University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

Class size varies, there are huge, typically freshman classes, but once you get into taking major classes they get smaller and professors are generally interested in getting to know you. It's cool to be in classes in which your professor actually wrote the textbook. Classes are challenging and it is nice to be in an environment in which other students are motivated and want to do well. A liberal arts school, UNC is interested in producing well-rounded students who are more than capable when entering the work force. I am in the journalism school and it is one of the best in the country.

Yes, most professors do know my name. Unless you're in a class that's 350 people (which are very few classes here), you'll know your professor pretty well. Also, don't believe that there are tons of 500 person classes here! That is not true. These are only for introductory classes (one for each department) and they're not over 350. The UNC students that I have come in contact with do indeed have many intellectual conversations outside of class. There are times where I have had 2 hour long conversations about how our class applies to our life. I have also spent time with professors outside of class. For the most part, professors would love to sit down with you and talk about your plans or what you're interested in. They're really cool.

Giant lecture classes are usually avoidable if you major in the humanities, but with all of UNC's bullshit general college requirements you're going to have to take a few. These classes (especially the math and science ones) are completely useless and painful unless you want to continue in those fields. Fortunately, UNC does offer small classes just for first years on specific topics that count as general college requirements. I took a class on the geology of Eastern California, and we actually went to the mountains of California and did field research for a week. The topic sounds boring, but it was actually a blast. You're only supposed to take on max per semester your first year, but I was able to take 4 in all because, like I said, advising/the registrar/financial aid don't communicate...My least favorite classes have been the bigger classes where participation is discouraged and competition is encouraged, which I think is actually how most UNC classes work...My friends and I have intellectual convos outside of class, but the majority of the student body is pretty conservative and less "bright" than I expected...As I've said before, UNC's academic requirements are bogus and not geared toward getting you a good career. If you want to survive after college, get an internship or three and lead a couple student organizations.

Great! A few too many classes being taught by graduate students and too many in my introductory courses (300+ at times), but on the par the academics at Carolina are superb. They are what you make them to be. You can volunteer to be an assistant in a lab or write an honors thesis or take advanced courses. It is all up to you.

Some professors know my name because the teacher to student ratio is low. My favorite class is English because it is discussion based. I do not like big lecture classes where it's not personal and tests are the only grades. Students are competitive only in certain majors, such as business. The most unique class I have taken was drama 121. The professor was very entertaining and the class material was applicable to everyday life. UNC's academic requirements are too much. I do not think business majors should take a history class, science, etc, unless they want to.

Yes Entreprenurial Imagin - about entreprenuership English 102 - complete waste of time all the time in small classes only yes yes entreprenurial imagin Biology is intense sometimes literary arts and history is useless for a bio major learning for its own sake

I was satisfied with my courses in the graduate school. The students there were very bright and, though competitive, willing to help one another. UNC has a large variety of resources, including thousands of books, useful online journals, and a GIS data library.

Yes, professors know my name. All the classes at Kenan-Flagler Business school are great. I disliked my Italian one class. The teacher was very rigid in the way she taught the subject

Academics at UNC are challenging. In most classes, you will have to work hard to get an A, but it is possible. Students study alot, but at the same time know how to have fun. UNC is the definition of a school that works hard but plays hard too. Perhaps the most amazing thing about UNC is that despite the academic rigor, students are rarely competitive. There are a lot of academic requirements and they can seem daunting, however its pretty easy to satisfy them.

Half of my classes are small enough that everyone knows each other's name, including the professor. I have been told that once I get out of introductory classes, that classes will get smaller. It is also easy to meet up with professors of large classes by going to office hours. My favorite class right now is probably Italian, because I know that I will not major or minor in it, but hopefully one day I will go to Italy, and it will be great to understand some of what locals are saying. My least favorite class is geography, because I am not interested in geography, but I have to fill a general education requirement. Students study very often, and libraries are packed close to exams. Professors encourage participation in class. I do have intellectual conversations outside of class. Just the other day, I was talking with a friend about biology on the way back from lunch. It is not too competitive, as far as I have seen. The most unique class I have taken was Think, Speak, Argue, which was a course for first years only, about debating, and we held actual debates. I am a Biology major, planning on pre-dentistry. It is very common to be a biology major at UNC, and the department seems pretty good so far. I spend some time meeting with professors outside of class but not much, which is my choice. I feel UNC has difficult academic standards, but they are necessary to keep the high quality of education that we receive at the university. Education is geared toward learning, because of the requirements to complete classes unrelated to one's major.