<p>I have been accepted and looking at OSU as an option…im just wondering if its true that some classes are taught by grad students rather than professors? Is it common?
please be specific…</p>
<p>First of all, congratulations!
Secondly, the best way to get the information about OSU or any other school is to go to the bottom of the forum and request all threads about the school from the beginning.</p>
<p>Most of you questions have been asked and answered. It will help you out tremendously.</p>
<p>I think at many universities there are large intro classes that have subsection discussion groups led by TA's (Teaching Assistants, usually grad students). That is the case with my D's math class. The TA goes over homework and gives individual attention.</p>
<p>I have heard stories in the past (and you might find them on CC) that "famous" professors and high-profile-research professors at prominent, private universities teach only a few upper-level students each year. Notice I said students, not classes! I know there is a large famous university in Boston that has had complaints from undergraduate students that they are taught almost exclusively by TA's but I think there has been some movement to change that.</p>
<p>OSU has so many departments and majors that the only generalization you can make about classes is that you can't generalize. :)</p>
<p>From what I have heard, and what my son has experienced in his short initial time at OSU, the only place you will find grad TAs is in the larger low level classes. Typically, such a class will meet 5 days a week and on M-W-F there would be lecture provided by the Prof and T-Thurs there would be a recitation section led by a TA. That is not at all atypical. Even thirty years ago low level classes were structured in a similar way at many schools - even small private ones (I experienced same). Honors classes and higher level classes are small and are taught exclusively by faculty.</p>
<p>I sense that negative legends regarding OSU's use of TAs date from years past and do not reflect current practice at the Columbus campus. I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think OSU is unique in the way it uses TAs.</p>
<p>Penniless is right on...my son is a freshman and only has TA's for the recitation sections of his introductory-level classes. He has had a wonderful experience with both of them...and is also complimentary of OSU because compared with friend's experiences at other state schools, his recitation classes are actually smaller in student size (30 students compared to 50+ at other schools). He even has friends at other schools who have said that MOST of their classes at the freshmen level are taught by TAs...and that is not the case at OSU.</p>
<p>The reputation of Ohio State undergrads being taught overwhelmingly by graduate students is a myth. To a large degree, it's kept alive through the negative recruiting efforts of many of The Other State Universities in Ohio.</p>
<p>Doctoral students do teach in the context of the recitation sections of lower level classes--and under the guidance of tenured faculty. That's to be expected at any major flagship university with nationally renowned programs that attract large numbers of Ph.D candidates. It's no different than what your child would find at Michigan, Berkeley or UCLA. Keep in mind that the other half of this bargain is that your child will be exposed to a far, far higher quality caliber of faculty than would be available at a public university that doesn't offer substantial doctoral programs. In avoiding graduate students, you'll also be avoiding Nobel Laureates, National Academy members and Guggenheim Fellows, all of whom would not take positions at universities which didn't allow them to mentor the next generation of scholars in their field.</p>
<p>I will add that, personally, some of the best lectures I ever had came from excited young Ph.D students who were in the midst of their doctoral dissertations, full of passion about their subject and at the cutting edge of research in their field.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, great answers to clarify everything.</p>
<p>Another related question....
how would you overall rate the educational experience at OSU? did you feel you have gotten/getting a top notch education?</p>
<p>and...
Is it true that it is extremely difficult to study when you live at the dorms?</p>
<p>Based on what I have heard, attending the honor college of OSU is wonderful educational experiences. </p>
<p>Most of the honor kids have some AP credits so they don't have to take the lower level introduction classes.</p>
<p>Actually, Dad II....not completely accurate on the AP credit. My son is in a Scholars program and he said many students come to OSU (honors and non-honors students) with far more AP and post-secondary credits than even he had...and he attended a competitive OOS high school in Illinois. He said it is very common for Ohio students to either come in with AP credits and/or attend post-secondary school (common ones are Lakeland CC and Columbus State CC) so they are able to bypass some of the introductory classes. That notwithstanding, my son said he felt the academics were extremely strenuous and that most students were serious about studying. We even found, visiting OSU on parents weekend, that in his dorm, almost every student was studying. We are proud that he made Dean's list this quarter...but he can attest that he worked his butt off for it.</p>
<p>[[how would you overall rate the educational experience at OSU? did you feel you have gotten/getting a top notch education?]]</p>
<p>It depends on what criteria--and what other schools--are the basis for judgment. I will say that I strongly believe that Ohio State offers a better education and vastly more opportunity than any other public university in Ohio and as good as that of any Big Ten school with the exception of Chicago (still B10 academically).</p>
<p>I was very happy with my education both in the classroom and out of it. My advisor was a full professor, internationally known and edited one of the two major journals in his field. I was also invited to take a graduate seminar with his doctoral students my senior year--something I might add wouldn't have been available at an "undergraduate focused" public university. In the end, I scored over 700 on all three portions of the GRE and ended up at Chicago for graduate school--again with the help of two faculty members who were U of C alumni and worked closely with Chicago faculty in their fields.</p>
<p>[[Is it true that it is extremely difficult to study when you live at the dorms?]]</p>
<p>Good question. I think it comes down to two things. First, the personalities of your roommates and second, and more importantly, one's own discipline and drive. If someone's going to blow off studying, they'll always find a reason whether it's in the dorms or in a one person apartment.</p>
<p>One more thing regarding my thoughts about the academic quality at OSU...I am a faculty member at a prestigious private university and my husband and I are very happy and impressed with the academic quality and my son's experience at OSU so far. I will echo the sentiment of the previous poster....I have found that the teaching quality and academics at OSU is on par, if not exceeds, that of other Big 10 public schools.</p>
<p>While the classes are taught by professors, there may be over 700 students in some introductory classes. </p>
<p>This works for some people, and it doesn't for others. Visit the campus and attend a class ... see if you like it.</p>
<p>If you are in the Honors program, you will never have to be in a large class if you don't want to be in one...honors versions of classes like Pyschology 101 are capped between 20 and 25 students. You can take honors versions of the introductory level sciences and math. All English classes (freshman and sophomore writing, for example) are capped between 18 and 25 students. Introductory language classes (Spanish 101, Italian 101 for example) are capped at 25 students. </p>
<p>For most people, it probably depends upon your aptitude and interests.</p>
<p>If you are an Honors math major, you would probably enjoy taking Calculus H161 or 191, which will put you in a small (20 or so students) discussion-based class that requires rigorous daily preparation and participation. However, if you are an Honors English major just trying to fill your math requirement, you would probably enjoy the anonymity of a larger, lower-level, non-honors Calculus class (you would still have a smaller recitation.)</p>
<p>At OSU, by the time you are a sophomore or a junior within your major, you will be taking small classes because you will have reached higher course numbers. If you are an honors major, you can bypass any large introductory classes that you might have to take by taking the honors version, if it fits your aptitude and you are inclined to want a challenge.</p>
<p>As for TAs, in four quarters, I've had four TAs so far (introductory urban planning, Italian 101, intermediate level Latin, and non-honors sophomore English (couldn't fit honors in my schedule--honors is taught by a prof). I've had thirteen professors. Three of the four TAs were excellent; the fourth was merely adequate. All of my professors and TAs have made undergraduate education and attention a priority. In short, I've been more than happy with my class size and instruction at OSU in my first four quarters here.</p>
<p>I wouldn't put too much stock in ohioguy218's response. He's neither a student or alumnus of Ohio State nor does he appear to be an applicant, so he essentially has no experience or frame of reference to back up his claims. </p>
<p>He made three quick replies to three Ohio State threads all of them slamming the university--and all of them factually incorrect.</p>
<p>Does anyone have an opinion on how OSU would compare to Miami U as far as academics and education.</p>
<p>Also, my sister's at Kent State and had to take an honors English class even though she passed the AP Lit test. Does Ohio State make you do that?</p>
<p>Class size difference is really not that different between Miami and Ohio State. Miami likes to negatively recruit against Ohio State by playing the class size myth, but it's not true. If you look at the most recent USN&WR, Miami has a slight advantage when it comes to fewer large classes, and Ohio State has a slight advantage when it comes to more very small classes.</p>
<p>Given that Miami has a negligible amount of graduate and research programs, it is true that undergraduates take up more of the professor's focus at Miami. That being said, you also won't find the same stature of faculty at Miami as Ohio State. To give you two examples: Ohio State has 23 members of the National Academy of Sciences or Engineering on faculty; Miami has none. Over the last quarter century, 35 Ohio State faculty have been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships; At Miami, 2 have been awarded Guggenheims.</p>
<p>Also, if you're interested in Russian, there is absolutely no comparison. The Center for Slavic and East European Studies at Ohio State has been designated a Title VI "Comprehensive Research Center" by the federal government since the early days of the cold war. This was a program designating the top dozen or so academic research centers in the various area study fields for quality and breadth. Ohio State's centers of East Asian and Middle Eastern studies are also Title VI. My undergraduate major at Ohio State was Russian history, and when I entered the Masters program in International Relations at the U of Chicago, I can tell you that there was absolutely no jump in quality or national reputation among the Russian and East European focused faculty from what I had left at Ohio State.</p>
<p>I'm biased, so take that into consideration. I just really feel that in getting a marginal bit more faculty hand holding at Miami, one loses being exposed to the national stature of faculty at a major research university not to mention the diversity of Ohio State's campus and many other things. In my five years in Columbus, I met numerous students who had transfered from Miami. I never met one who regretted it.</p>
<p>Ohio State awards EM credit (credit by examination) for high AP Lit scores. Depending on your score, you either receive credit for English 110 (freshman comp) or English H110 (honors freshman comp.) So if you score well on the AP test, you don't have to take freshman comp.</p>
<p>However, ALL OSU students, regardless of AP scores, have to take a 367, which is sophomore-level writing. You can take English 367 or another department's 367. It is just a writing-focused second-year class.</p>
<p>I attended OSU many yrs ago so my personal experience may not be relevent today. However I feel that I received a first rate education at OSU. One way I concluded that was my experience in grad school. After graduating from OSU I went on to Cornell for graduate studies in engineering. I had absolutely no problem with the coursework there and observed that I was as well if not better prepared than my peers, many who attended universities considered in the upper eschelon academically.</p>
<p>OP regarding your concern about dorm life, one suggestion I would make is to find study areas on campus away from your dorm just to eliminate distractions and interruptions. My favorite places were the Orton Hall library, the Law School library and the student lounge in Boltz Hall.</p>
<p>Thanks sh60614. It's really funny you mentioned Russian studies because I actually am interested in that (although I'm planning on pursuing a linguistics degree). That's good to know about their program.</p>
<p>Chrys, I hope that you pursue your Russian interest wherever you might end up. It's a fascinating subject and seems to be regaining quite a bit of its career relevance with each passing news cycle.</p>
<p>If you were planning on majoring in business, I would, in all honesty, say that you could get a great education at either Ohio State or Miami and your decision should come down to secondary factors such as which school "feels" like a better fit or which school is giving you more money.</p>
<p>Seeing as you're thinking of a traditional arts and sciences focus, I'd say that Miami doesn't come close to Ohio State. Not only are the programs at Ohio State generally ranked top 30 or top 20 nationally, but liberal arts majors are also much more prevalent among the student body. The Dispatch recently posted the top 10 majors at Ohio State, and the top four (and six of the top ten) were traditional arts and sciences disciplines. In the arts, sciences and humanities at Ohio State, you'll find nationally ranked programs, a much higher quality faculty and a much greater commitment to majoring in these disciplines among your fellow students.</p>