Sarah
Do professors know your name?
-Yes, but I am the type of student that makes sure they do. I go into office hours, ask questions, etc. They are always willing to talk and help, but you have to make the effort because there are a lot of students. Teachers and TA's DO want to know you though. I still have teachers from freshman year that I talk to and visit in office hours.
-favorite class:
--Global 194: Global Business Seminar, taught by Paul Orfalea. (Creator of Kinkos-first one was in Isla Vista!)
--All the Exercise & Sports Studies classes. They are taught by quality teachers, get you outside and moving around, and count for 1/2 a unit.
-----Some favorites: Sailing, Badminton, Tennis, Swimming, Weight Training...
--Communications classes: Interviewing & Internship class. Very practical, hands-on learning, great for senior year when thinking about future jobs.
-Students competitive?
--To a certain degree, yes, but not in comparison to other schools I have seen (like Yale & Cal). Students are driven and self-competitive. Students seem more balanced here than I have seen at other schools, which I think drives down the competition. I am global studies and communications students and therefore have a different perspective, then say, someone in the sciences. I don't really know how they feel.
Beth
You would think that with some classes with 200-500 students in them professors wouldn't give much time to remembering students names, but that's definitely not the case at UCSB. One of my professors in the Comm. Departments takes pictures of groups of students holding name placards up so he can review them before class and remember more names! It makes the experience a lot more personal and shows how much our professors care about the students.
Students study very often. On weekends or even sunny weekday afternoon you can find students all over campus and on the beach enjoying the beautiful surroundings and weather while getting work done.
Students here are not overly-competitive at all. Of course there is always the drive to succeed in class, but I never feel that UCSB students want to succeed at the expense of other students who are trying hard too. It's really easy to find people to study with and work with together on class material--everyone is pretty much willing to help each other out.
Despite some stereotypes that UCSB students only party and don't work, UCSB has high academic requirements and is a great educational institution. The classes are definitely challenging, but I feel that they are challenging in a way that really inspires learning in the students.
I am really looking forward to taking sailing next quarter. It's actually a class here on campus!
The Communication Department at UCSB is PHENOMENAL!! The professors are so interested in their research and the field in general that it really comes across in class and inspires the students to learn more. The undergraduate assisting staff is also amazing. I went in one day to ask a question to the peer advisors and I had messed up on the times and two women came out of their offices to see if there was anything they, personally, could do to help me and answer my question. It made me feel like they really cared about me and my education. One day I was reading in my textbook about "communication accommodation theory" and the theorists name sounded really familiar. Turns out he--Howard Giles--is a faculty member here at UCSB and he actually teaches and was a guest lecturer for one of my classes. It's so cool to think that out of the 30 theorists mentioned in my Communication Textbook, one of them is actually here at UCSB and you can go and talk to him personally. It's like our own little celebrity.
All of our professors here at UCSB are required to have at least 2 office hours a week and I highly encourage you to go visit with them. It allows you to build a relationship with the faculty.
The Honors Program here is the best thing ever! Honors program students get to register before EVERYONE else in the student body so it means you never have a problem getting the classes you want. We are also required to do "honors contracts" with professors in the upper-division level which allows you to build relationships individually with professors. Occasionally professors will even ask students to assist on their research.