University of Florida Top Questions

Everyone knows the university of florida is a prestigious school!

Your first semester is going to be overwhelming just because probably all your classes are going to be lecture halls and you're not really going to get to know your professor at all since the classes are probably 200+ but that being said you should definitely take advantage of going to office hours and getting some one on one time with your professors. As you progress in your major classes get smaller until finally your professor is going to know your name. Students are always studying here, all the Libraries are always full so it's definitely a competitive environment.

Classes are large here but many have some kind of lab or discussion session that let you interact with a smaller number of classmates and a Teacher's Assisstant. It is the responsibility of each person to manage their own academics. There's no one hovering over your shoulder to make sure you're studying and writing your papers but help can be provided if you are struggling. There's a huge variety of classes to take. If you want to learn about it, there's probably a class you take on it. The requirements are easy enough to get and introduce you to a wide variety of topics which is useful for determining major.

There's a lot of diversity on the UF campus as far as academics. Class size varies, for example, some of the more Gen Ed type classes will have large classes of hundreds of people, language classes are kept small at about twenty or less, more specialized classes are more in the 30-50 range. Some of my personal favorite classes have included, Gender and Sexuality, Modern Japan, Japanese Culture, The Ancient World on Film, Myths of the Greeks and Romans, Food and Culture, to name a few. My major is Anthropology and I have two minors in Classics and Asian Studies. I have a lot of freedom in my course choices so I get to take many interesting classes. This school's academic requirements are definitely high, however this produces a good academic atmosphere in which most people are serious about their schooling.

Though it might be because I'm an English/Creative Writing major, I can say that my teachers all know my name. My fiction writing workshops have all been unique, thought-provoking, and incredibly beneficial in terms of my writing skills. In class participation is, for the most part, the most important thing in my classes, as most of my classes, as of recently, consist of somewhere between 16 to 20 students.

Academics in my school are extremely important, the importance can probably best be measured by how many students are in the libraries at any given time. I am a political science major, one of the most popular majors at the school, but my concentration is in international relations. The classes are fairly small and the professors quickly learn the names of the students who participate most. I can, from personal experience, say that the students frequently have intellectual conversations. Politics, race, religion, economics, history, sociology, the environment, current events and even astronomy are topics that have been brought up in daily conversation among friends. My favorite class has been international institutions because I feel as though I have learned the most from that course but it hasn't been the most interesting. That would go to Cuba and Puerto Rico, a course on the history of both islands. I have met with my professor for that course multiple times and have had the pleasure of conversing with her on our family histories.

The academics at my school are great. The professors have a large knowledge base and amazing stories from experience. They offer so many classes in so many things it is bound to catch your attention. I love the fact that they have such interesting classes about topics I would love to learn about. My all time favorite class was homicide, in which i was able to learn about infamous serial killers and different degrees of murder. My majors, Criminology and Anthropology, both in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is the best. We have amazing advisors who are always willing to help guide you in the right direction and get back to you quickly.

Yes, the University of Florida is definitely daunting in terms of academics. I have managed to be on the Dean's List since my first semester at UF (I'm currently a Junior in my sixth semester), which of course is not easy or light feat. At the same time, it is in no way impossible. Students should feel as though they have every opportunity to achieve at UF. Big classrooms of over 100 students can be intimidating, and oftentimes smaller classes in which the professor knows his/her students' names can be even more nerve racking. However, professors usually are accommodating, are there to help you in and outside of the classroom, and want to see you excel. Students can be competitive, like at any other prestigious university, but I've never seen it escalate to unhealthy levels. Stress, however, is incredibly common, and I have experienced that escalate to unhealthy levels, but I am sure it is not unlike the behavior of students at like universities. Being a psychology major, I really appreciate my department, the amount I have learned, and the UF Counseling and Wellness Center. The CWC is always there to help students manage their stress and provide useful tools such as Biofeedback training and encouragement (for free).

I think the academics are fair. Some classes are harder than others, but overall I think the Professors are very reasonable. If you do your work, read your readings, and study what you're supposed to study, you will get As.

The academics are pretty hard-core. The core classes, the sciences and math classes, are tough. But on the flip side, there is so much help out there. Every class has review sessions, from fellow students, TAs, teaching help through UF itself or an off campus company that specializes in helping you pass your test. Not to mention that every professor has office hours or is available to make an appointment to see you. There's no excuse not to find help if you need it. Students in a class can also email other students in the class, so I can send a mass email saying "I need help with problem #2 on the homework" or "Study session Thursday at 5" and get help from fellow classmates. The courses are so diverse, I've taken Vegetable Gardening, Oceanography, Astronomy, Wildlife, Soils, American History and many other electives just to see what I might like. And many of the electives are a blast, because it's something you are interested in.