<p>Even the classes you talk about–low level math, english comp, languages classes and add intro chemistry…are these classes not important ? They are the building blocks. I will give you specifics about the tutors. Check the Guts system…the main tutoring system. The courses are limited and drop in tutors are almost non-existence. I know of a few cases of students who could not arrange to see professors and were turned away from the tutoring system because their grades were not poor enough to see a tutor. And no… I do not know what you mean that students are not the best source of what is happening to them. They are precisely the people to ask regarding what is happening to them. I know these kids and their families of which I write. These are solid kids and the proof is that they worked hard to get into this school. These are not cases of walking by an advisor and seeing if they happen to be in or emailing professors, these are many cases of not being able to arrange appointments.</p>
<p>UW is a fantastic school. But you had better be able to navigate on your own.</p>
<p>It’s just all a matter of fit - and deciding what is most important to you as a student. Many kids learn great in large lecture classes coupled with discussion sessions led by grad students, while others need a more intimate setting to learn best. At my son’s LAC, there are no courses taught by graduate students (most likely because there are no graduate students on campus) and there are no classes with more than 30 students. That was very important to him. Are there things that he is giving up by not attending a huge university like UW and is he a little sad about that? You bet. But the things that he is gaining at his small LAC are those that he identified as most important to him.</p>
<p>You do not need a PhD to teach Algebra, English Comp, Spanish 101 etc. It’s much better to have a class of 20 taught by somebody with a Master’s. Even Yale and Harvard use similar people to teach such low level classes. I could have taught basic econ after taking it and a few higher level econ classes. It’s basic stuff. The best thing is to change guns and butter to pizza and beer.</p>
<p>Chemistry does not show any intro level classes that have the lectures taught by TA’s. Here’s a list of all popular lower level classes and the profs by level assigned.</p>
<p>Just watching the questions and attitudes from students today I sense a cohort used to be catered, coddled and spoonfed. 90% of the questions on here can be anwered just by looking atthe appropriate website. Sometimes you won’t get instant gratification in a school with 28,000 undergrads. Time to buck up–that’s the way the real world works too.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, barrons. Your post illustrates exactly why a school like UW isn’t the right place for everyone. Obviously, many people are happy with large lectures by professors and discussion sections led by grad students. It works for them, they learn well, and are pepared to graduate to go on to many wonderful things. However, that doesn’t mean the those who want something different have been coddled or catered to. It simply means that their priorities are different. I see nothing wrong with that.</p>
<p>My daughter had 2 chemistry classes taught by TAs…that is not he point. This is not about being coddled or demanding instant gratification. This is about a fabulous school like UW putting more resources into supporting their students. I am an alum and I am not alone in my point of view. of My point, a few posts ago, was to whoever said the more they visited the smaller it seemed. It is a big school that makes decisions to do with the money what they think is best for UW. What is best for UW is not necessarily what is best for the undergraduate students. BTW, I have been around a very long time and I have not reached the level of cynicism that would make me say–buck up that is the way the real world works. That is not the way the real world works. In the real world success is built by hard work and establishing personal relationships where those involved have a stake in each other’s successes.</p>
<p>When did she take Chem? There is no indication of TAs lead teaching any Chem class the last year. What was the name and when? TAs teach the labs and discussions. She might have had an adjunct. Does she know the difference? Many do not. It certainly is not current practice. Did you verify that the prof was a TA?<br>
Personal relationships are always good but when you have a job to do you can’t go to your boss and say–I don’t know where to find that. What should I do. The first thing people want is independence and initiative with a MINIMUM of direction. I too have many years of real experience with three of the largest and generally very successful firms in my field. The number one goal and sign of success is productivity. Not being everyone’s pal or the funnest person in the office. I consulted at a firm where personal relationships and teams were highly valued. They used to be called WAMU. What a mess.</p>
<p>My daughter is a senior and has done very well. </p>
<p>Personal relations in business has nothing to do with being a pal or being a funny guy. It has to do with respect for each other’s ability and productivity. I think we agree on that.</p>
<p>You are not focusing on my point about UW. Someone who goes to UW is not going to get the support they would get at a different type of school and they should be aware of it. It does not have as high a priority at UW as it does at other schools. If they simply are becoming comfortable with the atmosphere of a big school because of familiarity, they need to understand more about what it will be like to attend.</p>
<p>UW has some of the best placement offices and more of them than many schools. Many schools including privates have one career center. UW has at least five for undergrads. L&S, Engineering, Education, Business, and Ag. That is FANTASTIC. Specialization is key in having contacts with the right group of employers. There are over 30 individual libraries. You want to know something in a special subject you have an entire library and staff that specializes in that subject. There are many many ways in which a big fantastic school has BETTER services than most privates. You completely undervalue all the areas that UW has invested huge amounts of money to have available. Most academic requirements are spelled out in handouts and degree planning sheets. It’s not that hard to figure our if you take the time to read the material. Something many kids today seem to have a big problem doing. The era of hand-holding is not a good thing. What kind of support EXACTLY are you needing??</p>
<p>Hey barrons, whatever happened to different strokes for different folks? Our youngest daughter is about to enter UW and it’s probably a pretty good fit for her. But it sure wouldn’t have been a good fit for one of our older daughters, who’s about to graduate from a small liberal arts college after four highly successful years – and the one thing she ain’t is a kid who needs coddling!</p>
<p>Saying you are going elsewhere because it’s too big is fine. Saying you are doing it based on faulty information requires some explanation. I have no problem with somebody saying I’m going to school in LA because I like sunny weather. I left the midwest because I don’t like the cold anymore. But making false statements such as XXXX class was taught by TAs or they don’t have good student services does allow for setting the record straight. I have never told anyone that wants top go to a LAC not to go if that’s what they want. Just don’t make false assumptions or post information that is factually false to justify that decision. The UW student services budget is around $154,000,000. That’s more than the total budget of many colleges and more than they spend on the libraries and other academic support functions. The services of all kinds are there–sometimes you might have to get out of bed before 10 am to use them if you know what I mean. </p>
<p>I never said anyone went anywhere because of this or that. You created that and then choose to argue it. You can site all the budget information you want and continue to insult students by saying they are late sleeping young men and women who need to be coddled and have their hands held, all I said was that UW is a big school and it is more difficult to get help in a big school than a small school. All you need to do is go to any school’s website in UW, for example the business school, where they talk about the student to advising ratio and the need to make appointment a couple of weeks in advance, etc. That is fine but sometimes difficult. At a smaller school it is easier. Finally, my daughter’s intro chem class 4 years ago was taught by a PHd candidate. She, like most of the students, is very bright and knows the difference. Your defense of what we both agree is a fine institution seems to be centered around the the general laziness of the students. I find that demeaning. My younger daughter declined UW because she liked somewhere else better that had the program she is looking for. She also declined Emory, Boston College and Tufts. My daughter now attending UW declined Lawrence, Michigan, and Macalester College because she wanted to be at UW.</p>
<p>Actually it says during peak times you may need to book weeks in advance. But does the small school have a business only library and a business only placement staff that brings in over 400 companies a year just to interview business students?? The UW business career center is highly ranked by most graduating students. I did not find it all that hard to figure out my schedule, sorry. Most business majors are pretty cut and dried. You take this, this this, and two out of these four. Not rocket science. I found good placement FARRRRRRRRRR more useful. Let me see the interview list from your small school and I’ll show you mine.</p>
<p>What do libraries, the placement services interview lists, and such have to do with what we are talking about ? No one is saying UW is a lesser school, only that it may be harder to get advising and tutoring at a big school like UW and some students may want that or need it. If they want that or need that it does not diminish them as students nor does it diminish UW if it is harder to receive it. It is just different and may not be a fit for everyone. My oldest did fine at UW. My youngest is going to a smaller, private school and if you read the rankings of Business Week, they rank her school business school higher, recruiters rank it higher, and students graduate into higher paying jobs.</p>
<p>$52,000 in NYC is like making $30,000 in the midwest. You can barely live on it. I’d rather go to Chicago and live on $50K than try to live in NY or Boston on $52,000. Also Richmond students rank their placement center a B while UW give theirs an A+.</p>
<p>barrons-you have to let it go and respect kid’s decisions that UW is not for everyone. It is ok. Your defense of the school is admirable to a point and then it becomes unreasonable. You surely must realize that it is not the school for everyone and it does indeed have its faults if you don’t you are no longer good advocate for the school.</p>
<p>I just like facts rather than anecdotes. UW does not offer enough advisors, my daughter has a TA teaching intro to Chemistry. These are items that can be fact-checked. At least for the last three semesters no TA’s have taught intro to Chem. That’s as far back as the records go. Now many people really don’t know the distinction between an adjunct prof and a TA. In fact most people know very little about the inside workings of colleges. I’m just fact-checking such broad claims. If you don’t want to go to UW because it’s too hilly or too cold or you hate red, that’s fine. But I’ll challenge general and often erroneous anecdotes. Often you’ll find the facts might be a little different.</p>
<p>If you are looking to win… I just give up because you wore me down. UW is the perfect school. Not only that, we are all just a bunch of blockheads for not knowing it and every student who does not know it is the perfect school is a lazy, coddled young adult who needs to have their hand held. If you really need to know, my youngest daughter decided not to go to Richmond. The fact that you took the time to check up on all her posts is astonishing to me.</p>
<p>I checked because like a kid was posting and then it became an adult. Believe it or not there have been people posting phony stuff just to **** other people off. That’s one way to catch them–check their other posts. I have been to the UR campus and it looks like a nice school.</p>
<p>barrons, I don’t know what your gig is as I’m new to this forum, but between your relentless badgering of bbbgirl and your creepy post-checking, man, I have to say that it’s really unpleasant to read.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, bbbgirl engaged you in this little debate, which has the net result of a completely hijacked and vitriolic thread.</p>
<p>My daughter started to post and when she was having some doubts about her decision to attend Richmond I started to look around at what folks were saying about some of the other schools while she was attending classes and busy with her finals and AP tests </p>
<p>We live in Wisconsin. I attended UW, my oldest attends UW, we know many families with kids at UW, so when I saw this thread I started to contribute.</p>
<p>Barrons, I am not sure why anyone would use this kind of forum to mess with people. Maybe that is true, but I think your posts would be more useful if you did not go on personal attacks and instead stuck to the issue. In the world of debate it is called argumentum ad hominem. Even in you discussion of the surcharge, which I support, you dismiss James Farrell as a right wing “crank” which he is not. But because he does not agree with your politics you choose to demean. My oldest is pleased with her UW experience but she found navigating the system challenging at times. Even with as much money as UW puts towards student services, and whether you want to believe it or not, this is an issue that is often discussed by the UW students and their parents. If you are as connected to UW as you seem, I think that if you ask administration they will tell you they hope to do better and advisers will tell you they are overworked. My youngest decided not to go to UW. She knows it as well as any high school student could know a school having visited the campus numerous times including spending time with her sister and going to classes with her. That is not an indictment of UW nor should you diminish anyone who chooses not to go there. She also decided Richmond was a bit too small. She, as well as my oldest, had some amazing choices and it was not because they were coddled and had their hands held. It was because they are talented kids who know that hard work means something, strive to achieve and figure out how to be successful. I think that is more likely the profile of the kids who attend UW and other top school rather than your profile of these students.</p>