How disadvantaged are you if you are in a huge classroom instead of a small one?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm planning to head to a state school (University of Washington) that is known for its huge science classes, especially the introductory ones. It ranges from 300-350 students.</p>

<p>How much of a disadvantage of learning ar eyou compared to those in smaller classes in privae colleges?</p>

2

<p>Taking a few large Intro courses over the course of your college career will not be much of a disadvantage at all.</p>

3

<p>Not sure what you mean. Isn’t this really a question of your personal learning style? Some kids like lectures, some need to ‘talk through’ material, etc…Form a study group if you need interaction to help solidify your understanding of material.</p>

4

<p>Getting a good grade is a huge class is easy, but staying motivated is not. Make sure you actually learn the material because you could easily get an A and retain nothing which backfires later.</p>

5

<p>If there are any study sections offered for your courses, go to them. Get to know the teaching assistants who lead those sections, and take advantage of their office hours. Likewise take advantage of the office hours of the main instructor of the course. If there are no formal study sections, create your own by getting together to study with friends from the class(es). This can make a HUGE difference.</p>

6

<p>That being said, if you don’t have questions or concerns about the course, don’t waste your TA’s time by just coming to brown-nose.</p>

7

<p>I don’t think getting a good grade in a large lecture class is particularly easy. Most go by a strict curve and A’s are limited. In small classes half the class miught get A’s.</p>

8

<p>A good university will always ensure that class size, depending on the material covered, remains ideal for undergrads. As an undergrad, I had a couple of courses that had over 300 students, but the content really did not warrant a professor’s undivided attention. Those classes always broke into discussion groups of 20-25 so students that met once or twice weekly, some times led by a professor, at other times by a 3rd or 4th year graduate student. On the other hand, I had several classes with fewer than 15 students taugh exclusively by leading professors. One of my classes had 6 students and was taught bu 2 professors! The smaller classes did not provide me with a better learning experience than the larger classes. In fact, my best classes often had 100-200 students in them.</p>