Indiana University-Bloomington Top Questions

One of the most surprising things about IUB is that although the school is huge, the quality of classroom instruction is unparalleled. Class sizes, for almost all cases, are excellent, and professors are very passionate about getting to know their students as people; they try very hard to avoid the "just another face" attitude. Professors, with a few exceptions, are readily available to help students or just to chat, especially in the business school (my department). They in Kelley are truly devoted to helping prepare students for "life after college" and try to instill in us the idea that our time here is a means to an end (or rather, beginning- our future) rather than the end itself.

Some professors know your name, however, about one half of the classes are too big for the teacher to try. My favorite class has been Orville Powell's V161 Urban Problems and Solutions and E162 Environment and Public Policy, my least favorite was Y381. Most students do a lot of studying, however, there are many party-ers. Management in Public Affairs, through SPEA is one of the best majors available to those who are concerned about how the government works. The teachers are great and show concern that their students are learning correctly and take great pride at what they teach. The education at IU differs between departments, the business school and SPEA both take pride in gearing their students toward getting a job.

There are numerous professors that take the time to really know your name. I've had several classes where the teacher will recognize me which always amazes me. I am one of the students that learns more from listening to others comments than consistently raising my own hand. It's always wonderful when I have someone know who I am. I have so many classes and teachers that I have loved that I can't just narrow it down to one class. They have truly gone above and beyond in their teaching methods and have really sparked my interest in numerous classes. I've loved all my English classes as well as my gender study classes. I really enjoyed my business class on Operations as well. It was wonderful to listen and easy to understand what was being taught. I think that as far as intellectual conversation goes there is a mixture. Sometimes you can walk by people talking about the craziness that went on last night or at times you can hear someone talking about Chaucer or what other topic they have been discussing in class. I think one of the best classes on campus are the history of Rock 'n' Roll classes. I have loved every single one I have. The two teachers that teach those classes are some of the most amazing teachers I have ever had and you can tell they truly care about what they are teaching which makes the subject that more interesting. As for as gearing our education towards learning or getting a job, I think it's a little bit of both. I do wish that there was more required classes toward the end of our years in college that are about the job process and resume building. I think it would be helpful to have the same career services that are offered to the business school to all of the campus.

Though it is hard to skip all the huge lectures, it isn't hard to get to know professors if you make a little effort. In my lectures with several hundred students, the professor will call on people by name if they have come to office hours. I have also had several small classes, including a math class that I took through the honors college. There are many talented and studious people at IU and tons of great places to study. If you're looking for intellectual conversations outside the classroom, well, it depends on who you ask. Freshmen in the Northwest neighborhood (stereotypically) don't talk much intellect while students livign in other parts of campus are more likely to do so. Either way, IU has great academics .

Class participation is very common. Many professors have lecture style classes, but there are many classes that are very involved, especially as you get into higher level classes. The most unique class that I took in school was coaching football. Our class was taught by the head football coach, and was held at the football stadium. I also was able to attend practice. My major was sports marketing and management, with a minor in business. This major is intended for those who want to get into the business side of sports. I was able to learn a great deal, meet a lot of people within the industry, and gain a great deal of knowledge as I went into the real world. The major is heavily focused on businss, so I was able to take a lot of classes at one of the best business schools in the country. In addition, I was able to broaden my education with classes in science, math, and English. I felt that my education was really geared towards getting a job. In our major, there is a huge emphasis on the steps that need to be taken to break into a tough industry.

Right now, I'm taking five classes, and in four of those classes, the professor knows my name. The classes after the introductory level are pretty small. I'd say my average class size right now is about 10 students. My favorite class at IU was an experimental economics class, where we got to present research papers and be involved in the experiment that was conducted in the paper. Usually outside of language classes, class participation is optional. Outside of class, there's a lot of stereotypes. If you hang out with a bunch of frat guys, you'll get the typical meathead "how much can you bench" conversation. If you hang out with performing arts majors, you can find yourself discussing different types of plays. Typically, I probably put in about 4 hours of studying a day. I'm currently an economics, math, and Chinese major, and out of those three departments, I would say that the Chinese (EALC)department is the most involved. In all of my majors, I constantly get updates of job interviews, upcoming programs, and cool events. Most of my professors are involved with the campus outside of classes, so I see them on a regular basis. I'm taking a course right now called "Leadership In Cycling". It's essentially a course for student coaches of the Little 500 bike race. The instructor for the course is actually my coach for the race. All teachers are required to hold office hours, so getting in to see them is easy.

Shockingly most of my classes arent that big. Its an option. Freshman year I was in a 400 person class. However, for most classes a smaller section will be optional. In the two really large classes i've had they have met twice then on the third meeting it will be with a small "discussion group" of maybe twenty people maximum. Class size has never been an issue for me. If you are in a class of 80 or less your teacher will probably know your name. Most of your classes will be this size. In the sociology department the teachers are big on attendance. Obviously, its sociology so they want to see you interact and participate lol. Look up our specific majors, but IU is actually a really good school for certain ones. Highly ranked Business school, Journalism school, and Gender studies (human sexuality. We have the Kinsey institute on our campus)

Professors in small classes know your name. My favorite class is Russian, where we all know each other really well. My least favorite class is my Macroecon class because it has 350 people in it. Good students study all the time, bad students study about 3 hours a day, or else they'd flunk out. Class participation is common in classes where the teacher is friendly. There is little participation in math classes. Most students only talk about how wasted they got the night before, but there are also many who have intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique class I've taken was Transylvania from historical and anthropological aspects. My Russian major is amazing, because you get to know everyone in the department and participate in Russian language events, plays, talent shows, and more. Econ is less exciting, but the adviser is the best one I've ever had. No one spends time with professors outside of class unless you go to office hours. IUBs academic requirements are fair, and useful. The IUB college of arts and sciences is about learning for its own sake. The School of Public and Environmental Affairs, HPER, and the Business school are geared toward getting a job.

I definitely wish classes were smaller. Professors rarely know who I am, unless they make a really concerted effort to learn names. A couple of my professors have actually learned names in bigger classes and it makes the class feel so much better. The best classes I've had have been tiny and discussion oriented. One of my favorites so far was in Religious Studies (outside both my majors) and was about gender in the Protestant Reformation. There were fewer than 20 people, and I was always motivated to do the reading because I wanted to have good discussions about it in class. In Poli Sci classes tend to be pretty huge but some of them have been amazing nonetheless. I've had a couple professors with really high expectations. In my modern political thought class the prof really expected us to be able to make and defend points in clear and concise ways and he only gave two A's. I (not so) secretly LOVE classes like that because it really means something when I get an A, and I feel like I learn so much from professors who are really pretty brilliant. At the same time I think that most poli sci classes are pretty down-to-earth and practical. That is, the exams tend to be really straightforward and easy to follow if you've been keeping up with class and doing homework. Because classes are so huge (and maybe because students are apathetic) there isn't much debate in class, which I would expect in a poli sci department. I think there's definitely a huge focus on getting a job--a HUGE percentage of people just seem to want to go to law school, whereas I find the study of politics genuinely fascinating. So that can be frustrating. Gender studies is interesting. It's interdisciplinary and I actually have taken several gender-related classes outside the department. I wish I could use more of those classes. My senior seminar in gender studies (called Gender and Population Problems) was unique and fabulous--the professor was into non-traditional and visual means of learning and so I got to make posters and draw and stuff. We would read these very serious academic demography articles and then draw "graphic novels" interpreting them. For our final paper, we had to write 10 pages of research and then present it in a non traditional manner; I created a series of postcards and flyers and even designed a t-shirt! It was pretty amazing. I've spent time with a couple professors outside of class but usually it's something class-related at their house. I find office hours INCREDIBLY intimidating, even with the most approachable professors. For my Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action seminar my professor invited us to her house, which is on the edge of a state forest, and we went on a hike with these two active environmentalists and then cooked out in her firepit. It was so exciting! I love academics (I'm kind of a nerd) but I also really like the classes that are a little bit non-academic and non-traditional. For example last semester I took indoor rock climbing and it was a great way to unwind for a couple of hours and get some exercise too. Do people talk about intellectual things outside of class? Not really. I mean, I do sometimes, and I like talking politics and gender and sexuality issues but a lot of people don't really. And sometimes it gets competitive, with people trying to show off how smart they are instead of just wanting to engage it conversation for the sake of it.

In the big lectures, it's easy to get lost. But a lot of classes are very small. It's really just a mixture of both, depending on your major. Some students are very, very motivated and intelligent. Oftentimes, these are the Business School students, since IUB has a great business program. Other kids just party all the time and fail their classes. IUB academic requirements are improving... every year, they up their requirements for SATs, GPAs, etc. However, there are some people here that probably shouldn't be. The journalism school is very career-oriented. From day 1, they push students to get internships, jobs, attend workshops, etc.