University of Vermont Top Questions

Only some of my professors know my name. My favorite class this year is Moving Toward Sustainability. I think that UVM requirements arent that hard to comply with and can easily be done. I am in CALS which is the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I really enjoy that college because its perfect for me.

I've enjoyed my studies here at the university but wish that it had been more challenging at times. I came from a very competitive school where class participation was as natural as breathing so it was hard for me to adjust to a school environment in which students do not participate as much and can at times resent those who do. The truth is, I don't think that this problem is unique to UVM, i think that it's common in many colleges filled with students never pushed to participate in high school. I'm happy to report that the problem is much better when the classes are smaller, which is somewhat of a problem considering UVM is only growing in size.

I've had almost all really talented and personable professors who are interested in getting to know students. But most of the classes I've taken have been small.

Professors - lots of great professors, a few crappy ones. But they're all very interested in your well-being, and are always cool with meeting outside of office hours and making special arrangements.

All but one of my professors knows my name. This is a testament to how hard the teachers try to get to know everyone of their students by name. My sociology professor has an introductory class of 160 and already (6 weeks in to the semester) knows everyone who raises their hand or talks to her after class. My favorite class is biology... I'm not fond of lecture-style teaching (in fact, I'd never had to sit through a lecture until my first semester here), but it somehow works. Because we have 9500 undergraduates, there is a mix of everything. If you want to party every night of the week, you can. If you want to study every night of the week, you can. There's always something going on during the week and weekends, but there are also plenty of people studying. The reason that I'm at UVM (aside from in-state tuition) is that it is one of the best preparatory universities for medical school in the country. I had to decide between UVM and University of Rochester (waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy more expensive) and chose UVM because it also has a terrific reputation for getting students into medical school. An added bonus: the medical school/Fletcher Allen Health Care (a level 1 trauma center) is a two-minute walk from most dorms. The academic requirements are really easy to fill. I know everyone says that when you're visiting schools, or they don't have a "core"/gen-ed requirements... But, as a second semester freshman, I'm done (with the exception of my P.E. requirement, which they're thinking of getting rid of) with the requirements.

-Yes. -Most: Applied Ethics seminar. A discussion of abortion, euthinasia, and death. Least: Latin -Often enough. -Yes -Way too many intellectual conversations -Not really -The above applied ethics class. -The Poli Sci department is moderatly well off, but the Philosophy Department really shines. You have classes with philosophers that are currently publishing articles on topics you are discussing in class. -Sometimes -Adiquate -Learning for its own sake

The Political Science department is one of the best in the northeast! The professors often have impressive resumes. It is really nice to find a department that cares about the quality of undergraduate teaching. The major itself is divided into four disciplines: political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and American government. Each of these disciplines allow for a comprehensive view of politics.