University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

Pre-requisite classes are very full and difficult to get in to (200-700 ppl), but once you are admitted into your department the classes get much smaller (30-60 ppl). The professor are full of knowledge and the TAs are almost always very helpful. Take advantage of the TAs and explore research options with professor you like.

The academics at my school are rather diverse. The classes can range from actual lectures to discussion classes, from studios to workshops. In general it is best to just find your interest and stick with those types of classes. I prefer to engage in my academic courses and discuss the material and readings at hand and also to design work withing studios and workshops.

half academics and half social life

From what I've experienced, our education system seems to promote both getting a job and learning, but slightly more geared toward learning for its own sake. Pretty much everyone has found classes that they found genuinely interesting, and for the most part, professors want the students to truly understand course material, and why and how the world works. I hear many conversations going deeper into course material outside of class, with other students as well as with the TA's and professors. Our class sizes are pretty big (depending on what classes you take, but I'm taking many pre-health science classes), so it's hard to stand out from the crowd and connect with the professor unless you're the type of person who always asks questions and stays to talk to the professor after class. Going to office hours helps a lot!!! Not only to help you understand material, but to build a relationship with the instructor, which will pay off to be VERY useful. I would say the competitiveness of classes really depends on what class and what field you're in, but overall I've found it's pretty competitive. Most classes are curved so you're competing with other students for a good grade. I've found that in the lower level classes, there's always going to be more people who are slacking off or just (unfortunately) simply don't understand the material so it's not too difficult to do well. However, as you go into higher level classes, the "bad" students are weeded out, and you're with people who are more motivated and smarter and it becomes a lot more difficult to get a good grade. The students who study really hard succeed in these classes (but remember to always balance out your life), but there are definitely many students on campus who spend very little time studying because they're just hanging out or are extremely busy.

The professors don't know your name but it is a very competitive and intense academic environment. Academics are taken very seriously at my school.

So far I have only had one professor, who I choose not to mention, who I, nor the class, agreed with or had a good experience with. Beyond that, I have really enjoyed all my teachers and most of my TAs. I find that they are more personable than I would have imagined, especially when I am in a lecture class of 500 students, and I still get to know my professor. For students who complain it is too impersonal, I feel that it is due to lack of effort on their own part. A student must make the effort to get to know his teacher, go to office hours, etc. I do homework every night, and do most of my study review on the weekends or nights before the exam, not to cram, but to review. I have a lot of friends here, and we all have different methods and schedules that work for each of us. I don't know about unique, but my favorite class thus far is "Mapping of Global Capitalism on Local Levels". It is an Honors Dept. class, and it changed the way I view the way the world interacts and what it means to cross a cultural border. Beyond the interest that I had in the class, the teaching method used by the professor was the least conventional I have come to know, but also the most effective, and I wish that most teachers tried to think outside the box when trying to relay information to students. My current intended (though undeclared) major is Business Administration.

The academics is very rigorous at my school. If the class size is around 20-40 professors know most of the students name. All the professors or TAs are required to hold office hours so students are also given the opportunity to receive extra help or get to know the professor. My favorite class are VLPA classes, the social science or liberal arts classes. My least favorite classes are big lecture classes such as Dinosaur class with 500-600 students or entry level classes for science fields such as chemistry 142. Classes are crowded and you get screwed over for registration for these entry level science classes if you are freshmen or sophomore and once you are in, you get very limited help. Study hours vary based on students. Some students study a lot and some don't study at all. But the school recommends you to study two hours per one hour lecture. Class participation is common if you take liberal arts classes. If you take science, there is very limited class participation. Students do have intellectual converstaions outside of classes. They voice their political perspectives especially. Most students are not competitive unless you are in classes that are curved, meaning your grade is given based on a curve and the average score of the class. It's usually science classes that are very competitive becuase you need to do well to advance to the next sequence of class. The most unique class I have taken is French Fairy Tales. It was a lot of fun. Education at this school is geared towards learning, and less on getting a job, although lots of hlep is provided when you start your job hunt.

Academics at my school are great. Although class sizes are fairly large in entry level classes, you always have a “quiz section” that has around 20 students. This is to make a large class feel smaller. These sections meet about once a week. During my junior and senior year, class sizes were much smaller once I got into my major. My major is Early Childhood and Family Studies. I want to be a teacher, so I am currently applying to the Masters in Teaching program at UW. Students are competitive, but usually tend to themselves. There are many interesting classes offered. One of the most interesting classes I took was Sport in Society. We had people from professional sports team come and talk to us and learned many interesting things. I don’t spend time with professors outside of class, but there are definitely opportunities to do so. To go well in classes, studying is required.

At this point in my education, I can say with confidence that I am happy to be at the University of Washington. A year ago, my answer would have been different. UW is a big school so discovering your unique place can be a challenge. There are so many different directions to take, groups to join, and opportunities to be had that some times it is overwhelming. Once I found a solid group of friends and got involved though, my college life did a 180. There are still times that I am annoyed with the size of UW but I am glad to have had a lot of choices when creating my small, personal community within the bigger scheme. I also really like the location of UW. The Pacific Northwest is magical if you love the outdoors. We have two lakes right next to campus, mountains nearby, and the sound is just a quick bus ride away. Being near a big city comes with the benefit of a great music scene too and a diverse mesh of cultures. More importantly though my educational experience at UW has been superb. I was very indecisive when choosing a major but with the help of some very informed advisors, I am now on a path to a future that excites me. Being such a large research school has also given me the opportunity to interact with professors leading cutting edge research who are among the most respected in their fields. I am proud to tell people that I attend the University of Washington and they are always equally impressed.

People try their best to achieve their goals most of the time. Busy and challenging, students at my school are expected to perform well on tests and academic life.