<p>I have heard a lot about Ga Tech and just wanted to ask about the validity of some of the more negative comments, and get answers from people with experience.</p>
<p>So,</p>
<p>Do the profs actually try and screw the students over?
Does noone have fun?
Are all the classes insanely hard? As compare to similar classes elsewhere...
Is campus/ Atlanta unsafe?
Do the dorms suck?
Are classes huge, and is course availability a problem?</p>
<p>Since I’m up early, I’ll give it a crack. I’ve only taken a single course (a semester of matlab) there, but I’ll give it a shot based on observations I make and what you can find on the internet to do an objective comparison.<br>
<p>So that this isn’t all talk about things like the courses: </p>
<p>Let’s compare Berkeley and Tech for some. Often you can measure some degree of rigor of the program by them intro. courses that engineers take:
Physics 1 at Berkeley (physics 7a):
One thing you’ll notice is that Tech gives more exams (quizzes) which means more Berkeley: <a href=“https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/physics/7A/[/url]”>https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/physics/7A/</a>
Tech: [PHYS</a> 2211 ABC Fall 2013](<a href=“http://www.physics.gatech.edu/~em92/Classes/2013/Fall/2211ABC/index.html]PHYS”>http://www.physics.gatech.edu/~em92/Classes/2013/Fall/2211ABC/index.html)</p>
<p>Both are extremely rigorous here, though there appears to be a difference in style. Tech instructors tend to ask stuff from a more conceptual point of view (which is difficult in complex situations), whereas Berkeley is more “prove and derive” oriented.</p>
<p>Hell, I’ll throw in Harvard (and this is the step below the one for engineers. Appears to be more difficult than either. Even the pre-med physics class is harder I think):
[Examinations</a> § Physics 15a (Spring 2010-2011)](<a href=“http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k78854&pageid=icb.page405819]Examinations”>http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k78854&pageid=icb.page405819)</p>
<p>Math 1 (calc. 1):
Tech (rigorous): [MATH</a> 1501](<a href=“http://people.math.gatech.edu/~bonetto/teaching/1501-fall09/ma1501.html]MATH”>MATH 1501)
Berkeley: <a href=“https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/math/1A/[/url]”>https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/math/1A/</a>
Tech is probably harder as that is the one that engineers at Berkeley take.
Harvard, seems more similar: [MATH</a> 1a Home § Mathematics 1a (Spring 2011-2012)](<a href=“http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k83739]MATH”>http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k83739)</p>
<p>Overall, Tech has edge here in rigor.
Chemistry:
Tech (1211k was created like 2-3 years ago? So maybe compare to Berkeley’s 2011-now 1a courses): [CHEM</a> 1211K | Georgia Tech Chemistry & Biochemistry<a href=“the%20only%20thing%20making%20this%20remotely%20hard%20is%20the%20multiple%20choice%20format,%20so%20no%20partial”>/url</a>
Berkeley: <a href=“https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/chem/1A/[/url]”>https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/chem/1A/](<a href=“http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/academics/freshman-program/chem-1211k]CHEM”>http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/academics/freshman-program/chem-1211k)</a> (multiple choice same here, seems a little more complex though). </p>
<p>Slight edge to Berkeley.</p>
<p>I’ll compare it to ours (gen. chem is just…generally easy, but ours may be harder because more “application” or conceptual questions are asked and it’s not all MC, which High school students are good at. But at least there is partial credit. Harvard doesn’t have gen. chem anymore):<br>
<a href=“https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BdjE0QklOV0hfVmM/edit[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BdjE0QklOV0hfVmM/edit</a>
<a href=“https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BYzJUbVNTdUI0bUU/edit[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BYzJUbVNTdUI0bUU/edit</a> (a slightly more recent exam)</p>
<p>Biology: if you have to take it for BME or anything:
Tech (apparently this guy is considered one of the more difficult instructors): [Assessing</a> the flipped classroom | Jung’s Biology Blog](<a href=“http://jchoigt.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2013/03/25/assessing-the-flipped-classroom/]Assessing”>Assessing the flipped classroom | Jung's Biology Blog)
He has an exam there
Berkeley, search from several: <a href=“https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/bio/1A/[/url]”>https://tbp.berkeley.edu/students/exams/bio/1A/</a></p>
<p>Appears the same in general (though the Choi guy from Tech seems more difficult than most of those folks.</p>
<p>Will throw in Emory again (Harvard’s is so over and beyond all of ours that it’s not even useful):
normal professor: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BUFFwQ2kwaWpxdm8/edit[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BUFFwQ2kwaWpxdm8/edit</a>
harder professor: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BMkEwLVN2bnV0VDA/edit[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B456FmeCw42BMkEwLVN2bnV0VDA/edit</a></p>
<p>Emory’s pre-med heavy, so that may explain why we’re harder there.
No need to compare organic chemistry as most engineers won’t need it. But if I were to, Berkeley, Emory, and most other selective institutions are more difficult than Georgia Tech (Berkeley and Georgia Tech seem a lot about the content, and Berkeley teaches more of it, especially semester 2. The private schools seem more about “context” and thus tend to throw tons of curveballs and deep thought q’s, kind of like the physics section at Tech).</p>
<p>The point is: Georgia Tech is as rigorous in some fields as most other top engineering programs and its natural sciences are perhaps the same or less rigorous than more non-engineering schools (the pre-med schools). It’s not overly hard exam and content wise in comparison to most selective schools, it’s just stressful because a majority of students are STEM and the grading practices are stereotypical for STEM (some schools like Harvard and Yale give extra inflation even to science courses by curving to solid “B” or “B+”. Tech and many other schools curve to what is equivalent to a “B-” at most +/- schools, and thus a decent amount of students are still earning C’s). I mean, as long as you don’t overdo it, managing Tech should be challenging, but not “insane” (grading practices for the intro science courses are similar at most selective public schools and even some privates such as Emory, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and Cornell) by any means. Could you imagine places like Harvard without the additional inflationary bump in grading? That would drive someone insane. Most of their STEM classes (at introductory and intermediate) for STEM majors are insane content, workload, and exam wise. Georgia Tech (with exception of math) seems kind of tame. It’s just the environment (not to say an Ivy League environment isn’t intense. It is because the competition and the “one-upping” can go overboard) and the fact that there aren’t as many “fluff” classes to protect the GPA in case you do end up in a very rigorous course.</p>
<p>Thanks! LOL, you clarified some other doubts that I never asked too!</p>
<p>I have never felt like I have had a professor that has been out to fail the class (and I have taken all the tough core math and science classes) although based off of older friends at Tech professors used to be like that. I had a friend tell me that if your college/classes don’t make you consider dropping out and/or transferring then youre at the wrong college and taking the wrong classes. College is supposed to challenge you and make you experience new things and learn more. That is exactly how I feel at Georgia Tech. Yeah the classes are tough and you are failing the whole semester until the professor does the magic curve at the end but I would rather be challenged and growing as a student then being complacent in my education. Tech’s classes sometimes make me hide in the library shelves and cry because I feel that they are so hard and stress me out but I know that it is all going to be worth it once I make it to the real world. I know that because I have Co-oped and interned at my time at Tech. I got to use everything I learned in my engineering classes and put it to use for a real fortune 500 company and made good money doing it. If anything I felt frustrated when working because the work wasn’t challenging enough and I knew I could handle bigger projects and tasks that were saved for higher ups. So the classes are difficult but Ive seen the pay off. Part of the reason I think students feel tech is so hard is because they come from high schools were they coasted got straight As and became all these special things like salutatorian, valedictorian, and national merit scholars. Well big whoop because at Tech everyone here was this and that all those great things and the professors do not care. If you adapt to the work you will do fine. Its finals week right now and I started studying a little more than a month in advance when in high school I studied the week before. I am not saying everyone came from high schools like this, I am just trying to point at the change in work ethic that is needed to succeed at Tech and that is difficult for a lot of people to do. The classes are big lectures up to I think about 150 people in your first year when you take intro classes like calculus, biology, physics etc. However, those classes have recitations which are a lot smaller. Once you are an upper classman the classes are smaller about 35-70 people. I have one class with like 20 students now which happens every so often or maybe only 20 students show up. The tutoring center also rocks and has saved my gpa.
Safety is a big thing at Georgia Tech but campus is as safe as you make it. Tech has transportation around campus 24/7 so it is just matter of making use of it as well safety precautions such as the buddy system at night and using Jacket Guardian. However, if you are a dumb male like me and think you are invincible walking at all hours of the night (which is not a good idea) but I have never seen less than four cop cars drive past me at night. I personally have never felt unsafe on campus and Tech publishes all crimes in the school newspaper and from what I read all could have been avoided by using common sense and making use of Tech safety options. As for the dorms well traditional style two person rooms suck regardless what college you are at. But the two most unpopular dorms at Tech(Glenn and Towers ) are being renovated which is good! For upper class man it’s all apartment style living and its not bad. I like living at the ULC. All the dorms have online 360 tours on the housing website.
Does anyone have fun? Uhm….HELL YEAH. You are in Atlanta! Music Midtown is a blast! Centennial Park is right next to North Ave Apartments. I took my girlfriend (whom I met at Tech, not impossible to meet girls) to see Mumford &Sons perform. When the final four was in Atlanta there was free Macklemore, Ludacris, Muse, Zac Brown Band, Flo Rida, Sting, and Dave Matthews concerts all for FREE at centennial park within five minutes from campus. Atlanta also has a ton of great bars, restaurants, and clubs. Shout out to Ormsbys. Atlanta also has a few breweries, like SweetWater which are a lot of fun to go to after a long day of class. However if youre underage Tech is still fun. I’ve had great times and still do with my fraternity brothers and our parties. Atlanta also has colleges like State and Emory which throw great parties. So you basically have three colleges to choose from if youre social and get out there and meet people. By getting involved on campus you will make a diverse group of friends which will open a lot of doors. It definitely has for me. I never thought I would go to an Indian dance show or step competition but I did and they were a blast. Another thing about getting involved on campus is that Tech has a lot of leadership opportunities within organizations so it is really easy to ascend to high level leadership roles in your time here. These positions have taught me a lot about people, team work , and conflict resolutions that I find invaluable to this day. Tech has about more than half its students living on campus so friends are always around.
Safety is a big thing at Georgia Tech but campus is as safe as you make it. Tech has transportation around campus 24/7 so it is just matter of making use of it as well safety precautions such as the buddy system at night and using Jacket Guardian. However, if you are a dumb male like me and think you are invincible walking at all hours of the night (which is not a good idea) but I have never seen less than four cop cars drive past me at night. I personally have never felt unsafe on campus and Tech publishes all crimes in the school newspaper and from what I read all could have been avoided by using common sense and making use of Tech safety options. As for the dorms well traditional style two person rooms suck regardless what college you are at. But the two most unpopular dorms at Tech(Glenn and Towers ) are being renovated which is good! For upper class man it’s all apartment style living and its not bad. I like living at the ULC. All the dorms have online 360 tours on the housing website.
TLDR: Campus is safe as you make it. Classes are difficult but worth it. Tech is fun(thanks to Atlanta). Dorms are like everywhere else.</p>
<p>haha, I can relate to what you said about hard classes making everything else seen easy. After 2 terms of scraping through class 11 physics (wacky teacher who sets absurdly difficult papers), I feel like AP Physics would be easier!! Though actually theyre about the same…in class 60% is something to be proud of.</p>
<p>Well there you go, you have a student confirmation and some course materials. You should gone head and apply. Tech’s STEM courses are no harder than than most other elite schools (what you get in rigor for the physical and computational sciences at Tech is what you’ll get natural sciences at other less Tech focused places) and plus I honestly like Tech’s location (midtown is freaking awesome!). Ah, and allusions to sweetwater…good times.</p>
<p>GTJacket: You only consider North Avenue “not bad”. You have high standards don’t you?</p>