<p>i go to a pretty competitive school in socal. mu is one of my top choices besides two other small private colleges in california. i'm looking for a school that has a small student to teacher ratio, does mu offer that? i hear the school focuses on undergrad students but do teachers have office hours? how do students get help when they need it? is the average classroom size really only 22? if i was an incoming freshman how large would my GE classes be? what happens to students who can't keep up/struggling? does miami care about their students or are they just a number?</p>
<p>on the less serious note...
what is the most popular dorm? how is the food at mu?</p>
<p>Socalgirlie27-
As the self-appointed good-will ambassador for MU, I bumped a couple threads for you. There is one in particular about class size and professor availability. But right now I cannot find it. Maybe I dreamed it. There are several current students on this thread that can better answer these things. I will let them do so.</p>
<p>Make sure that you check out the college visit thread/report part of this forum. There are two visit reports on Miami.</p>
<p>Yes, all professors have office hours. When I was a freshman, my classes ranged from 8 students to about 150 students (intro biology and chemistry). My science classes have always been the largest, but they also have optional SI sessions to break down the material in smaller groups. Some of the Miami Plan classes are large lectures, but you can definitely find classes that are capped around 35 students. This semester, my classes range from 3 students to about 120 students (organic chemistry).</p>
<p>If you need help, then you have to talk to the professor, get a tutor, or talk to your friends. There is a tutoring center on campus that some students use. Miami is a fairly large school, so you have to be somewhat proactive if you need additional help in a subject. That being said, if you talk to the professor during office hours about your concerns and questions, they are always very willing to help. However, if you sit back and don't seek out help, chances are that you won't get any.</p>
<p>You can only pick the theme of your residence hall, so it doesn't really matter what the most popular one is. I would guess that HELM (the health-related one) is the most popular, but I also know a lot of students who were in the leadership dorm. The food is normally excellent; I really like it. I don't know anyone who doesn't like the food at Miami. If you dislike the food in the dining halls, you can always buy food from the markets.</p>
<p>Aussie-
You just reminded me. There is I believe, something called the Office of Learning Assistance. When I was there, I was a "Peer Advisor" in that office. We provided qualified tutors for everything from study skills to organic chem. We also were trained lay-counselors for students that just needed a bit more support personally, or someone to talk to. An awesome resource for students and a great opportunity to get involved too. It was one of my best(most rewarding) affiliations at MU.</p>
<p>OLA is located in the Campus Avenue Building, corner of Spring St. & Campus (at least it was in August when I was there last).</p>
<p>Aussie or anybody - can you tell me what a typical course load is per semester? 12 credits? 16? I see on the website that you have to get special permission to take more than a certain amount - maybe 20? </p>
<p>Also, can you address how difficult it is to get your preferred courses if you do not get the Honors preferential scheduling?</p>
<p>Yes Miami is a large school, but only most schools its size its focus is on the undergrad.... which means LITTLE RESEARCH. It means your profiles have lots of office hours and are available and WANT to meet you. My professors, esp. in the business school are great for networking.</p>
<p>My classes ranged from 7-180 I had an 180 intro geology class; everything else was below 80... the more you get into your major classes the smaller they get.</p>
<p>Dorms: HELM (thats what i chose)</p>
<p>Food: Top 10 in the nation--- it is very good.</p>
<p>scheduling...because miami is a large school you will usually get your preferred courses because so many are offered. you just might not get the times you want right away.</p>
<p>think of it as a small liberal arts school mixed with the benefits of a big time institution</p>
<p>Well, the research part depends on the subject, but I definitely agree with irish in that your professors want to meet you. The great thing is that Miami doesn't have a huge graduate program, so it's possible for undergraduates to become involved in research as early as their freshman year. Miami has the Undergraduate Summer Scholars program, in which students spend 40 hours/week researching with a mentor during the summer for 12 (?) credits and a stipend.</p>
<p>Typical courseload is probably 14-15 freshman year and then 15-18 the rest of the years, and during the summer, many students study abroad or take classes. It's definitely possible to handle 18+ if you're good at managing your time; I'm currently taking 20 hours (2 are credit/no-credit seminars though) while working 4 hours/week and researching 4 hours/week, plus ECs. You need special permission to take more than 20 hours, but my friends tell me it's not hard to get.</p>
<p>It can be a little tricky to get the sections you want when you're a freshman, but by the time you're a sophomore, you shouldn't have a problem unless the class is particularly popular. You can always try to force-add if necessary. Your D can also apply to Honors after her first semester.</p>