Elizabeth
Not many professors know your name unless you are in a major that has small classes or you visit office hours. You CAN get to know them, but it is your own effort that will reach that goal. Business classes, for example, are often too big for the teacher to know students by name, but the upper-level public relations courses do allow you to know your teacher.
My least favorite class was Introduction to Public Relations because the teacher never followed a schedule, the tests did not cover the material we learned, she actually made a 300-person lecture class sing row-row-row your boat, and in general I learned nothing from her - and that is one of my majors!
My favorite class is probably one I am currently taking - Globalization in Information Technology. I know nothing about IT, but the material is fairly basic and I feel like I am learning a lot that other students on campus will never have been exposed to. In addition, my services marketing class is great - the teacher has fair expectations and the material is interesting.
UGA students probably only have intellectual conversations outside of class if it pertains to a class their share together.
Students are not too competitive - until it comes to finding a job. THAT is where the claws can come out since there are so many students vying for a few positions.
The most unique class I have taken is International Strategic Management - it's awful, but unique. The teacher has formatted the course as a business and she is the employer. The constant chaos of assignments, presentations, and debates are 'supposed' to teach the students what life is like in the real world.
I would not suggest International Business to anyone because all you are required to do is take an international course in the different business school departments; therefore the degree is extremely broad and not very practical. But all of the international courses are REALLY interesting and I loved all of them for the most part. The Terry School of Business has LOTS of money and therefore has great resources and buildings. In addition, there are tons of business recruiting opportunities delivered through Terry's departments and organizations. Get your pre-requirements out of the way early so that you can enter your major courses ASAP.
Terry's Institute for Leadership Advancement is open to all students on campus and give students the opportunity to earn an academic certificate in leadership. I highly suggest that program.
The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has a high-demand Public Relations major that only gives you 2 courses per semester, so apply early to start taking classes as soon as you can. The courses are fairly easy, but enjoyable and provide real-world application. The professors are all great. But beware, Grady does not have the same monetary resources that Terry does and there is only one career counselor for the entire college.
I do not spend time with my professors outside of class unless I go to their office hours or they are the advisor for a campus organization that I am involved with.
The UGA education is geared towards getting a job - or at least that is how it is with the business and journalism schools. There are always programs and seminars about job-hunting, networking, resumes, etc. Some of the courses are a waste of time and I will never draw on that material in the real-world.
The school's academic requirements are doable - but I always suggest finding out what you want to do early!!!