<p>I have seen time and time again that an important aspect when choosing a school is small class sizes for individual attention, get to know the teacher, etc.</p>
<p>Are there any benefits to a college having large classes? </p>
<p>I'm hopefully attending my almost dream school but it has many many 100 -300 person lectures and even a 600 person lecture hall! I'm getting nervous... Please calm me down :)</p>
<p>there isnt any benefits of a big class haha. but you get through it and once your major classes begin your classes will shrink.</p>
<p>Absolutely. Students who are taking large lecture classes rarely get ‘shut out’ of the class they want compared to students who are signing up for classes with very limited seats. Especially popular professors’ classes often fill up fast if they have limited seating and students get frustrated when it happens repeatedly. In a lecture hall, that rarely happens.</p>
<p>And some students prefer lectures, where they are listening to the subject matter expert speak, rather than seminars or smaller classes where they have to listen to fellow students who may or may not have anything of interest to contribute in class (but still feel compelled to talk so it looks like they are participating.) </p>
<p>Finally, if you have a schedule conflict, it’s easier to slip out of a large lecture class to get to your other class, than to cut out early from a small class where you departure is a) noticed by the prof and b) potentially disruptive.</p>
<p>My D, who is hesitant to participate in class discussion, wanted to attend large lecture classes where she could hide in the crowd and not be called on.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, she ended up at a LAC where the average class size is 12.</p>
<p>xinto…</p>
<p>Which school is this? SUNY Stony??? or BU??? or…???</p>
<p>Many schools (maybe most??) have some large lecture hall classes (yes, even some small price privates!). However, usually once you’re beyond the 101 Intro classes, the big lectures go away. And, often once you’re in upper-division classes, the classes can be on the small side.</p>
<p>Also…if your school allows for AP credits and you have some, you can often skip those large lecture classes.</p>
<p>Since you’re a junior, you have time…</p>
<p>Finally, if you have a schedule conflict, it’s easier to slip out of a large lecture class to get to your other class, than to cut out early from a small class where you departure is a) noticed by the prof and b) potentially disruptive.</p>
<p>So true…and much easier to come in and not be noticed if you’re a few minutes late!</p>
<p>If the schools are SUNY Stony and Boston U…then</p>
<p>Stony</p>
<p>< 20 students per class … 33%</p>
<p>20 - 49 … 43%</p>
<p>50+… 23%</p>
<p>BU</p>
<p>< 20 students per class … 52%</p>
<p>20 - 49 … 37%</p>
<p>50+… 10%</p>
<p>More people to choose from when you have group assignments. More help sessions available with TA’s. More tutors familiar with the class.</p>
<p>No big papers to write for classes with over two hundred students. The prof. could never grade them all.</p>
<p>That is a good idea</p>
<p>It’s probably easier to cheat I would assume…</p>
<p>No one will know if you’re not there?</p>
<p>Another plus to schools with large classes-getting to know your TAs. If you are serious about attending grad school, it can be useful to get to know a TA or two in your area(s) of interest. As recent grads themselves who have gone through the application process, and are living the ‘grad student’ life, they can provide valuable insights into both applying and what life is like in PhD programs, as well as career prospects afterwards.</p>
<p>No big papers to write for classes with over two hundred students. The prof. could never grade them all.</p>
<p>This is sooo true. </p>
<p>And, tests won’t likely have essays. Most likely the tests will be multiple choice on scanned sheets. In my day, we called them scantrons…don’t know if they’re still called that. lol</p>
<p>Thanks! I’m really looking into Stony Brook… Seems like the perfect fit for me! The class size was just an issue I was getting concerned about, since my other options (currently) have small class sizes for the most part (quinnipiac, pace, Scranton)</p>
<p>Large classes are usually found at large universities, which may be more attractive places for employers’ recruiters to visit when you are looking for your internships or first job at graduation.</p>