University of Central Florida Top Questions

The majority of my professors have taken the time and made the effort to learn my name, and I've always appreciated that. There are some cases where teacher's haven't cared, but that is the minority. My favorite class was "The Science of Literature," and I've never liked a class that much. There was an overwhelming amount of class participation and personal involvement and the professor played a large part in facilitating that. I haven't seen students be too competitive, but I know it definitely exists. The amount of studying depends on the student. Some people don't need to study as much as others, so I would say it ranges from none, to several hours a week. I have had several intellectual conversations will people outside of class, and made several friends doing so. There are so many different people on campus, so you always have the opportunity to run into someone interesting. I'm an English major, and my department is excellent. The advisers have always been helpful and there to answer any questions I had. I really feel like they want everyone to succeed. They care, and I think that's a rarity in this world. I think the academic requirements of the school are good, as they cover a wide variety of areas. All of the required classes are necessary in making you well rounded for your future career. That being said, I think the education is definitely geared toward getting a job, at least in my department. My professors had people working in our fields come in and talk to the students, and advise us on what the real world was like. As the advisers seek to help us, so do the professors.

The academics are phenomenal. Even in a huge freshman class a professor will make it a point to get to know you if you make it a point to succeed in their class. In smaller more intimate classes students and teachers will discuss more than just the lecture material at hand, but real life situations and current events. This sort of thought provoking and intellectual conversation that relates to the subject material but is not a requirement for class really helps teachers and students get to know one another as well as to help the student learn as much as they can while they are in that class. Studying outside of the classroom is a must, however the teachers do such an amazing job teaching that material while in lecture that going home and studying the human immune system is neither hard nor boring but something that is easy and not going to stress students out enough to make them completely ignore their course work. This teaching style is geared towards getting a job, but also bettering students knowledge of the world and to help them get a better idea of what is going on and how it relates to them.

What academics are like at UCF depends largely on the size of the student body in the particular class. These sizes can range from just over a dozen in some of the more advanced course to well over a hundred. Generally, the larger the class size, the less active participation is expected and the less individual attention students receive, though there are some exceptional instructors who teach large classes and still manage to give good attention to each student who needs it. However, all professors are definitely approachable during their office hours, regardless of class size, so if you have any trouble with the subject matter you can always come to see them about it. There is at least some studying going on on campus pretty much at all times, usually at the on campus library; indeed, the library is more of a study hall than an actual library as far as I've seen. As far as the purpose of education at UCF goes, it is definitely more for getting a job than pure learning, but I feel this is by no means a bad thing as UCF goes the extra mile for helping students land a job, boasting a full Career Services center and career expos held regularly where students can meet potential employers.

I like the way academics are governed at UCF. In terms of classrooms of small size, I always feel welcomed by my instructor, getting to know him/her on a personal, first-name basis. Professors are generally warm, speaking as if it was just two people sitting in the room. All of the professors I have had in both my major and minor know me by name, which is good because I feel that there is always open lines of communication between teacher and student. My favorite classes are those that are in my minor--mass communication. I say that because the teachers and students in that college are so inviting, and the subject matter makes it necessary to meet together to study, which can also give birth to wholesome association. In these and all the other courses I am enrolled in, I always find class participation to be the norm, with a few shy students opting just to listen and take all of the information in. As for my major (English) I feel much the same way. Being an English major is different from most other majors because there are no exams; which, in turn, makes studying almost invalid. Thus, it is not often that I spend time with those in these classes unless it is to do peer review or similar assignments. Still, I love being an English major because I love to write, and what is more, I feel that I am pretty good at it. All things factored in, I am satisfied with the academic portion here at UCF. I feel that it has improved in the three years that I have called this school my home, and I believe that it will only continue to get better!

"Scholarship" is an important part of our UCF Creed. It stands for cherishing and honoring learning as a fundamental purpose of membership in the community. Needless to say, academics are taken extremely seriously at the University of Central Florida. Over the years, our admissions GPA and SAT/GRE/MCAT scores have been steadily increasing, which shows the standard of competition in our programs. I have never had a professor who was unwilling to help me after class or during their office hours. There are also organizations like SARC on campus, where students tutor other students for free. UCF has also been successful in integrating technology into academics. There is a variety of online and hybrid courses in the catalog which makes learning available to all kinds of students. In addition, we have been excelling in the research arena with multiple active labs such as Minds in Technology, Institute for Simulation and Training etc. I am psychology major myself. Psychology is one of the most popular majors at UCF. Besides core courses, the program also offers internship placements, career seminars and research opportunities, all of which help us in achieving our career goals. Students are also encouraged to do their best academically through numerous scholarship incentives and advanced programs like LEADS.

I am a junior and a Criminal Justice major now so I have had experience with both general education courses as well as major courses and I can honestly say that they are all great. I love the psychology classes they are awesome and everyone loves the professors especially Negy and then my personal experience with Sinatra and Sholar. General Psychology (PSY 2012) had to be one of the most unique and interesting courses I have taken at UCF. One of the requirements of this course was the opportunity to participate in SONA research studies and I participated in a few that were extremely fun (one dealing with a game that tested your communication and skills while being part of a military operation and one dealing with memory exercise). The Criminal Justice courses and professors are great as well I have not met one that I did not like. The class sizes depend on your preference and availability if you like small, large, or online lectures there are all kinds of opportunities. I have taken many online classes and although there is usually more work, they are great for self-motivators and people that need the luxury and flexible time schedule. Professors always tell students their times and means of availability like office hours, email, and office phone numbers and sometimes their cell numbers as well. The Professors are also always willing to help with any issues or questions you may have. There are also many certificate programs like crime scene investigation, victim advocacy, criminal profiling, and more that allow students to learn about more specialized fields and knowledge of the criminal justice field.

I can say with confidence that I have the best situation at UCF being a language major. I have small class sizes for my major and all of my professors know my name. That's what everyone wants- a professor that knows their name and they are satisfied with the school. However, in the language department at UCF, the professors not only know your entire name, they know multiple things about you and really encourage you to learn and expand your cultural horizons and push you to develop your own point of view. They are always there to help, while at the same time giving an academic challenge and sincerely care about your state of being. I remember after my grandmother passed last Thanksgiving, my spanish professor came up to me after class and made sure that I was doing okay and even said she was there for me if I ever needed someone to talk to. That is going above and beyond their job description, and I know that if I ever needed anything I could turn to my professors. Although I feel significantly challenged learning a second language, I feel like most classes at UCF aren't challenging enough. I feel this way for one reason- I can't recall a single intellectual debate outside of the classroom. I am originally from PIttsburgh and when I return and visit my best friend at her university I am able to participate in various intellectual conversations with substance that have nothing to do with tanning, the beach or working out. However, without a doubt, I believe as UCF continues to expand it will be harder to become accepted into such an amazing university and the conversations will transform into modern day politics and intellectual topics.

The academics at my school are awesome. I have enjoyed almost every class.

The classes at UCF can be very large (300 students) or small and confined (30 students). I prefer smaller classes. Once you get in your core classes the size gets smaller. The general education classes are the ones that are large. I personally did not like the general education courses only because I knew what I wanted my major to be. It is great for students who are undecided though. The most unique class I have taken was World Religions. I had never taken a course like this before and it opened my eyes to many new aspects of the world. I am an Elementary Education major and I love my department. They put on so many seminars, workshops and conferences to help you with your schooling and career. There are so many extras to get involved in and you can get all the help you need. The professors are very caring and will answer any questions you have. Most classes require a decent amount of work and you have to study hard, but in the end it is all worth it.

Class sizes range from 20 students to 300 students. If you like the smaller size, it's easy to find professors that offer a class with minimal capacity. These types of classes are best for students that feel the need to connect with their professors, which is not hard at UCF. All of the professors that I have had are extremely open and offer many modes of communication. Most professors provide you with office hours, their emails, school phone number, and sometimes even their personal phone number! All of my professors have been very friendly and understanding, although this may not apply to all professors at UCF, like any university. If you want a better understanding of what your professor will be like before you enroll in a class, go to ratemyprofessor.com to see what previous students have said.