University of Oregon Top Questions

The academics are very, very good. For such a big school, it's kind of amazing how there can be classes of 20-30 kids. Those kinds of classes encourage class participation, but the huge lecture classes don't. There is a huge variety of classes to choose from, and many are very unique and interesting. The common areas are always full of students studying and discussing intellectual issues. The education encourages students to do what inspires them, but there is also a great career center that helps students immensely.

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The University of Oregon offers great academics. The classes are somewhat large, with 500 students, however there are small class as well consisting of 25 student, it all depends on the class. Also, some say that the teachers might not know your name is large classes which is probably the case, however, it's up to you as a student to make the effort and talk to your professor. Students at the University of Oregon study a lot, because since it runs under quarter system, each term is going in a fast pace, in which the students try their hardest to stay on top of their class. I am studying Pre-Law, but my major is Planning Public Policy and Management, and it is a very good department. The school has a wonderful academic program!

Starting out at the University of Oregon you usually take larger classes. My largest class freshmen year was of 500 students. It sounds frightening but it really was not so bad and the professors are still willing to help you if you need it. There are also smaller classes that you might have to take such as writing, a foreign language or math. These classes usually have around 25 students which makes the learning environment a bit more friendlier and less intimidating. Freshmen year you have the option of being in a FIG, freshmen interest group. There are different options for figs. I chose one called Breaking the Wall about Postwar Germany. When you are in a fig you take three classes with the same 25 people. This helps you make a group of friends and gives you easy access to study partners if you are having trouble in any one of the three classes. I would highly recommend it. I made one of my best friends through the fig. Some of the FIGs are residential, meaning that you even live with your other classmates. My favorite class so far has been History of Christianity because it was not a class that I had ever really thought about taking. It turned out to be very interesting and made me realize that I could be interested in something completely different than I had originally thought. My least favorite class was probably Mind and Brain, a psychology class that I used as a science credit, just because I am not a science person. Students typically study everyday. Because we are on terms it is very important that you do not get behind as the terms go by very fast and it is hard when you fall behind. But, you still have plenty of time to have fun with friends! I think that classes get much better the older you get at the University because you eventually end up taking classes for your major and the majority of people in your classes are very serious and interested about the topics. The classes also get smaller the higher level your classes are. I am a history major. My classes right now are around 30-35 people. Next term I take my last history class, the 407 seminar, where we sign up for a class (mine is the USSR in Wartime) and then we write a paper on a specific topic of that subject. The class only consists of about 12 people and we spend the term researching for our paper. This class focuses our studies on one specific time period and subject helping us figure out how to write a research paper that could potentially turn into a thesis. The professors at the University of Oregon are very friendly and are willing to help their students if need be. They all are required to have office hours where students can visit and ask questions. If you are not able to meet at that time they are usually flexible in scheduling appointments that fit your schedule. Their job is to help you learn. The University's academic requirements are tough but if you are studying a subject that you love then they are really stimulating. The University also offers a career center that helps students make resumes, plan interviews and find internships.

Starting out at the University of Oregon you usually take larger classes. My largest class freshmen year was of 500 students. It sounds frightening but it really was not so bad and the professors are still willing to help you if you need it. There are also smaller classes that you might have to take such as writing, a foreign language or math. These classes usually have around 25 students which makes the learning environment a bit more friendlier and less intimidating. Freshmen year you have the option of being in a FIG, freshmen interest group. There are different options for figs. I chose one called Breaking the Wall about Postwar Germany. When you are in a fig you take three classes with the same 25 people. This helps you make a group of friends and gives you easy access to study partners if you are having trouble in any one of the three classes. I would highly recommend it. I made one of my best friends through the fig. Some of the FIGs are residential, meaning that you even live with your other classmates. My favorite class so far has been History of Christianity because it was not a class that I had ever really thought about taking. It turned out to be very interesting and made me realize that I could be interested in something completely different than I had originally thought. My least favorite class was probably Mind and Brain, a psychology class that I used as a science credit, just because I am not a science person. Students typically study everyday. Because we are on terms it is very important that you do not get behind as the terms go by very fast and it is hard when you fall behind. But, you still have plenty of time to have fun with friends! I think that classes get much better the older you get at the University because you eventually end up taking classes for your major and the majority of people in your classes are very serious and interested about the topics. The classes also get smaller the higher level your classes are. I am a history major. My classes right now are around 30-35 people. Next term I take my last history class, the 407 seminar, where we sign up for a class (mine is the USSR in Wartime) and then we write a paper on a specific topic of that subject. The class only consists of about 12 people and we spend the term researching for our paper. This class focuses our studies on one specific time period and subject helping us figure out how to write a research paper that could potentially turn into a thesis. The professors at the University of Oregon are very friendly and are willing to help their students if need be. They all are required to have office hours where students can visit and ask questions. If you are not able to meet at that time they are usually flexible in scheduling appointments that fit your schedule. Their job is to help you learn. The University's academic requirements are tough but if you are studying a subject that you love then they are really stimulating. The University also offers a career center that helps students make resumes, plan interviews and find internships.

Starting out at the University of Oregon you usually take larger classes. My largest class freshmen year was of 500 students. It sounds frightening but it really was not so bad and the professors are still willing to help you if you need it. There are also smaller classes that you might have to take such as writing or a foreign language or math. These classes usually have around 25 students which makes the learning environment a bit more friendlier and less intimidating. Freshmen year you have the option of being in a FIG, or freshmen interest group. There are different options for figs, I was in Breaking the Wall about Postwar Germany. When you are in a fig you take three classes with the same 25 people. This helps you make a group of friends and gives you study partners if you are having trouble in any one of the three classes. I would highly recommend it. Some of the FIGs are residential, meaning that you even live with your other classmates. My favorite class so far has been History of Christianity because it was not a class that I had ever really thought about taking. It turned out to be very interesting. My least favorite class was probably Mind and Brain, a psychology class used as a science credit, just because I am not a science person. Students usually have to study everyday. Because we are on terms it is very important that you do not get behind as the terms go by very fast and it is hard when one falls behind. But, you still have plenty of time to have fun with friends! I think that classes get much better the older you get at the University because eventually you are taking classes for your major and the majority of people in your classes are very serious about the topics. The classes also get smaller the higher level your classes are. I am a history major. My classes right now are around 30-35 people. Next term I take my last history class, the 407 seminar, where we sign up for a class (mine is the USSR in Wartime) and then we write a paper on a specific topic of that subject. The class only consists of about 12 people and we spend the term researching for our paper. This class focuses our studies on one specific time period and subject and helps up figure out how to write a research paper that could potentially turn into a thesis. The professors at the University of Oregon are very friendly and are willing to help their students if need be. They all are required to have office hours where students can visit and ask questions but if you are not able to meet at that time they are usually flexible to scheduling an appointment when you are available. Their job is to help you learn. The University's academic requirements are tough but if you are studying a subject that you love then they are really stimulating. The University also offers a career center that helps students make resumes, plan interviews and find internships. But the classes are mainly focused on furthering your education in your particular field.

In larger classes (100+ students) it's kinda impractical for professors to learn everyone's name, so most of the larger classes are broken up into either lab or discussion sections (about 30 students) that meet up once a week. I absolutely love going to my discussion groups, it gives you time to better understand concepts that were taught in class, you actually get to participate in an intellectual discussion, they make great study review sessions, and it actually allows you to meet people in the class. My major is Anthropology, the main building is fairly small and outdated but the department is huge! In my first year, I met so many people through classes, going to department meetings and functions. The professors are great and always willing to talk and help you out. A clear theme that they do make clear is that as students we need to do more during our academic years than just sitting in class and getting A's. It's very important to get involved in the department or even around school. The receptionist (?) of the department, Betina, always sends out information every week about upcoming events, possible field schools, and just general information about whats going on.

The U of O has an outstanding psychology department with brilliant professors.

The academics here are wonderful. For a medium sized school, the fairly large lectures can be a pain, but the classes with intimate settings allow for greater understanding of subject matter and give students a real opportunity to thrive. In a lot of the larger "lecture" style classes, many students tend to be shy to speak out, however many students at the University of Oregon manage to participate regularly in class with stimulating class discussion. The studying environment at the UO is a balanced one - the students are dedicated to studying, however it is not the sole purpose of being a student at the UO.

The academics at the University of Oregon (UO) are top notch. I am pre-med, and so I see a very unique crowd at the UO. The courses required for us are some of the hardest courses available at a university, and my classmates and I study diligently--we have to in order to pass. The science library is often full of students, bent over books, or sitting in front of computers. The library is able to check out not only books, but also laptops, and calculators. Taking organic chemistry was not my favorite (is it anyone's favorite?) but I loved taking biology. I loved it so much in fact that I got a job working in an evolutionary genetics biology lab (lots of science students end up conducting research themselves). One of the most important tools I learned for studying science is to study in groups. Every semester, we would organize study groups for problem sets, homework, and tests. The library not only provides room for quiet study, but also rooms and white boards for those of us who prefer to study in groups, and be loud. I also got to know my professors by attending office hours regularly. Participation in the smaller classes is quite common, but in the large lecture hall, it is not so common. The UO is competitive to get into, and it remains competitive throughout your time there. Especially the science classes! To be honest, I have never worked so hard in my life. But I enjoy the work, and the professors and teaching assistants (TA's) bend over backwards to help students. I am actually quite good friends with several of my TA's, and a few professors even accept phone calls to their homes if you need help. I have not been in any other area of the university, but judging by the time I have spent both in the science library, and the larger Knight Library, these students are doing their homework!