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I'm going to a large reach school I wasn't even admitted to for undergraduate now for grad studies, taking upper-level courses without having the pre-reqs (since I'm mostly taking classes out of my field), and still able to carry over a 3.0.
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If you are in the bottom third of intelligence in your major this is highly unlikely. Now you understand why going to a reach school is a bit difficult.
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<p>I'm currently attending a reach school that I wasn't even admitted to for undergrad. I know fully well what it feels like to go to a reach school. I feel like if we're arguing over anecdotal evidence, I'm a pretty good give an opinion.</p>
<p>Yet I don't even disagree with your response! </p>
<p>I merely said that it would be highly unlikely that someone in the lower third of intelligence at their school could get a 3.85. Do you agree with that statement?</p>
<p>I agree that it's not likely, but I don't agree that it's necessary they'll get a 2.5 at a reach and a 3.5 at a non-reach while putting in very little work.</p>
<p>The thing is: Mechanical Engineering isn't even the worst. Take BioEngineering/Biomedical Engineering, many of these guys at top schools, were high school valedictorian types, had to work incredibly hard in college, much more than the liberal arts folks, and the salary? forget salary, you'd be lucky to get a job. I remember Berkeley's median starting salary was below 40k, Cornell was something in the 30k's just a few years ago. Yet, every other high schooler wants to do Biomedical Engineering.</p>
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I've taken 13 credit semesters where I studied/did homework outside of class for 40-50 hours on average
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As have I, but I doubt that is the norm at most programs. Generally, it depends on class/professor mix. Taking 6 units could conceivably be 30 hours of study for some profs!</p>
<p>^ Yeah... thats pretty much my life right now... 18 units last quarter went awesome. Just 14 are killing me this time around due to just ONE professor!</p>
3 hours of study for every hour of class? I don't know many engineering programs that espouse that level of studiousness.
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<p>UCLA isn't a tip top program, but requires (or recommends 3 hours of study per hour of class).</p>
<p>Here's a message from our dean a few years ago:
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You have earned the privilege of being a HSSEAS student. However, you must continue to earn that privilege.</p>
<p>The faculty, students, and staff are here for one purpose - to help to educate the students of HSSEAS. But the students of HSSEAS are mainly responsible for their education. The faculty can point the way; but the students must do the work. Generally, for each hour in the classroom the student should work at least an additional 3 hours engaged in self-study (readings, homework, projects).</p>
<p>Faculty design homework and projects in order to engage students in the learning process and to help them to become effective learners, engineers, and computer scientists. The homework, projects, and examinations are not merely for the purpose of assigning a grade! The faculty of HSSEAS expects that each of you is here to be engaged in the learning process and to do your best to become an effective engineer and/or computer scientist.
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Recommending 2 to 3 hours of work for every class hour is pretty standard at all colleges.
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Is this still the case for upper level courses taken in the junior/senior years? Or does it get pretty close to 3 hours of work for every class hour once u take these upper level courses?</p>
<p>Eh, it's not much worse than freshman or sophomore year. That two to three hours out-of-class for every hour of lecture thing started becoming more true for me in grad school, though.</p>