<p>Former UTD student here. Transferred from there this semester, but that’s another story.</p>
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<li>True, true, and true. What UTD has that my current school doesn’t are special 8-person weekly sessions (PLTL) for Calculus, Gen Chem, O. Chem, and Bio that not only review the material but also provide worksheets and upperclassmen to help you understand the material much more in-depth with difficult examples and applications of the material. In my experience, it was VERY effective in preparing for exams and understanding the material, and since everyone is an undergraduate like you, it’s a very laid-back environment. If you don’t pay attention to lectures or read the textbook, these sessions are another way of learning the material. These help you get through the tough pre-med classes.</li>
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<p>None of the classes have a bell curve. If a class implements any type of curve, it’s an upward curve. For Gen. Chem, they curve EVERY exam up if the average is below a 70 (and the exams are standardized). For O. Chem, I heard that a 75 for some classes is an A, the rest are like 85=A. Point is, none of the pre-med classes I know are intended to “weed out.” If people fail or don’t do well on a course, that’s almost entirely their fault. Overall, not only are the pre-med classes relatively easy (compared to my current school, where weeding out DOES happen), but they also help you understand the material thoroughly. The PLTL packets seem like a great way to review for the MCAT.</p>
<p>Biology, however, is a bit tough to decipher. There’s NO lab component for the first semester. The second semester, however, has an OPTIONAL (in the sense that it’s not a corequisite, but it’s needed for med. school apps) lab component worth 2 credit hours, and I heard it does not pertain to lecture (unlike the other pre-med labs). The course description of Intro. Bio alone tells me that they tend to focus on topics relevant to the MCAT, placing emphasis on cell bio and anatomy/physiology. </p>
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<li>This was one of the many reasons why I left. Yes, it wasn’t pleasant to look at. The school is CURRENTLY undergoing a beautification project. As of right now, there’s a huge construction site in the center of campus, and it looks like nothing but piles of dirt and tractors. I heard it’s supposed to be completed in 3-4 years. </li>
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<p>Yes, the school does have some INCREDIBLE buildings (e.g. JSOM, ATEC, Student Services), but the rest are drab, at best. Every building that houses the arts and humanities department (except for ATEC) look either run down or like a prison. Most of the buildings they won’t show you in school tours are pretty much concrete slabs.</p>
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<li><p>Yes, the vast majority of students are from the Dallas/FW area or in-state, but that means NOTHING. In fact, two of my closest friends from UTD are from Pennsylvania and Georgia. In my experience, everyone was new to each other, and if there were any high school friends, then I didn’t notice. I had a couple of high school friends with me, but I rarely hung out with them.</p></li>
<li><p>The vast majority go home on the weekends. On the downside, the campus feels VERY empty on the weekends, and there’s not much to do. So yes, it can feel lonely and desolate during the weekends.</p></li>
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<p>On the upside, however, this helps foster a great sense of community in the residence halls. When there’s nothing else to do, you turn to those who live in the same building you do. In just a couple months I knew almost each and every one of the students in my hall, and I’d find at least one person to spend time with. The apartments on campus may have more autonomy, but the res halls take care of you (some apartments lose power or heat during the winter, but the halls sure didn’t). Not to mention, the res halls have programs and social events to help bring people together. </p>
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<li><p>I used to be a biochem major, and neuro’s courseload seemed easier. No Calc 3, no Linear Algebra, no P. Chem. Also, there are MUCH more research opportunities for neuro majors than biochem. In a research fair hosted during the spring, I distinctly remember there were at least 2 full rows dedicated to BBS (the school that hosts neuro) majors, but only 2 POSTERS for NSM (bio/math/chemistry/biochem). </p></li>
<li><p>CV wasn’t a big deal. You do have 24/7 access to an exclusive lounge and you don’t have to pay for printing (unlike the library; you do have to provide the paper, though). The lounge includes many computers, a library filled with textbooks, academic journals, and magazines, and a tv room filled with game consoles, games, and movies. Personally, I spent little to no time in the lounge, but that’s because most of my friends weren’t CV. </p></li>
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<p>The only other “perks” to being in CV were that you’ve got first pick for classes (among the seniors, so you don’t have to wait as long as the vast majority of freshmen and you were guaranteed any class you wanted, except for CV classes) and CV had classes exclusively for CV students. The downside to those CV classes were that very few of them would fulfill degree requirements or core classes – they were pretty much useless, and you HAVE to take one CV class per semester. The vast majority of CV classes are obscure subjects such as fossil analysis or (in my case) Anime, where we learned about Miyazaki’s films and graphic novels. The upside to those classes were that they were VERY small and usually very discussion-oriented and engaging. I took the CV Intro. Psych. course with only 25 people (compared to 100+ on the regular sections) and it was my most enjoyable class that particular semester (though it was probably due to the professor more than the class itself). But the CV classes I took involved a lot of discussion and engagement. Were they easy? No; you had to work. But I did learn quite a lot. </p>
