<p>When I ask about class sizes at Berkeley people tell me it depends on whether you're taking a lecture or a seminar. So, I'm guessing that the lectures are big and seminars small.</p>
<p>What percentage of classes are seminars for the average Berkeley student?</p>
<p>If you're taking a regular course load, you'll probably have about 3 core classes (3-4 units each), and then you can fill up the rest of your schedule with freshman/sophomore seminars (1-2 units each) for a total of roughly 15 units. In my experience, I've had only 2 seminar classes out of about 25 classes that I've taken so far. Also, most classes with have a lecture where an actual professor lectures you, and some discussions, where you have about 20 people talk with a graduate student instructor (GSI), where you'll ask questions of clarification, do practice problems, practice presentations, take small quizzes, etc, etc.</p>
<p>the classes that are big are the lower division pre-req courses, they get smaller as you take more upper division classes.</p>
<p>Most large lectures have small discussions (around 20). The R1A and R1B classes all have fewer than 20 students (mine has 13 right now). When you get into upper division, at least for my major, classes are almost always smaller than 30.</p>
<p>Last semester, I took 5 core classes and a seminar. Physics 7b, math 53, and chem 1a all had large lectures, but my discussions/labs were all small. Stat 134 (upper division), had fewer than 30 kids, and my R1A class had like 14. The seminar had around 20. This semester I'm taking 5 core classes and 0 seminars. I guess the number of seminars depend on the student. Some students go for the minimum requirement so use seminars to get the 12/13 units.</p>
<p>Basically you shouldn't worry about large class sizes because for every large class, there are small discussions.</p>
<p>Also, the classes for the impacted majors are usually bigger.</p>
<p>If you want super small class sizes, major in something "non-traditional"</p>
<p>"The R1A and R1B classes all have fewer than 20 students (mine has 13 right now)."</p>
<p>Not necessarily true. Last semester, Asian American Studies R2A had around 30.</p>
<p>Graduate students aren't as good as professors though. How do they maintain equality in the grading if it is done by diferent graduate students?</p>
<p>laxchamp, i learned a hellava lot from my GSI's. many times, they helped me more than the listening to professor's lectures. Most of the times, GSI's really know their stuff! don't underestimate them. </p>
<p>Equality in grading is achieved through curving the sections.</p>
<p>I agree with what you have to say calkid about GSI's... </p>
<p>And LAXChamp, I have come across a couple of really "Great Professors" that are downright horrible teachers... thank God for my GSI!</p>
<p>The classes are not huge in upper division because thats where each specializes in a particular area of your major. However, lower division seminars and classes tend to be huge, especially core courses.</p>
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Graduate students aren't as good as professors though. How do they maintain equality in the grading if it is done by diferent graduate students?
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<p>You might be surprised. I was thinking the same as you when I was your age. However, some of my GSIs have been so good that they should be the professors themselves!</p>