Question about classes in college

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Here's a question for all you college students from a curious senior.</p>

<p>Assuming you attend a big state/public school (20,000+)...how different are your classes from high school? What are some of the defining differences in your classes that made you realize "Crap, I'm in college now"?</p>

<p>Do they give you more work? Is there ever any actual "homework" or is it just like readings that you should be doing because they'll be on an exam or test? </p>

<p>Do your professors know you by name and actually call on you and stuff? Do your classmates know your name and do you interact with them a lot? Is there group projects and such?</p>

<p>These are just some things that I always wondered, I know it probably differs from school to school and subject to subject...but I'd love to hear some feedback!</p>

2

<p>I don't really have homework except in English. Other classes its just reading that I highly recommend you read because they dont always talk about it in lecture but its still on the test. </p>

<p>In my smaller classes (30 or less, 3 of 5 classes), the professor does know us by name and I do know my classmates. There's alot of interaction in these classes. Smaller classes have group projects.</p>

<p>And the big lectures don't seem as big as people like to make them seem.</p>

3

<p>I'd comment but I don't fit the criteria. :/</p>

4

<p>I saw a different face everyday, the professors made more mistakes in one class period than there were questions assigned as 'HW', that is, if you even understood them enough to figure out the mistake. Oh, & the teacher's assistants were bored grad. students who'd rather have been dead, or something. Just wonderful, overall.</p>

5

<p>Rarely homework, except in english and math classes and some labs. Everything is just studying for the next test or quiz.</p>

<p>Very few of my professors have ever known my name, again just some very small classes (like my freshman honors english) and some labs. By now, my junior year, there are some classmates I know well because we've had alot of classes together in the past few years (same major, or some type of pre-professional), otherwise I dont' know most of them. Only a couple of my classes have ever had group projects, again my freshman englishes and my speech class.</p>

<p>I went from a tiny high school (graduating class of 25) to a medium university (12,000) and I really don't mind it that much. I like having large classes with a variety of personalities, and knowing that you never have to worry about the professor calling on you. The really large classes, like 400 people, do suck just because its so crowded, but I like the classes of about 100 people. </p>

<p>Yeah TAs are usually boring, thats cause they're stressed out grad students. The good point to that is, they're usually a little more lenient than a professor will be.</p>

6

<p>In some of the larger lectures (approx. 300-400 students), you are likely to be sitting next to a different person everyday. The professor might ask a general question for the class to answer, but usually would not randomly pick a person to answer.</p>

<p>For homework, it isn't graded; you're just supposed to do it so you'll understand the material for the midterm/final or maybe quizzes the professor or TA would give.</p>

7

<p>Reading this makes me glad I go to a small school.</p>

<p>Although I don't fit the criteria, I'd like to answer anyway, and give you a different perspective. </p>

<p>I go to a small private university, with under 3000 students, including grad and law students. It's a wonderful school, where you get to know most of the people in your classes, and sometimes even in your major. My biggest class has about 30-35 students. All your teachers know your name, or at least make an attempt to learn it (I still have one struggling). Most "group" projects have the opportunity to be done on your own if you wish. We do get homework, but it's not busy work or anything. A lot of reading, and some essay writing, and I have a couple classes with weekly journals we're supposed to keep about the reading. Plus most classes have a big project sometime in the semester. </p>

<p>We do get graded on attendance/participation, but I like that. For the most part, you get 3 free absences, and then your grade starts going down. And we have no TAs. I have one or two adjunct professors, but everyone else are fully qualified and all that. And the adjuncts are just people who specialize in their field (like a local theatre manager, and the asst. basketball coach). I really like the teaching atmosphere of my school, and I highly recommend a small school for college.</p>

8

<p>Personally, I kinda like the anonymity of big lecture classes. But anyway, my college has about 23,000 people in it so I guess I'm qualified to answer. </p>

<p>There's still homework in college. Math problems if you're in a math class, lab reports in lab sciences, papers and reading responses in english classes. I have online homework for my french class, where you have to fill in the blank with a french word or pick a word from a list or listen to a recording of something in french and choose which answer goes with it, etc. Sometimes the homework isn't "required" per se, but you benefit from doing it anyway (and sometimes the profs will take it up for extra credit or something), such as math problems, because it helps you learn. Obviously, lab reports and papers are going to be turned in every so often for a grade (once a week to once a month depending on the course and instructor). </p>

<p>Readings are also often given especially in big history lectures that aren't necessarily discussed in class. You're still expected to know it for the test though, because it was assigned reading. </p>

<p>In the smaller classes that are like 20-30 people, professors generally know your name or will at least recognize you outside of class. Big lecture halls can be upwards of 300 people, so unless you make an effort to talk to you professor before/after class or go to office hours, they probably aren't going to know you. </p>

<p>Sometimes I get to know my classmates. I'm generally a quiet, reserved person in class and don't talk much to people so I can go an entire semester without knowing someone's name even in a 30 person class. I only know the names of two girls in my 18-person french class right now and that's because we had the last french class together as well and that teacher made us do group work alot. I have met more people outside of class and figured out "hey, you're in my chem lecture! we should sit together" or something, than have actually met them in class. </p>

<p>Generally when I have a GTA (grad teaching asst) that teaches a section, I'll get to know them enough when I can actually speak to them outside class and know each other's names. Professors, not so much, but that's generally because the professors are teaching the HUGE classes and the GTAs will teach a mini section or something. Also, GTAs are easier to get to know because they're not that much older than the undergrads. I actually have some friends I've met who are grad students and who GTA classes (not ones I'm in though, cause that'd be weird). I do know a freshman girl who I met who came to a party at my friend's house and she was like, "Oh my god, that's my bio lab TA dancing over there" and it was another friend of mine who is a grad student. (I'm a sophomore)</p>

<p>Tests are just harder in college. They cover far more material in one test. In high school, you might have a test on a chapter or two, but in college a test can cover 5 or 6 chapters at a time. Sometimes your grade is based solely on 2 or 3 tests and the final. This is mostly true for the big lectures. Smaller classes tend to have more tests that cover less material at a time, and sometimes have quizzes as well. My french class has 4 tests and the final, and 5 vocabulary quizzes.</p>

9

<p>I goto a very large school and I love it. I love being able to meet new people everyday. I literally never, ever see the same random person twice. I love being able to just listen to lectures and not have to worry about participating.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the input guys! I think I now have somewhat of a better idea, but of course I will know for sure when I go to college next year. :)</p>

11

<p>I had a similar experience in undergrad as AUlostchick did. </p>

<p>Every big school is going to have huge classes and not so huge classes, and the experience is really going to be dependent on the profs you get. I had some profs who even in a class of over 100 knew most people's names, and others in a class of 25 who only knew one or two people's names. Usually before the middle of sophomore year, you'll start recognizing more people in your classes because they're in your major.</p>

<p>There are also other ways to make big colleges seem smaller...learning communities in dorms, the greek system, or really large organizations (like The Navigators if you're Christian) can introduce you to a lot of people outside of class in which you can make friends. I was heavily involved in the Greek System and knew a ton of people because of that. By the time I was a junior, almost all my classes had at least one person that I knew from somewhere - whether it was being in my major, being in the greek system or being friends of friends. </p>

<p>Interestingly enough, my med school class is only 120 people and most of those profs, even the ones who are lecturing for 2-3 hours every day, don't know the names of any one in the class.</p>

<p>Again, the main point is that profs really determine the type of experience you'll have.</p>

12

<p>More real/hard work.</p>

13

<p>I hate all of y'all that don't have homework.</p>

<p>I go to a mid-sized state school (~12,000 students), but I'm in Honors Engineering and my school's on the quarter system...so my situation may be a bit different than you should expect. My biggest class is Chemistry and it has about 70-80 people in it, and my smallest are my Honors Engineering and English classes which have right around 20 kids in each. I have homework from every class every time we meet...so yeah...it's a TON more work than I ever had in my rural public high school.</p>

14

<p>I go to a large public university - over 30,000. My first classes as an undergrad were mainly different in size. I'd never seen a lecture hall before - much less one that sat over 400 students. I tended to sit towards the front if the professor used the chalkboard.. but if it was a powerpoint, I'd sit in the middle (same reason I don't sit in the front row in movie theaters). I never had the "oh crap I'm in college now" moment.</p>

<p>I have had large classes where there was graded homework. Usually large classes have a number of TA's that each have 1 or 2 groups of ~30 students. So if there is homework, your TA does the grading. Actually TA's do all the grading - exams also. The professor will never know your name in a large class unless you go to office hours all the time. I've only had one large class that had a group projects - that was a pain 'cause I didn't have a choice of my group mates & got stuck with a bunch of free loaders. I met a number of my friends in large classes 'cause after awhile people tended to sit in the same general area of the class so I'd start chatting with people around me.</p>

<p>The large classes are only large because so many majors have to take them as pre-req's. After I got into major-specific courses class sizes shrunk back down to ~20-30 students (one class was only 12!). In these classes I got to learn other people's names in my major & after awhile we were like a big dysfunctional clique. Some professors tried to learn some names, but don't be offended if they don't know it. In small classes it's more like high school - weekly hw assignments, maybe a group assignment, etc..</p>