<p>Im looking at Ut Austin and A&M and both schools have about 50k students. This is huge! What can i expect from such a large school? This is the only thing that may be a problem for me.</p>
<p>It's a problem for me.
If UT Austin weren't such a big school, then I'd definitely go there because it's so cheap for in-staters plus it's a very good school academically (Despite it's low ranking, you have to consider that they let ANYONE in Texas within the top 10% in, and everyone in the top 10% is not necessarily smart)</p>
<p>I don't know for sure, because obviously I haven't been there yet. But a few of my friends go there, and they say it's more difficult to get attention from professors and it's more difficult to become more than just a name or a face.</p>
<p>That's their opinion. I'm sure someone else has something very different to say.</p>
<p>I think it really depends on the person. Some people do extremely well at larger schools, others do better at smaller schools. </p>
<p>At large state schools, your first year classes are typically huge. But as you get more specialized, the classes get much smaller. </p>
<p>Try sitting in on a few discussions, one at each level. That way you can see what the larger classes are like, but also the smaller classes.</p>
<p>Or, you could avoid the problem all together by applying to the Honors Program.</p>
<p>My sister goes to ASU Tempe Campus, the second largest enrolled university, and she has a blast. Obviously freshman year classes will have a large amount of students, but i think its good practice for the future, where you try to stand out within a crowd. Once you get into the upper-division classes, the not-so-serious students will be filtered out and become a better experience</p>
<p>Texas is a great school...yes it is big but because of its size it offers almost every imaginable major in addition to some powerhouse programs (e.g. the business school). It also has great school spirit and athletics. If you get involved in organizations around campus and live in a dorm you probably will meet people.</p>
<p>Disadvantages would be larger classes and less "hand-holding" by the university. Advantages as mentioned previously are larger varieties of majors, larger libraries, major research centers etc. Speaking of UT-Austin specifically, it has the 5th or 6th largest academic library in North America, one of the top 2 or 3 performing arts complexes on any college campus, and as of last year, the largest art museum on any university campus. And of course, it also has very good sports programs.</p>
<p>I'm going to agree w/ the above posters.</p>
<p>Schools like UT-Austin have larger classes and less hand-holding, but it allows you to learn from your mistakes and experience being off on your own. I'm at a school of roughly 24,000 undergrads and have had 8 large lectures (freshman). I like the anonymous factor of having a big lecture hall and its a great way to meet people. I think of it like this--The students who want to me "more than a number" will go out of their way to get to know the prof and pay attention. These are the students who have an easier time standing out from the rest of their colleagues when it comes time for a promotion 10 years down the road. They're used to seeking out additional assistance and attention and aren't "just another number" or in the case of the workforce, "just another applicant." Bad analogy or not, take it as you want. I don't know much about UT in particular except that it's huge but I can't picture myself at a small school.</p>
<p>By less hand-holding do you mean that you have to work harder?</p>
<p>By less hand-holding I mean they don't take attendance (most of the time) to make you go to class, your advisor/counselor won't call/e-mail to remind you of registration, they're less lenient about excuses for missing an exam because if say 75 kids out of 300 in a lecture miss an exam and all come up with an excuse, it's difficult to reschedule all of them. However, if the same percent, like 5 out of 20 kids from smaller class miss an exam it's not hard to find a convenient time for all of them. That's what I interpret as hand-holding.</p>
<p>You don't necessarily have to work harder on homework/studying but it's more your own responsibility to get to class, register on time, etc.</p>
<p>Can someone help me apply for the Turring Scholars program? I've been on their site for half an hour going in circles.</p>
<p>One thing no one has mentioned is that larger schools tend to be very reminiscent of high school. In some ways, they have to be. I know a few people have mentioned a lack of hand-holding, and let me just say: whatever. I'm all for hunkering down and getting your work done, but...you pay to get a degree. A full half of the classes they require you to take have ZERO to do with what you plan to study as a major. </p>
<p>Call me a slacker, but if my school wanted to hold my hand through some BS History/Poli Sci/Math requirement, and none of those directly pertain to my major, I'm fine with that. Of course I don't want my hand held while I'm supposed to be learning in my major courses, but if it's something I have to pay for that the school is FORCING me to take? Shoot, hand-hold away!</p>
<p>Just offering you a different perspective.</p>
<p>I hate crowds and long lines. For me, a large school is one with 15K students!</p>
<p>also tends to be more 'red tape'</p>
<p>one person's "hand-holding" is anothers "personal attention". You can label something good or bad depending on your outlook. Smaller schools tend to give you things like a faculty advisor, smaller classes where the professors will get to know you (valuable later for recs), more flexibility in waiving rules and so on to personalize your education (such as when majors have to be declared, classes that are closed to non-majors, etc), and in general more guidance and support. </p>
<p>I'm a big advocate of finding the kind of schools that's right for you. At larger schools the resources are all there but its going to be up to you to find and take advantage of them. Some people can thrive in this environment, others are lost and need a place designed to give more guidance. Don't go by the labels you read & hear because the labels reflect the view of the person giving them; figure out what would be a fit for you.</p>
<p>I probably won't ahve any AP credit by the time i go to collegethe, so huge lectures for intro classes just turn me off.</p>
<p>
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By less hand-holding do you mean that you have to work harder?
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</p>
<p>You work harder to get profs' attention and help from them since they have less time available per student (we all have 24 hr a day). You may also find less research opportunities (per capita basis) or less resources available (per capita basis) for career/premed/prelaw advising (probably one reason why publics, even the prestigious ones, tend to be worse than expected in med/law school placement) than small or mid-size privates (i.e. work harder to get them).</p>
<p>But you may be tempted more to work less in terms of keeping up with reading/attendence in big classes because the prof wouldn't notice you.</p>
<p>Well, while the teacher to student ratio is better in Ivy League schools, the douchebag to non-douchebag ratio is rather poor.</p>
<p>"But you may be tempted more to work less in terms of keeping up with reading/attendence in big classes because the prof wouldn't notice you"</p>
<p>But the TA might and they have influence over your grade.</p>
<p>mikemac, I think what you're saying is true, but I'd change that around to EVERYONE can benefit from a smaller school where they can pay more attention to your academic needs. It's just that everybody doesn't need it.</p>
<p>A smaller school will not have 175 majors and specialized buildings for every major.</p>