University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

Professors will know your name in class most likely but you must be willing to make sure that they get to know you. Students study all the time, at a constant pace. Intellectual conversations are almost always held outside of class by students because some of the brightest kids in the nation go to school here. Actually, everything is talked about outside of class, we are not nerdy snobs! UNC is geared towards learning for learning's sake but are very helpful in making sure students are well prepared for the working world by the time they graduate. The business school is a beautiful facility with brilliant minds but very very tough to get into, and creates an incredibly competitive environment sometimes. Class sizes can range from 400 to 12. My favorite class that I have ever taken was change in the coastal ocean! we studied turtles, tides, and looked at lots of pictures! Professors outside of class can be very helpful but they are busy just like students are!

I think the professors here really challenge you to think critically about whatever topic you are studying. They push you to look deeper into the problem to really understand what is going on no matter what size of the class. I have had classes as big as 250 to 8 students. Introductory classes are the bigger classes and are more competitive especially in the sciences, but when you take upper level classes, they become smaller and less competitive. I prefer to take the upper level classes because of the more intimate atmosphere of the class.

cf. above. A few students are outstanding, most are average, many are lazy. It is all about which group you choose to be in and associate with. Student competitiveness typically focusses on getting A's at all cost rather than actually competing intellectually (a trend which, I assure you, you will not escape at any college inside the USA). Each department, however, has a wealth of opportunities and outstanding professors. Sure, there are the bad ones, but it is not hard to do a little reading and ask around to end up with an amazing professor. And I strongly recommend it. As an example: I was an Applied Math major with a Physics minor, but my favorite class (by a long shot) was an Reid Barbour's 17th century British literature class, followed by Bart Erhman's New Testament and Jodi Magness' Early Judaism. Not that I didn't like the math department. Even though it was one of the smallest departments on campus, there were nearly unlimited opportunities for scholarship and research. Professors were more than willing to meet, discuss, suggest, etc. UNC's academic requirements are an attempt to enforce a broad, liberal arts education. For the independent scholar, this can provide a host of amazing opportunities in cross-curricular studies and interdisciplinary training. It is quite easy to drift through taking the easy-A courses without any direction or interest, but it robs you of an amazing set of opportunities to explore the deepest corners of academia.

Another common misconception about UNC (and other large universities) is that all of the basic freshmen and sophmore classes will be hugeeee. Not true. I did have a few classes that had around 400 students in them. But, the majority of my classes had 20-35 students. Most of my professors knew my name and had flexible office hours so that you can ask questions or get help. We also have T.A.'s, which are graduate students who help a teacher. T.A.'s also have office hours, so you have the opportunity for one-on-one help if you take advantage of it. I highly recommend the first-year seminars. I took two, one was the geology of NC and the other was mountain environments, and they were both amazing and since these classes are limited to 20 students, you really get to know the people in that class. I was also able to travel into the Blue Ridge Mtns. with both of these classes. Field trippp!! =) Although some classes are just for fun and learning, some classes are very serious and you really have to work at them (chem lab is the most evil class ever I think). Students aren't competitive like in high school, everyone is just trying to do their best.

Some professors know your name especially if you go to their office hours and such. During your last two years, most professors will get to you know your name but the first two years it might be hard for them to do so when they have 200 students in one class. I loved my psychology courses because they were typically smaller and the teachers really cared about you. In the Biology department, the students were very competitive so that was a turn off for me and the general courses were all weed out classes so the teachers didn't care nearly as much.

I like big classes, but it is possilbe to get a small class feel or get lost in a big lecture. most intro classes are big, but if you need a small environment don't worry, all the professors and TA's are more than willing to speak with you ad nauseum at a time that fits your schedule. Most upper level classes have a much smaller class size and the same professors willing to talk with you. The academic atmosphere is very competitve, and students do talk about classes, politics, economics, social injustice, religion, philosophy and anything you can think of in normal conversation outside the classroom. Compared to other schools in the UNC system, Chapel Hill is by far the most difficult and challenging and necessitates a lot of work, and a lot of study. One of those schools where it isn't too difficult to get a B, but you have to work hard for your A.

Classes for freshman and sophomores tend to be relatively large (from my experience). I have had some professors who try to create a very personal relationship with their students and others who could care less. There are classes where participation is necesarry and (again) where the professor could care less. Overall, the academics are farily rigorous--though nothing you can't handle, if you're an intelligent student. It's probably nothing compared to a Duke or an Ivy League school, but it is challenging. Students are exceptionally competitive--to the point it gets a little ridiculous. There's always someone sort of debate going on between someone--everyone's convinced the world has something to learn from them, instead of the other way around. The Political Science department is very good and very rigorous as well. It's my major and I've recieved an 'A' in two out of the seven classes I've taken. You've really got to be on your game with these professors, they don't bullshit around. When writing papers, research must be extensive and comprehensive (not to mentioned well-cited) and evidence for claims/theses must be based on cold, hard political data, not some abstract idea you found in a textbook.

The professors at UNC are all pretty good for the most part, although I've had a few I did not enjoy. There are a variety of large and small classes, depending on your major. Once you choose a major and get into more specific classes, they tend to get smaller and you get more one on one attention. The professors will know your name if you want them to, but you have to actually attempt to talk to them. In small classes, participation is essential. Students definitely talk intellectually outside of class, I often have debates with friends over certain things we've learned. The most unique class I took was Philosophy of Religion, I was not very good at it but it was really interesting which is the most important thing for me in a class. I am a psych major, and I think our psych department is very good, I've enjoyed all of my professors in those classes and am learning a lot. I think the learning here is more geared towards learning for its own sake, but there are so many opportunities outside of class to meet with advisors, career fairs, etc so it is pretty balanced and if you need help finding a career, you'll be able to get it.

Any of the science majors at Chapel Hill are intense, primarily due to the competition to get into medical schools. More than half of the people taking science courses intend to go into some medical program after graduating, which makes the competition for good grades difficult. My least favorite class is probably History of South Asian Art, since the course required us to examine lewd images in the name of art. Of course, it was one of the few open courses that filled a major requirement.

Professors do not and will not know your name unless you make the first move. You have to go to their office hours or talk to them after class if you want to stand out. The best way to get ahead in class is to talk to your professor. Emails will do it, but it's better to see them in person. Most every class in entry-level courses are had in huge auditoriums where there is no way the professor could possible learn everyone's name. Higher-level courses lead to a more personal relationship with your professors and they become more like your mentor than your teacher in the traditional sense. Personally I have not spent time with professors outside of class, but many of my friends have. Professors sometimes hold office hours at coffee shops, sometimes late at night. If you want to remain intellectually engaged outside of class, you have to find a group that does so. There are clubs, and there is the library. Like the professors, you have to make the first move. Go find people that can engage you in political discussion/debate, or people that you have something in common with besides sports. I cannot stress enough how important this is. UNC is a big place so there is something there for everyone, but what you want is not going to simply come to you. UNC is VERY competitive with classes. I was not as focused on academics because I was an athlete freshman year, but now I am finding that nearly everyone is thinking about their grades at every corner. But hey, if you can get in to UNC you can succeed at UNC. Never doubt that. The way the classes are set up at UNC is a point of annoyance for me. UNC is interested in providing you with an education that will last you for your lifetime. The first two years of your college experience here will be spent on general college requirements. You will take classes you hate, you will take classes that inspire you. I don't like this, because I know what I want and I want to focus on that. However, for the average college student that has no idea what he/she is interested in and what he/she wants to do when he/she gets out of college, this is perfect. Many of the higher-level classes are controlled-enrollment, so do not expect to be able to take whatever you want, unless the class is for your major.