University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

None of my professors know my name, not a single one. However, I have close relationships with every single one of my T/As, who run the discussion sections we have complementing our lectures. Freshman year is mostly a year of large, basic intro courses, so while I do have some friends that go out of their way to introduce themselves to each professor, I don’t really see the point. If there is a particular class that you have a passion in, I would say make sure to speak to your professor about it, but other that you making an effort there is little interaction between students and professors. Study habits of students vary a lot. Some people easily spent their nights at the library, still feeling as if they have not put enough time in to their academics that day. Others will never open a book until the night before an exam. It really is what works for the individual. I will say that a lot of students skip lectures. I personally find that simply sitting in lectures reduces your workload and increases your understanding of the subject greatly, but everyone has their own style. I have not really taken any odd classes yet, but I have heard of a lot of crazy classes in the foreign language department – which is one of the best in the country. From the basics of French and Spanish, to Swahili and the Star Trek language of Klingon, you can literally take any language you can think of. I am not actually a Journalism major yet. You apply into the competitive journalism school once you have taken 40 credits at the university, which tends to be around the end of first semester your sophomore year. It kind of sucks that if I do not get into the school I have to major in something else, but there are various related majors such as communication arts that will work well for me, and applicants understand that the difficult process to enter the school is only to keep to the prestigious name high.

professor know the names of the kids that annoy them, there's always someone

Academics at Wisconsin are definitely what you make them. I go in for lots of help and get to know my professors so I usually get that extra help I need. But it would also be easy in big lectures to have them not know you at all. Classes are what you make of them. I am a senior, and I can name a handful of professors who I have absolutely loved and raved about. My history professors have been the most fun. Women in History was an amazing class with the most fun professor, Professor Roberts. Overall, I would say the professor's here are very good. The academic requirements on the other hand is something Wisconsin could do better. All of the breath requirements you have to take are extreme. It has felt like an upgraded version of high school in that respect because you still have to take a plethora of science and math. College is supposed to expand your mind and focus on things you want to learn about and most of the time here I have found myself taking classes just to get a requirement out of the way.

When you leave UW, you will be graduating with an excellent education. Many classes are extremely big, and there is no way a professor will know your name, unless you make the extra effort. If you sit front row, and go to the office hours, almost every professor is helpful and really happy to do everything in their power to help you. But professors will not be there to constantly remind you to do your homework, or yell at you to go to class. Some classes are really easy- like Intro to Theater and Drama, and some classes are crazy hard like Micro Economics. It is really important to do your research before taking a class. I am a history major, and I wanted to take a business class, but since I was not part of the business school many classes were off limits. Also, I was admitted into a family business class but it would not count towards my 120 degree credits. So, virtually I am taking this class for fun. And its no fun to take a test when it will not help you get your degree. So the cross-college requirements at the university are sometimes ridiculous, and impossible to navigate.

Most of my classes are giant lectures, as are most of the intro classes here, but there are also smaller discussion sections that meet once a week that go along with the huge classes. They are generally taught by a T.A. but you get an extra opportunity to go over any material. Those T.A.s know my name. I love every class I've taken here so far! Students study a lot. It's not unusual to spend 6 or 7 hours a day doing work in the library. "Work hard, party hard." That's our motto. Students are extremely competative. Everyone was in the top of their class in high school so there is bound to be some competition. The core requirements are intense. The work load in the intro classes is extremely heavy because they want to weed out the kids who can't cut it. The University of Wisconsin wants you to leave a well educated person, but not just in your major. I'm learning so much here.

Some yes. I am a finance major but really enjoyed business law. Insurance least favorite. Pretty often-people that go out during the week a lot usually study on weekends or the other way around. I took Interior Design when I studied abroad for a semester to Italy. My major is in the School of Human Ecology which I think is really in need of a few more qualified teachers. No-not outside class. It is geared toward learning and applying the information presented in classrooms to the outside world. But for some classes you've got to do what you've got to do...

1. in smaller classes 2. favorite--Politics of Human Rights (PS 317), least favorite--psychology 3. everyday, not me 4. yes 5. definitely 6. somewhat 7. not sure 8. political science, Jewish Studies 9. no 10. reasonable 11. not sure

They only know my name if I have gone into office hours several times. Students study ALOT. During finals week the library was absolutely packed until crazy hours in the morning. There is no way to succeed at Wisconsin without studying a great amount. It is very competitive and challenging.

Some of my professors do, the ones that I talk to and/or have in classes of under twenty students. My favorite class is Constitutional Law: the professor's amazing, knows the topic inside and out, and gives it his own unique quirks; plus, Con Law's utterly fascinating on its own. Least favorite class is American Racial & Ethnic Minorities: I was really excited when I first saw the syllabus because of the topics listed, but with a professor and TA who have thus far failed to make me think exceedinly well of their intelligence and presentation skills, I am somewhat more than underwhelmed. Class participation is common in small classes (understandably, in classes of 100+, particiaption is much lower - but to be fair, in large lecture classes, the goal of the class is to impart information,and those kinds of classes usually have discussion sections that promote participation there). Intellectual conversation can happen anywhere - some partake in it more than others (more likely to see in students who are/could graduate early. Students are very competitive to get into the (pre-)professional schools, but in the general undergraduate classes, competition is more to the view of competing against yourself than beating your classmates. My most unique class was History of American Political Thought (small seminar of 20-some students): we read up on most of the leading political thinkers from mid-1700s through 1920, discussed the readings in class, and would then periodically have paideia-style discussions where the students would form groups and represent a different thinker in the debates. My major, political science: I've adored every class I've taken in the poli sci department - my professors have all been amazing, and leaders in their fields. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class unless I go to office hours, except for occasionally seeing one professor who is the nominal advisor of the mock trial program on campus. Academic requirements aren't that difficult for me here, but I know that they're rigorious and not a cake walk. My education here I hope will help secure me a career, not just a job (though I do love learning for its own sake).

if you go to office hours professors will remember you. in one of my lectures of 450 people my professor makes it very interactive and before you talk you have to say your name. since the same 20 people usually talk, she knows all their names, plus some others who have only talked once or twice. students study hardcore during the week and party hard on the weekends. but if a big exam is coming up, its not unusual for people to stay in and study.