<p>Hi Roderick,
A GSI is a teaching assistant in U Mich speak. The Eng 100 course that a freshman will take( and given a choice of a topic that interests them ) is a hands on group work based subject. The professor is very involved and the course does not have a lot of people in it. This culminates in an expo at the end of the term where the groups showcase their work. My son thought his prof. was amazing. The classes for Calc and Chem are large but broken down into smaller groups for discussions. The professors and GSI’s are very accesible and they also have review classes on the weekends if you are shaky on a concept. I’m not as hands on as I seem but I figured out this info as the term went on. There is a lot of work, hw, group work in this major and it is constant. Communication from the professors is great but you really have to be well organized and have good time management skills to succeed. My son ended up doing ok but he learned that all of the above is crucial to success. He does love it there by the way. If one has a passion for engineering, they’ll be driven to do well…if someone is just great at math and doing it for that reason, may not work out.</p>