University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

I think academics are what you make them. It is important to take classes that interest you otherwise classes can be really boring, hard, and not enjoyable. There is some classes that I would never take because I have no interest, but like Chem and Econ seem pretty intimidating (fortunately I have no need for them). It is important to get help if you are struggling, and there are so many resources for this like peer tutoring, office hours, etc. The big lectures were hard for me at first, but discussion sections create an atmosphere for close relationships.

very challenging, they make you want to give up at times, but if you stick with it you will be such a better person because of it

There aren't that many LSA majors to choose from, like there isn't Journalism or Pre-Med. The Business School focuses mostly on finance/number type things such as accounting, etc. and is extremely hard.

At the RC my professors know my name. In LSA I usually feel like a number. In the RC, class participation is common. We study a lot and also have intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique class was called Cultures in Dialoge: Crossing Internal and External Boundaries. We studied "the other," and immigration issues.... We studied the Turkish immigrants and the Jewish history in Germany, and the Gypsy experience and Morrocan immigration in Spain. Then we had a class trip to Berlin and Granada. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Professors are hit or miss. There are some really good professors at U of M. There are also some professors that can take a fascinating subject and make it amazingly mind-numbing. I took a class called "The Politics and Culture of the 1960s." Cool, right? I stopped going to lecture after three weeks because the professor made it impossible for me to stay awake longer than 15 minutes after sitting down.

the intelligent professors take the time to know my name. favorite class is a class on religion and diversity (definitely one of the better taught classes here). students are ALWAYS doing work, they study a lot, avg 3 hours a day, more if theres an exam. class participation is the same as you had it in high school. RARELY an intellectual conversations outside of class, very very rare. students are very competitive. the culture classes are very unique. professors will meet with you outside of class, but not rreally on a friendship level, usually strictly business, they dont have time for anything else. academic requirements are normal. education is geared toward getting a job and learning.

Michigan has great classes and great professors--- but a lot of shitty ones as well. I think the most common complain I hear is "My GSI (graduate student instructor) doesn't speak english." I've also taken some really great classes... usually by talking to upperclassmen you can find out what classes to take, what professors to avoid, etc.

In really large lectures, the professors won't know your name. however, some professors do make an effort to know their students. my organic chemistry professor makes an effort to get to know her students if they have ever come to her office hours. when people have questions in lecture, she always addresses them by name. most other professors will probably not care unless you make an effort to develop a relationship. Students study a lot. The library is always filled with people studying. students form study groups and study with friends for exams. Class participation is up to the professor. Some professors will ask questions in lecture, but usually only if the lecture is small (<200). in discussion, participation is extremely important because it is usually what makes up most of the grade for that portion of the class. Students are definitely not competitive. Students are collaborative and work together on homework and studying. Students have intellectual conversations outside of class, especially now because of the upcoming election. Students also talk about things relevant to the university, and those are conversations that are made of substance. Some professors will schedule to meet with students outside of class if they are interested in getting to know their students. I think michigan has very fair academic requirements. in LSA they require that students take credits in subjects that would create a liberal arts education, and the amount of credits for these requirements are not very demanding. There is definitely enough room for students to take the classes they want to take while still being able to easily fulfill the requirements. I think the education at michigan is geared towards learning, and that it is a student's responsibility to realize that. It then becomes the student's responsibility to be mature in his/her decision and gear him/herself for a job, while appreciating the fact that this institution is a learning environment

I am an English major so my classes are all very small so my professors have to know my name. But in the larger classes I have taken in the past the professors absolutely didn't know who I was. My favorite class was English 140 because it had 7 people in it. Least favorite was Communications 102 because Comm sucks. No, I don't think students are too competitive. Most unique is Tibetan. That is the language I am studying. English department is great, and yeah every once in a while I'll meet with a professor outside of class. I think the requirements here are fine. The education is probably more geared toward learning for learning's sake.

I fell through the cracks freshmen and sophomore year and struggled to find a major. I finally chose history because it is not only my passion but a more intimate department at Michigan. Some may think I chose an obsolete or unpopular major, but it fits me.