University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

UNC is a very academic based school, it is very difficult but at the same time challenging. As a student at UNC my nursing classes are very challenging, but it's to my advantage becasue one's I get out into the real world my patient are going to want a graduate from UNC because I am going to know my job. The professors are very helpful and willing to meets students outside of class, very seldom you find one who is not very friendly or is too busy to help students outside of class. But the professors are very busy people and don't have alot of time due to research and other jobs outside of UNC.

Academics are taken pretty seriously at UNC, but not so much that we can't have a life outside of it. How much time you study really depends on your major. I know Chemistry majors that study 10 hours a day, but as a journalism major I have plenty of time for extracurriculars. On the whole, professors are great. Most of them have lots of real-world experience that they draw on in class. However, few are so important that they can't take time to help you outside of class.

There are some small classes where professors will know your name, but for the most part, they don't. Professors are very flexible with their time and are always willing to meet with a student during their office hours. UNC has a long list of academic requirements. It can be very overwhelming at times to figure out how you will knock out all of the requirements, but there are definitely easier ways to fulfill them. By taking AP tests and SAT IIs, a lot of the requirements will be fulfilled, and some courses also knock out 2 requirements with one class.

Class participation is important. Unless in a large lecture class, participation and attendance plays a large role in the 'learning experience' and even with the large classes, you will usually break into a recitation section where part. and attend. play a part. If you feel the need to know your professors well, they are usually (not always) easily available. You can go through the Carolina experience without getting close with profs, but you will usually walk out with one or two who you will love and will follow up with how you are doing. Studying: we study. Some study more than others, but students have high self expectations and will do the work necessary to meet those goals. So, it isn't uncommon to see a number in the library throughout the day. Yet, some people can do well skipping out on the library It all depends on what it takes. In the end though, higher level classes are competitive but at the same time students will study and prepare for class together. Political Science: when it comes to a personal department where everybody knows your name: it isn't. That's one dissappointing thing about Poli. But, the professors are passionate and encouraging with their topics. I have had professors who have published books that friends of mine at other universities will have for their own classes. It's nice to have some faculty at that level of specialty. International Studies: One of the most intense liberal arts majors- it requires ten classes lus 6 of foreign language (gen ed only requires 3 levels of a language). THe biggest complaint is it is an interdepartmental major, so you rarely get the same professors again. In the poli department, paper and research style tends to transfer well between classes...but in INTS, you are constantly changing departments for classes so you need to learn that department's style and that can take a toll on your grade when competing for the A in another department's classes wtih it's own majors in the class (who understand the system). But at the same time, you are better able to adjust to new situations in a classroom because of this.

When you are in your first two years, most of the general classes are large (think 60-300 people). They are in big lecture classes where the professor sits at the front and talks. Some people like this, others don't. I think it's a good test of self-discipline and dedication to school for new students. In big lecture classes it's easy to go unnoticed and never show up for class. However, it's essential that you do in order to pass! So it's many young students' first shots at pulling themselves out of bed, walking to class, and listening to a professor who doesn't even know they are there. Once you're into your major the classes shrink! I haven't had a class with more than 10-15 students in awhile now. This is your chance to connect with your professors and classmates and to grow as a student. There is much more class participation, group work, and exchanging of ideas in small discussion based classes. I have learned so much about societal issues, education, and cultural interactions through my small, intense discussion based courses.

The worst thing about academics at UNC is the large classes, especially the first 2 years. Not all classes are this way, but in the ones that are you tend to feel like a number, and unless you make a point to introduce yourself and talk with your professor outside of class, he/she won't know you by name. However, if you make a point to visit a professor's office hours, you will find that the majority of professors are great and it's a good way to get to known them. Once you've decided your major and get more into those classes, the class sizes generally become smaller. I'm in the nursing school at UNC, which is great if that's what you're interested in. The hours you have to put in (for just about every major) are tough, but you're never alone. In the nursing school, the majority of professors very much want to see you succeed, and offer lots of help. The school is also nice because you're in a class of about 70, which you will know very well at the end of your 2 years.

Big classes. You are nothing but a number.

My favorite thing about UNC classes are the freshman seminars available. These classes are only available to freshman and its a great way to make new friends when you first get to school. The seminars are usually about an interesting topic too.

UNC is not an easy school. Your classes will be difficult but you will learn a ton and have fun doing it. Once I chose my major, I felt a sense of purpose in my classes. Instead of memorizing numbers and dates, I really felt that I was learning something that would help in my career. It also helps that I worked in a lab while taking classes pertaining to my work. All of my professors were receptive to meeting face to face, and the ones that I really liked, I met on a regular basis. My favorite class was actually not science based but a class called "The Heroic Journey". It was taught by a man who was a J.R.R. Tolkein authority, and the class that i took was his last before retiring. It was a special class taught by a person who was enthusiastic about the material as well as extremely knowledgeable. My least favorite class was probably my freshman year english class when I broke my arm trying to get around campus to complete a survey requirement. Students are UNC study a lot. Exams are given one about every 3 weeks so during midterm and final times, the libraries are always crowded and bustling. The smaller classes and recitations at UNC definitely promote class participation, and a new requirement now is for students to take a class where they have to present a project after meeting with a professor. My education at UNC was more than adequate to prepare me to get a job and apply to graduate school.

Despite the feeling that all your classes are huge lecture classes, only 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the classes at Carolina have over 150 people in them. The basic entry level classes for most disciplines are very large, but as you take more specialized classes, the numbers drop drastically. Foreign languages have no more than approximately 19 people and math classes have no more than approxiamtely 21. It's not like high school where your teachers check your homework and know you as soon as you walk in. You have to be responsible and keep yourself in check and getting work done. You also need to take the initiative to introduce yourself to your teachers. If you have questions do not be affraid to ask and make sure to use office hours whenever you can. UNC also has a variety of research opportunities. If interested in doing research you can get involved in a variety of different fields and even start your own research. The possibilites are truly endless. The thing is if you go to UNC you will have to work. You will have to put time and effort into doing well but what you come out with is a highly respected degree from a prestigious school. Yet, there is time to have fun and be social. You just need to find a balance between academic and social life.