University of Connecticut Top Questions

No they don't know m name. I liked my comm105 class. I didn't like my math105 class. I do think we have deep conversations. Students are very competative.

My major is Coastal Studies (or Marine Sciences), Bachelor of Science. It is a very small group, and it is based out of Avery Point, where many of my junior and senior year classes take place. In my current experience with this major, not many professors know your name in your freshman and sophomore year because lectures can be up to 400 people, and well, thats just a lot of names. Once you get down to the smaller classes for your own major, professors usually try to get to know everyone, also making it easier to make connections with classmates. Least favorite class is CHEMISTRY...its very very hard. So if you are majoring in a science, be prepared. I think my favorite class was Statistics, math comes very easy to me, and the teacher made everything so clear.

Some professors know me personally. Others-- those in large lectures-- don't know me at all. I make it a point to get to know some of my professors, either for extra help or future connections into my field. Do ask questions, either in class or staying after. Most appreciate it if you actually seem concerned about the class. Also, they like attendance. My favorite classes have been English classes because of the smaller size and more chances to participate. I also liked my Animal Behavior class-- my major is Animal Science, so it was a really interesting subject for me. Class participation is common in some classes, but not in large classes, or math and science classes. Yes, Uconn students have intellectual conversations, if you hang out with the right people. And a lot of students are more than willing to help each other with assignments. Animal Behavior was a unique class. I had to train an animal for this, so I trained a chicken from Uconn's Poultry farm. My Intro to Shakespeare class was also unique because most of the class was focus on interpreting and acting out a scene from one of his plays. My major is Animal Science, with a focus on Pre-Vet. This means I will be taking a lot of Chemistry and Animal Science classes. I sometimes talk to professors after class or through e-mail when needed, but I don't spend time with them besides that. However, I'm in a learning community, and I will talk to the associate professor and teachers assistant more. I'm more concerned with what Vet schools want. Uconn's academic requriements for Animal Science are mush easier than their requirements.

a lot of studying is required, the classes are pretty tough, teachers are real good about getting extra help

Students study depending on their workload, major & year. It all depends on the person. But I will have to agree that a lot more students study & succeed than the media shows. We do have many large lectures, which have discussions & lab w/ smaller amounts of students. But there are some smaller classes. I am nursing major & I love the support I get from the faculty there, it provides the feeling of a small college in a large public university.

I think the academics at UConn are challenging but needed. I am a business major and we have to take economics. These classes are aweful. They are very difficult. While your professor does not know your name, if you make a point to meet them and go to their office hours, most are very nice and willing to help.

if you are willing, you will receive an excellent education at uconn. that said, you can also just go through the motions and get by with passing grades without learning a thing. just like any institution, what you get out of uconn is what you are willing to put into it. your gen-ed classes are going to be long, boring, and pointless, but suck it up!! we all had to go through them! make sure you are interested in your declared major because that is when you get out of 500 student lecture halls and enter 20 student classrooms. you should really like what you are studying. most professors are great- they enjoy very much what they are teaching and enjoy it even more when young college students get excited about the material too. be prepared however, to be taught by a lot of teaching assistants as apposed to professors- these are masters and phd students that will teach your classes under the supervision of a professor in the discipline's department. no fear though, all my experiences with ta's were great! though the bureacracy of it all is enough to drive you insane, the actual academics of uconn are one this i am not able to bash.

I am a Biology/Pre-Med student and so far have been disappointed by the science department, particularly Chemistry. Some of my professors are very bland and don't seem to care if their students do well or not. But on the other hand, a few of my professors have gone above and beyond the call of duty to reach out to every one of their students (like David B. Miller). Although it may be really rough to get through the academic core at UConn, you will be at the cream of the crop when it comes time to apply for jobs or graduate school.

Just because UConn is a state school does not mean it is easy. We are definitely challenged. For the most part professors are very helpful. The class sizes are only big in Intro level courses and there is usually a TA that is willing to help if you are having difficulty. In the upper level courses, you become part of your school or department. You begin to know the professors and other students in your major, which is nice.

Most of the undergraduate Gen-ed classes are large, so the professors do not know our names. Because I am a spanish and comm double major, my spanish classes have been about 15 kids every semester and therefore the teachers know our names. My first spanish teacher-Jorge- was a TA (teachers assistant) and taught my class. He turned into almost a mentor in my freshman days, and i knew i could (and still can) go to him with anything. I love my spanish classes because the students in them are actually very interested in the language and intend to pursue their language skills, and because of this, classes are competitive and fun. Many classes at Uconn are geared toward individual furthering of knowledge, learning for ones own sake. Although when you get into high level classes in your major, there still seems to be leniency as to where one might like to take the knowledge he/she is learning and continue on a certain path to better himself/herself in the field.