University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

I feel that as a freshmen the classes are not that personal. They are very large and sometimes i feel that I could just not show up for class ever, do the reading, and still end up getting a good grade.

unless the class is humongous, every professor ive had has tried to learn my name. in my experience and with the comm major, students only study before midterms or finals. day to day reading and studying is not common. however, my friends who are bio majors go to the library to read on a daily basis.

i am only a freshman so i have only been taking big GE classes. so none of my professors have known my name (except my writing teacher, who was amazing), but the TAs make a big effort to get to know the students. because ucsb is a uc it is more geared towards getting students prepared for further education, however there are still practical classes and majors that you wil be able to get a good job with straight out of graduation.

i was always scared to go to office hours to talk to my professors probably until my junior year. even though they always say, "just come say hi!", i felt like i needed to have a problem or question before i talked to them. now that i have the courage to go to office hours, i feel so much better about going to lecture because i have a personal connection with my professor. if they know you, they want you to do well. as a comm. major, i feel very comfortable in ellison hall because i have formed relationships with many of my comm. professors now. it is definitely one of the best things you can do! i love the comm. department here! all of the professors are very established researchers and are very intelligent. they are always willing to help and guide you in a positive direction whether it is looking for internships, deciding which classes to take, or trying to find a job. the career center is also extremely helpful.

Classes are great! There is a huge diversity in major choices and some very interesting GE courses available. The teachers are for the most part the cool laid back type because that is the type that Santa Barbara attracts. Professors are for the most part easy to approach about help or with questions. The departments are very well laid out and the TA's are generally very knowledgeable and helpful. Most lectures are optional because teachers put the slides online but a few now and then take attendance. Going to class is usually a good thing though and they vary in length from 50 minutes to a few hours. There are options for all types of studiers.

Some great and some bad. Too many foreign professors.

Depending on your major, there are some incredible opportunities for learning and growth. The engineering department has a worldclass faculty, conducting cutting edge research and delivering an education comparable to IV league institutions.

Our academics are amazing, and I've really enjoyed the wide variety and selection of classes offered on campus.

Class sizes really depend on the class you are taking. The GE classes can be pretty big, ranging from 400-900 students. But you can have one-on-one time with TAs or professors if you go to their office hours so it's really easy for your professor to know you by name. Also, sections rarely have more than 30 students. And once you get into upper division classes, the number of students in each class decreases dramatically so it's a more focuses environment. I have plenty former professor who still recognize me and talk to me by name when I happen to see them around campus.

Academics at UCSB is very competitive. My most favorite class has probably been psychology 102. I really enjoyed the teacher and the class was on social psychology, which really interests me. In most of my classes, class participation hasn't been common because the classes are rather large (about 300 people). However, most of the classes I have taken are lower division classes and now that I am taking more upper division classes, they are smaller and more seminar oriented. In my major students are highly competitive because it is the closest thing we have to pre-med so several students are on the med school track. For the most part, I would say the learning at UCSB is geared towards higher degrees of learning, such as graduate school or medical school. Therefore, in the end it is geared towards getting a job.