University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

i don't know

Some of the professors kinda suck but others are great, like anything else it's the luck of the draw

Academics are great, the professors are always trying to help you in anyway possible, There are many opportunities to help you in any subject. There are free tutors and programs to help. We should really be taking advantage of that.

As long as a student puts a concerted effort into his or her academics at UCSC, the rewards are paramount. While many of the introduction classes taken during the first two years of undergraduate contain upwards of 300 students, professors still make a point to learn as many student's names as possible. For example, in an introductory film class I took my freshman year, I sat in a different seat during each lecture. However, because I participated during lecture the professor remembered my name out of a class of 350. Later that professor encouraged me to continue studying film. As one's degree progresses the class sizes generally shrink to a more personable setting. At UCSC there are many opportunities for field study classes that give students hands on experience with research and a very close relationship with teaching assistants and professors. One of the greatest classes I have taken at UCSC is Scientific SCUBA Diving Methods, in which I spent 16 days with my instructor, 4 of which included camping with the entire class. Life between students is often productively competitive. My fellow classmates and I regularly study together, pushing each other to gain a better understanding of the course material. Outside of class I often find my fellow marine biology students and I discussing current issues in science or making corny science jokes. The thing I like most about the Marine Biology major at UCSC is that it gives you a solid basis of understanding of various disciplines in marine science while emphasizing the importance of thinking in a research context. It is important to note that while my experience with the academics at UCSC have been very personal and had a great influence in the sort of student I have become, this may not be the case for everyone. At UCSC, the experiences you gain through academics is directly related to how much you participate as a student.

The academics are excellent at UCSC. We have a great Linguistics program, as well as Astrophysics. My professors have made a effort to learn my name in most of my classes. I've had a few who haven't been helpful in office hours, or terrible lecturers, but who doesn't get that once in a while? This quarter I have an amazing professor, Jody Greene, teaching the Spiritual Epic, a literature course, and she is great. She has so much information, is passionate and funny. I have some great T.A.s too, who have written me letters of recommendation and spent time going over my essays with me. Students are competitive, especially in upper division classes, and the y have intellectual conversations out side of class. My housemate and I read each other's papers and discuss our thesis's together.

The academics are UC Santa Cruz are great. You get out of it as much effort as you put in. UCSC possesses a unique teaching style where students not only attend a lecture for their classes, but also can attend discussion sections where smaller groups of students can ask questions and learn in a more conducive atmosphere with a T.A. UCSC is very advanced at the sciences and are well-known for their research in astronomy. Students study a lot and the library is pretty packed. Some majors are more difficult or require more studying than others, for example: bioengineering vs. theater. Students are very friendly and definitely communicate outside of class. UCSC is very unique in that it offers some very interesting classes; the most interesting class I took was called Muppet Magic, where we learned about the Muppets and the work of Jim Henson. I know some of my friends have taken the Natural History of Dinosaurs, a class on Disney, analyzing Star Wars, etc. The professors make themselves available for communication outside of class and always list their office hours on the syllabus' so students are aware of when they are available to meet. I am an Intensive Psychology major and I absolutely love it. The teachers are so passionate about what they teach and helpful for the students. Psychology is one of the most impacted majors on this campus, so it can be difficult to get into classes, but the department always makes sure you are taking at least one class you need each quarter. The education here is geared toward getting a job as well as functioning in the world outside of college. They employ many resources to help students prepare for post-graduation plans.

Most of the General Ed classes are in big lecture halls. Then you sign up for discussions for each lecture class in order to help you out. Some classes require, others let it be an option. The most help you will get is from your discussions with the help of Teacher assistants. You will be find yourself very motivated on campus due to the students striving for their education.

The academics are well organized. The teachers are well qualified and are available to help. Most classes will have an accompanying section for additional instruction and questions as well as office hours to cover any further questions. Study groups often form naturally in class as well.I am pursuing a Business Management Economics Bachelors degree and a Theatre arts minor. Both departments provide helpful advisors. For majors with more students, like Business Management Economy, class tend to bigger. My favorite class is Marketing research because it provided me with hands on experience in my foeld of interest.

The classes at most UC campuses are huge, and UCSC is no exception. The high impact classes such as Chemistry, Math, and Psych can get up to 400 people large. The discussions for those classes, however, are much smaller and get up to 40 people. Since the classes are so large, it is hard for professors to get to know students on a one on one basis, but going to office hours helps the professor know you. The TA's, though, do get to know their students fairly well, and are good at remembering everyones name. The smaller classes, such as our core class, are a lot smaller and get to only 20 students. The professors for these classes really do make an effort to help you understand the material and help you improve your writing. Despite the "lack of academics" stereotype UCSC has, students really do focus on academics and spend a lot of time studying. On most nights, you'll definitely find the libraries full, and have a hard time finding a spot to sit. Outside of class, I've noticed that students do have intellectual conversations, but like most young people, they have unintellectual conversations as well. The science program at UCSC is by far the best out of all the departments, especially the marine biology program, since we have the Monterey bay near us. As a whole, academics at UCSC are pretty strong.

The academics at UCSC are fantastic! My first two years, my classes were large (about 200 students in most classes) but as I got further into the requirements for my major, class sizes decreased to about 30 students. This was fantastic because professors knew my name and were able to give me more personal feedback about my work. In classes both large and small, professors and teaching assistants are always available for office hours and also happy to answer questions via email. UCSC offers free tutoring for many classes and small, weekly sections led by the teaching assistants. Tutoring and TA sections are a great place to ask questions, work on homework, and meet other students in the class. Although I am a Business Management Economics major, I had the chance to take classes in all different fields. In fact, I took French all of last year and greatly enjoyed it. Most students at UCSC are like me, interested in many different subjects and points of view. Students take academics seriously, as can be proven by the crowds of students studying in the main libraries on campus at all times. UCSC also offers resources such as a career center and academic advising both within each residential college and within each major to do all they can to help students.