<p>Here are some additional thoughts regarding some of the stereotypes I've mentioned specifically as they relate to Cal. They are mostly from personal experience - so take it for what it's worth. </p>
<p>Gi-normous Class Sizes
(Sure, Cal and public universities can have large classes, as can private universities, but these are usually general ed courses that are supplemented by smaller discussion sections. Usually, class sizes go down considerably for upper division classes. Therefore, it’s not even so much of an issue in later years when you are studying your major. At Cal, Freshman seminars with limited enrollment to allow for small class sizes are also offered. Now, for the large general ed lecture classes, does it really make a difference if a class size is 100 students as opposed to 400? Seriously? I don’t think so. A private university with a 100 student class, can boast a 100:1 student:faculty ratio (for that class) as opposed to a public university with a 400 student class reporting a 400:1 student:faculty ratio (for that class). Although the public university’s student:faculty ratio is 4x that of the private university in this simplified example, the student:faculty ratio doesn’t mean very much in this case. Student:faculty ratios can’t be taken at face value.) </p>
<p>A Lot of Classes are Taught by T.A.’s
(I’ve never had a lecture class at Cal taught by a T.A. NEVER. The only thing I’ve ever had taught by T.A.’s are discussion sections/labs, which are supplementary to the lecture. Lectures were always taught by a professor with a Ph.D. at a minimum. This is the format used for most research universities… top private schools included!!!!. Speaking of which, due to the excellent grad school at Cal, the likelihood of having a brilliant T.A. lead your discussion/lab is very high. Yes, the quality of the grad education can affect the quality of the undergrad education!) </p>
<p>Too Much Red Tape
(I have to admit there probably is more red tape at public universities than at private universities simply because they have more students to deal with. However, I’ve never in my personal experience have been hampered by any red tape at Cal. You will encounter some degree of red tape wherever you go. It’s a part of life.) </p>
<p>No or Very Little Advising
(Are you serious? If you seek out advising, you will find it. There are many flavors of advising out there too such as peer advising, faculty advising, etc. There are resources abound. They aren’t hard to find. I’ve personally had one of the college deans as my advisor my first 2 years at Cal. In this case, I didn’t even have to spend any effort to seek him out. He was assigned to me as an advisor.)</p>
<p>Difficulty in getting to know the professors
(All it takes is a little effort on your part. Attend office hours regularly and talk to the professor. Some professors are going to be more easy to get to know than others, as is the case at ANY university. I haven’t seen issues with students getting to know their professors if they truly wanted to. On another note, many aren’t interested in getting to know their professors to begin with. Thankfully, this frees the professors up for those that are. )</p>
<p>Too Few Resources
(Are you serious? Resources are abound. They're there for the taking. Seriously.)</p>