D got admission into Penn State for Computer engineering, at the University Park Campus. We are concerned about the class sizes. Is it true that the class sizes are really large?We are considering changing this, so that he starts off at a smaller campus. The major he’ll be doing will make it mandatory for him to attend the University Park campus later, anyway. But we’re thinking it may be better for him to start of at a smaller campus.Any recommendations please? Thanks
https://rap.psu.edu/computer-engineering-university-park
Of the major first-semester classes, some numbers I pulled from LionPATH:
CHEM 110: Lecture 180, Recitation 15
MATH 140: Lecture 25
PHYS 211: Lecture 293, Lab 44, Recitation 22
I did not check to see if all sections had the same number of seats, and PSU probably reserves the right to change these if they want, so they’re not set in stone. But this might give you an idea.
For lectures, I personally don’t care about class size – you’re just listening and writing, no matter how many people are there with you. The recitation and lab sections are smaller so you get more personal attention from the TA or professor. And every TA and professor has office hours that you need to utilize if you need help.
But only he/you can decide whether that matters to him. Perhaps he could come visit and sit in on a class?
According to posts on the closed PSU parent’s Facebook page, only 1 out of 3 students who start out in engineering actually earn the degree. The entrance to major requirements (“weed out courses”) are really that difficult and many of these kids come to PSU as accomplished, high stat high schoolers. And yes, many of these intro courses can have 200 to 300 seats, if not more. There are numerous posts about about stressed out kids having to drop Calc and Chem and Physics and retaking them at community colleges over the summer. In essence, you pay for the class twice and may even get stuck having to do a 5th year. And because you can’t risk dropping below full time status, students take an even heavier workload to give themselves room to drop a course. Just sounds like insanity to me. However, this is probably the worst case scenario apart from having to leave engineering.
Just my two cents, if your daughter did well in AP Chem, AP Calc, and AP Physics in high school, I’d encourage you to stick with University Park, but tell her to start off strong and study like crazy. Go to office hours and do weekly review sessions with LionTutors from the very beginning. To officially declare her major, she’ll need a 3.0 with no course with less than a C. https://advising.psu.edu/entrance-major-requirements-college-engineering-2018
If she didn’t do well in these AP courses (or didn’t take them), she may want to look at Behrend (Erie), Altoona, or Harrisburg – all 3 will give her a true college campus experience. Just find out where housing is still available. The weed out courses aren’t necessarily easier, but the class sizes are smaller and students have a better chance of getting more individualized help. She will, however, need to adapt to a more stressful environment when she eventually moves to UP.
Hope I didn’t scare you off. On a positive note, grads from PSU’s engineering program are highly sought after because the program is that difficult. And nearly 60% of all PSU alums start off at a branch campus. Behrend is the largest and prettiest campus, if she can handle snow. Once read that many engineering students opt to NOT move to UP because they love the campus/program up at Behrend.