University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Top Questions

OU classes are: small within your major, but stadium size for general education classes. Students usually study in the library, in dorm study lounges or at Starbucks. My favorite class at OU has been hosting a radio show and my least favorite class has been PR research.

Some of my professors do but it really just depends on the class size. My favorite cass is accounting!! I love it soooo much! Our teacher tells us about his life and talks to us about ours! My least favorite class is mis because we do the same thing everyday and the information is painfully boring. I study at least four nights a week. Yes, we have intellectual conversations outside of class. Very competitive. I am majoring in energy management and finance. The head of the Energy management department is amazing, he knows everyones name and wants to help everyone.

I got credit for talking to weeks straight about drugs, sex, movies and rock 'n roll--my Honors Capstone during Intersession called 'Hollywood and the '70s.' The Honors College offers the best classes--small with superbly cool profs. Discussions practically blow your brain to bits. By the end of the class, the professors know your name and whether you're registered Democrat or Republican, and you know whether they smoked grass in college--or still do. Outside of Honors classes, I've sometimes felt like a robot going through the motions--take notes, memorize, spit out info on test, forget it. If you go to office hours and ask questions--professors across the board are more than willing to help and talk to you. I think in several cases, my talking in class has bumped a B to an A. Kids cram around finals. The library's like a 24-hour caffeinated camp out. But it' s not un-hip to study, students hole up all over campus and campus corner to study 24/7. Everyone's on their own schedule and too busy to notice anyone else's habits. There's an extremely competitive co-culture on campus--I'll call them 'campus-climbers.' These kids join every club, apply for every leadership position and scholarship--and get them. These are generally the kids who took all A.P. classes and will end up in D.C. or being a rich housewife. But you have to have both ends of the spectrum, right? I won't give names, but yes, I've had a glass of wine or two with some professors. Many leave around campus so it's easy to meet up and have coffee. I meet with one professor regularly at the BookMark coffee shop to talk about a research project--that's my 'class time' with her. Once again, you get what you give. I think OU's academic requirements are fine, because whether a person comes straight out of high school with a 4.0 or took ten years off to have kids before coming to college, everyone's paths are carved differently. The journalism college has been a great networking tool for the real world. The professors span the board-from Harlequin Romance writers to ex-editors of big name papers and journals. I'm part of the Gaylord Ambassadors Program, which has landed me on first-name basis with many higher-ups. We regularly meet with professionals in various journalistic fields and have opportunities to chat, get business cards, and find out about internships. Recently, the college started a Facebook group that keeps me posted on available jobs, internships, happenings, etc. I have complete access to the best equipment from computers to green screens. Basically, it rocks.

I have been pretty lucky to get to have some pretty far out professors who can remember my name. My favorite class has been communication for social change with Clemencia Rodriguez. I wanted/want to change the world after taking the class. Least favorite class would be statistics; it was really boring for me as a non-math person. I see people studying all the time at all of our local coffee houses so you can always find a study buddy. Class participation depends on what class you are in I think. Freshman classes don't have a lot of participation but as you go on more people loosen up for some participation. OU students do have a lot of intellectual conversations outside of class. I have met some students that seem more knowledgeable than professors. There are a lot of national merit scholars here at OU. Actually, I think we might have the most in a public university but I don't see a lot of competitiveness among classmates. The most unique class I have taken is Ballroom dancing. It was two hours once a week of lots of girls and a few nervous boys. I couldn’t ask for more with the University of Oklahoma’s Communication department. Communication was my original major as an incoming freshman to the university. I learned about it through friends and thought it would be a great department to get my bachelor’s degree in. Falling into this field has granted me with many opportunities to learn with exceptional professors and guidance through it’s advising. My personal career goal is to obtain a significant position within a large music company and work for the free press of all music. I believe communication has and will continue to prepare me for this goal. Classes within the department have given me the confidence to do tasks like researching, speaking, and writing in excellence and success. I don't spend a lot of time with professors out of class however I do take advantage of office hours. I feel the academic requirements are fair here at OU.

Most of my teachers know my name, it's because our president does his best for us to get small classes. We participate a lot since classes are small.

I had some professors who knew my name the first day of class, others that probably never knew it. My favorite class was Mass Communication Law - my least favorite was Photojournalism (horrible teacher made the class miserable, that prof is no longer there). Most students study a large amount, but that varies on the person and their major. I thought there was a lot of class participation. Intellectual conversations occur outside of class. Most unique class I took was Freedom in Greece. I was an advertising major and a Spanish minor. It was a good program. I felt like OU's academic requirements were fair. I'd say the education at times geared toward learning, and then later on there was some focus on getting a job.

Do professors know your name? The ones I wanted to know my name do. The ones i didn't care to get to know don't. Tell us about your favorite class. Least favorite? Purington's Intro to Ethics course. difficult class for lower division and he will hurt your weak little feelings if you don't have thick skin. loved it. least favorite: Feminist professor-Lower division Am. Literature class. I never made above a C on a paper and i'm a writing major. i feel like I got "hated" on because I have a penis. How often do students study? Well it depends? that's like asking me what students usually eat for breakfast how am I supposed to know that. people generally study based on their needs. Is class participation common? In classes where it's necessary for the "learning experience" or where it's required. not as much in classes before 1030 am though. Do OU students have intellectual conversations outside of class? yes. Are students competitive? some of them, they are mostly annoying. What's the most unique class you've taken? Photojournalism. it was fun. Tell us about your major / department Journalism/professional writing. we are one of like 10 schools that have this major. It's weird. it's Journalism with some extra bits about how to write fiction and market yourself and be successful. it's still ironing out kinks but it's a good major. fun so long as you like to write and don't mind crazy professors. Do you spend time with professors outside of class? How do you feel about OU 's academic requirements? Is the education at OU geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake?

Intro classes (freshman and sophomore year) are usually huge so you have a make a effort for professors to know your name. It isn’t difficult though, just a few visits to office hours. Once you move into major classes, the class sizes are much smaller and instructors will know you on a personal level. You cannot leave this university without taking Rufus Fears’ “Freedom in Rome” or “Freedom in Greece” classes. He is the most captivating speaker I’ve ever heard and he makes ancient history fun. He lectures with a broomstick pole in his hand so he can act out battle scenes and he’s been known to stab students or cut off their heads with it during passionate fight scenes. In the big classes, the same kids speak up over and over again, but in the smaller sections class participation depends on the atmosphere professors set. I usually spend anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours a night on school work, depending on the day. People don’t usually study all night every night, because there’s too much going on. What’s in my schoolbag? You mean that purse with a notebook in it? Students have occasional intellectual conversations outside of class but most of the time they talk about sports, parties and Greek life. The weirdest class I’ve taken was “Steel Drum Band” and we had a Steel Drum concert for our final. There’s a skill to put on the ol’ resume. My major is Professional Writing. It’s a tiny major within the Journalism Department that focuses on a freelance or creative writing career rather than the factual reporting style of mainstream journalism. I think the PW program needs a facelift or at least a Botox injection here and there, but from what I’ve heard, they’re working on a revamp. The Journalism department over all is an incredible place to be. The instructors have all had major industry experience and the building is equipped with the newest technology on the market. I only had one professor that I hung out with outside of class but I’ve heard of other students getting coffee with their profs too. It’s pretty uncommon for a teacher to invite a whole class to dinner at his house though. There is a core curriculum and it’s pretty basic. I didn’t have any issues with it. The education depends on your major. Some majors equip you for getting a job (Business, Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journalism, Education, Engineering, Meteorology, etc), and others (Classics, Letters, Philosophy, History) are just learning for the hell of it.

Yes some do know my name. It is really up to the student to decide how interactive he wants to be with the professor. OU's professors are very liberal and like to get involved on campus. My favorite class happens to be Social Problems. It provides me with in depth knowledge of our society and its' problems and the professor is very open and outgoing on every subject. Students at OU are very studious. We have many places on campus to study at night and many of them are always packed with study groups and individual groups at all times of the year. I do have intellectual conversations outside of class and many times it is with a professor. We have a lot of interested and smart students who strive to always know a little bit more. It really depends on what college your in, but I would have to say OU is not as competitive in some colleges at all, but in Engineering and Business colleges it is amazingly competitive. My department is in business and it is very hard to get into and maintain the strict requirements. It is nationally recognized on many facets and in many majors and boasts a great resume for business oriented students looking for schools. OU's academic requirements were stiff, but not hard. It did require good grades and work in high school and no slouch can get into OU. Education at OU incorporates both. We are a research university and tend to learn a lot of new information as our professors teach it to us. We learn the needed information pertaining to the class, but we also gear towards getting a job. We have many services on campus for life after college.

Professors are generally nice, and with some research, you can usually land good classes with good professors. Students study very little overall. OU's academic requires very little from its students, starting with admissions. Economics department is decent, although I feel it is hindered by the business school/arts and sciences split, offering 2 different economics degrees. The business school is on a pedestal it really should not enjoy, but large donors see otherwise. Admission to the business school is easy for most, but very difficult for the bottom dwellers of the classes. Business school is the only school that wont allow enrollment from outside its ranks...real snobbery.