towards getting a job or passing tests rather than learning for the sake of learning. I wish they focused more on that rather then just memorizing something for a test. I mean it obviously depends on the class and professor but I feel like overall that is the feeling. I think there is also a good balance between academics and fun. Students take the time to enjoy life and for the most part professors understand that. You have to put work in to get results but there is always time to relax a little, which is nice! There are lots of resources if you are struggling, as well. Tutoring, study groups, TA's, etc... You really can't go wrong, there are so many majors and great classes and opportunities to take advantage of at CSU!

I have wondered if I would have gotten a better education going to an Ivy league school or something, but the truth about college is that for the most part you get out of it what you put in. If you slack off, you won't learn anything, but if you are engaged during class, taking good notes, talking to professors, taking advantage of out of class resources, and putting in a little study time, you can get anything you want from a state school. I have been immensely pleased with my education at CSU so far. Also, there are tons of opportunities for doing undergraduate research with professors, which is one of the best academic perks of being a larger state school. I make an effort to introduce myself and get to know my professors, so yes they do know my name. It is more difficult to associate with professors outside of class because of the large class sizes, especially in your first year, but if you put forth the effort to get to know your professors, they will remember you. Also, you have the opportunity to become really connected with faculty doing undergraduate research. My biggest concern is lack of class participation. I find that most students are far less engaged in their education than I am. If anything, that is my main concern with going to a state school. Even in my major, Biomedical Sciences, which is relatively difficult, there are a lot of people who don't take their school work seriously. However, I have found my niche in the honors program through living in the honors residence hall with other honors students. I would highly recommend the honors program.

The professors here are really good about getting to know you. I still have professors remembering me after 3 years. You just need to make the first step and get to know them. I am studying biomedical science and my least favorite classes are the ones were the professors switch throughout the semester. It is hard to take their tests because you get use to one then are surprised by a new style. I really like my labs because they are more hands on and I lucked out for the most part with some really good TAs.

The academics here are amazing! Even though the school is large, professos act as though the school is very small. They are sincerely interested in getting to know their students and are eager to help them. All of my journalism professors I have had now know me by name and recognize me all over campus. I remember one time I was walking to a class during my spring semester of sophomore year and a professor I had my first semester as a freshman recognized the back of my head and started talking to me. She called me by name and asked specifically about things in my life even though she hadn't seen me in over a year. The funny thing was I had trouble remembering her name because it caught me so off guard! This is a perfect example of what professors are like here. Also, students here are very driven with their academics. Almost every student I know devotes most of their day to studying or working on projects they need to finish. Like most college students will tell you, it seems as if there is never enough time in a day to get everything done. However, even with all the overwhelming stress I have not known anyone to purposefully slack off. My favorite class that I have taken was feature writing. This class was geared towards exactly what I want to do with my career and my professor was amazing. I learned a completely new way to write and it has greatly increased my ability. One thing I love about the journalism department the most is how professors are so in tune with how to get you prepared for a job. I am in my third year of college and I have been involved with an internship for almost a year now, had my articles published in three different publications regularly, and have several internship opportunities for next year. Because of my department's support in helping me be prepared for my career, I have no stress about finding a job. I walked into this department lost and now feel I have a cleare vision than I imagined. My professors also have really helped me to just sit down and learn as well. Within the journalism department and out, I have taken classes solely for the purpose of learning something new and I feel it is these classes that will give me an upper hand in my life past college. The academics here do not lack. I have no regrets choosing this school.