Are UK Academics Challenging?

Hi. I’ve heard from some other people, and seen on a few threads that UK classes are very easy. I’m a good student and I like to be challenged. I intend to study Mechanical Engineering. Would UK be challenging?

I am looking for same answers as musicgeek97…thanks very much !!!

This is a hard question. Many of the parents and students who are on CC represent the “high achieving” group. What is a challenge to one student, is not a challenge to another. My D went to a school which last year had around 25 NMFs. Some years it is in the 10-15 range. When she called today, I did ask her about her experience. She said that she finds UKy to be similar to the AP classes that she has had. This makes sense, as they are designed to be college level classes. She earned a 4 (Spanish Lang) and 5s on her other AP exams.

She said that grading seems slightly harder than in high school. She did very well in high school with grades, and is doing very well at UKy with grades. Good students from good schools are going to do well at most colleges. Anyone can challenge themselves at any University. Some high achieving students did not really have a challenge in high school, and will do well without challenging themselves in college. You sound like the type of student that would do well without challenging yourself at most places. “Challenging yourself,” however, is a personal decision. Uky offers many ways for you to challenge yourself. There are research opportunities available, as well as other ways to grow.

If you are asking if you will be offered the opportunity to challenge yourself, versus being challenged as the expectation, I cannot comment on that. All I can say is that challenging oneself is a personal goal. Any person who wants a challenge has the drive to make sure that they will get what they need from their educational experience in whatever school they choose. Not sure if this helps.

@NaperMom‌ That does help thanks. I do want to be challenged. I have challenged myself in highschool and I want to continue that in college. It sounds like UK isn’t overly easy but not overly hard either and I’m good with that. If I want more I can look into research opportunities or something of that nature.

I think Mechanical Engineering will be difficult no matter what school you go to.

@musicgeek97 I am also highly considering UK for chemical engineering and from my friends who attend and from my college of engineering visit the classes seem difficult enough to challenge you, but not so difficult to where you’ll be pulling all nighters 3-4 nights a week. However, getting a 4.0 in MechE will most certainly require you to challenge yourself moreso than in highschool.

@Blazer56 Thanks for the info! I haven’t been able to visit campus yet so I was just going by heresay and what I’d seen on CC.