<p>I'm worried that the class sizes at UPenn will be large and that the professors won't actually teach that much? I mean I visited and they said that professors teach etc etc. but you know, they always say that.
True? Not true?</p>
<p>Classes at Penn are varied. You can have a lecture/recitation, a lecture only or a seminar. Lec/Rec classes usually have more than 50 students and meet for two hours a week (3 hours for math/science intro courses). Professors will teach these courses and are generally pretty good. The last hour of the week will be taught by a graduate student – essentially, you go over what was said in the lecture, ask questions and have discussion in a more intimate environment. Lecture only courses are just that. Seminars are much smaller – typically no larger than 20 in a class – and involve much more direct interaction with professors on a consistent basis.</p>
<p>All professors offer “office hours” each week, during which you can freely come to their office for basically whatever you want, be it a conversation, help with the course content or other advice.</p>
<p>You will find that in most majors, the class sizes decrease drastically as you get more specialized, and as you go further, your professors will be progressively more engaged.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks so much for the answer!</p>