<p>Definite agreement regarding debt here - regardless of school. But I’d still like to know what classes are taught by TAs.</p>
<p>While I agree with you about the costs at UR, I disagree with this:</p>
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<p>Here in the Southwest, we’ve heard of Rochester and Rensselaer, but have never heard of RIT. (And I have numerous friends in engineering fields.)</p>
<p>RE: the TAs. Except for freshman writing seminars which use grad students as primary instructors (and this is pretty par for the course, I TAed my way thru my grad English degree teaching freshman comp umphetty years ago) D2 only had TAs for recitations, workshops and labs–which is pretty standard practice also. </p>
<p>UR does use VAPs and teaching adjuncts, but so does every other college in the country. </p>
<p>In science research circles, UR is well know and highly regarded.</p>
<p>DS’s experience in Physics and Math departments has been TA’s for recitations, workshops and labs. Profs do all the lecturing. Additionally, the profs are very open to helping students both during and outside their office hours.</p>
<p>Not everyone is happy. That’s normal. RIT is an interesting school. It was until fairly recently essentially a trade school with major like “lab technician” of various kinds. It has become much more of a university. It is fairly large so it does have some name recognition. But it isn’t a research university and isn’t a comparable. I sometimes think people hear RIT and think RPI or hear RIT and think that means UR. I’ve had both happen. </p>
<p>My kid TA’d in a class. Selected by the professor with a few others to TA an intro class. TA’s are part of the support system that includes what I think of as sections (recitations) plus workshops and other ways to get material clarified. I found there was a lot of academic support, perhaps because so many of the students care so much about their education and success. It was a good experience, at least for my kid, because it meant another level of organizing and understanding. The idea of having students do some TA work is that they can communicate to other students and understand the problems students have with material in ways professors may not get. In this case, the course was in area where UR may not have grad students or not that many. </p>
<p>But I doubt any undergrad courses are taught by TA’s, whether grad or not. They run sections or work studies, etc. Same as at any other school. </p>
<p>D had all professors except for recitations–especially useful in language courses–having TA’s who were native speakers were very appreciated. For example, “we wouldn’t say hello that way (too formal), we would say this instead” kind of thing.</p>
<p>My guy is a TA for Orgo this year, but the only class he’s in charge of is the recitation - not the actual overall class. And perhaps I’m a little biased, but based upon his Orgo study group last year, I suspect students who get his section of the recitation will be very thankful…</p>
<p>It’s usually helpful having students who have BTDT helping others who are going through it IMO. That’s still not quite the same as being the prof.</p>
<p>FWIW, UR claims that “More than 95 percent of classes are taught by faculty, not teaching assistants, and it’s not uncommon for senior faculty to teach introductory courses.” (May 2013)</p>
<p>Source: <a href=“General Information”>http://www.rochester.edu/Bulletin/about/</a></p>
<p>To be blunt, nothing makes first year chem or some other requirement for a major “fun” or enjoyable. I sometimes think a problem kids have with those classes is the jump from high school style teaching to college style. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, worst class I ever had, repeat ever had, was a semester of chemistry taught by a very senior professor who had no idea how to communicate simple stuff to freshman. In other words, it really depends on the class, on the teacher’s teaching ability, on the teacher’s teaching ability appropriate to the level, etc. </p>
<p>Amen Lergnom—both the BEST and WORST teachers I’ve ever had were both in my undergrad program. No high school teacher was ever that good, or that awful.</p>
<p>And this is true at all schools. I went to an Ivy school. I had many teachers who were sparkling, but … Nobel winner who blathered at us and taught us little … upper level seminar where I still dream of wrapping my hands around that teacher’s neck … the math teacher who would stand in place at the board when he turned around so we couldn’t see what he’d written (though his sweater would erase it anyway - though he was a nice guy) … there is no idyllic place of great learning where every teacher is wonderful and cares about you.</p>
<p>I’ve read that Isaac Newton was a terrible lecturer. </p>
<p>I sometimes try to imagine Kurt Goedel teaching. Einstein went with him to his citizenship hearing to stop him from spouting off one of his conspiracy imaginings. </p>
<p>So you guys rave about the research aspects of the school. Could any of you (especially students/parents/alumni) speak to the job market that BankofDad criticized? Are there many/any internship opportunities available in the area or that students travel to during the summer? Or is research the primary source of experience the school offers? Also, how is the study abroad program? Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Oh and I should add that I’m interested in natural and health sciences, along with a pre med track at the moment :)</p>
<p>Plenty of research opportunities on campus for pre-meds. Strong Hospital is directly across the street from campus and Highland Hospital is about .5 miles north of campus (and on a bus route) for clinical volunteering opportunities.</p>
<p>UR students have a good track record in getting accepted at as NIH summer interns and to various REUs and other national summer research internship programs. </p>
<p>If you are serious about pre-med, scheduling a semester abroad may be difficult due to the increased number of courses required for the 2015 MCAT and increased med school admission requirements starting in 2016. (Most med schools will not accept science or math credits from international colleges so your science/math coursework must be completed in the US.) Plus you will need to be in the US and available to travel for medical school admission interviews fall & spring semesters of your senior year. Consider a summer abroad instead.</p>
@NROTCgrad: Johns Hopkins not so much. It is a little higher on the academic food chain.
@WayOutWestMom U of R is a nice school, but, whatever peer means, it is simply not in a league with Johns Hopkins or Wash U. I would also say not USC.
@atm28vacations The job market has been horrible in the Western Upstate New York area for decades. U of R is a great school and is referenced in a lot of the top scientific literature in many disciplines, but for internships (except medical at Strong Memorial Hospital) pretty much zilch, I’m afraid.
@jimkingwood I think you’re very mistaken. My (now junior) student is working in research that is being done in conjunction with other stateside and worldwide universities. They all consider themselves peers for the research. If they do, it doesn’t really matter much what the man on the street thinks.
I think we’re being - can’t use the banned word - so you know what. My kid was just listed as an author on a paper published in one of the top rated environmental science journals with another in the works. That was from research done at UR. She now works in NYC. Her boyfriend works for a giant tech company in NYC. His roommates and their other friends work for tech companies in NYC. And so on.
I’m not exactly sure what the job market in W. NY state means for UR. Any more than the job market in St. Louis means for Wash U. (I’d say nearly nothing.)
By that geographical logic, people should just disregard Cornell, too. And for that matter, schools like UMich and CMU, as well, that are in or near cities with economic challenges similar to Rochester.
@Jimkingwood
If you’ll actually read the article I cited, you’ll see that I didn’t rank JHU and Rochester are peer institutions, but rather that the faculty and administration of the respective schools ranked each other as peer institutions.