Boston University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Shaun

In SMG, its a pretty easy schoolwork wise as long as you can pick up on how the concepts are taught. Its extremely hard to get an A but pretty east to get a B-

Nevin

A more detailed explanation of academics. Well professors in my colleges ( CGS and COM) tend to be interested in learning your name and classes after intro ones are pretty small. Friends in CAS and SMG have gave me mixed opinions on this. At BU you will have to study! If you don't study for the most part expect a D or a C. Studying will get you at least a C+ or higher, grade deflation is REAL at BU. Students in COM and SMG are very competitive. Especially in COM in the Public Relations major. So far I feel like intro classes and general ed classes are actually worth it at BU. A lot of the things I learned in History general ed classes have helped me with understanding what is going on in Russia/Ukraine right now.

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Ariel

All of my Professors know my name and are for the most part very helpful in and out of the classroom. Grade deflation is common, so you should try and stay above the average. As long as one studies, they should do well.

Grace

Classes in BU often consist of a large lecture accompanied by a small discussion section. Lectures can run to 120+ students, but discussion sections are capped around 18-20. I've found this to be helpful for many of my classes, since it gives me a chance to iron out any confusion caused in lecture. That said, for most classes discussion sections are only once a week and are only one hour long, so you might need to go to office hours for additional help. Professors are generally helpful and welcoming in office hours. Grading is tricky and can be confusing--even if you're making A's on most assignments, you can still end up with a B. I'm a psychology major, and I've found the psych professors so far to be intelligent and enthusiastic. The math department, on the other hand, often gets complaints about having poor professors and TAs who don't speak English effectively. Expect to do about 15-20 hours of work a week; more if you're pre-med.

Pavan

Boston University has over 17 colleges and offers an extremely diverse range of classes and majors. Anything you can think about there is a class for. In addition, due to the diversity you meet a wide range of people that you never would have met otherwise and this results in extremely stimulating conversation. As a student of the College of Engineering we get the best of both worlds of a big University with all of its resources but the small school feel of Engineering. I have been in many classes of 200-300 students in a lecture. However, also have been in classes which there have been 15-20 students. I enjoy the variety of class sized. However, Boston University is a major Research Institution so as a result the most common way to have an opportunity to interact with your professor outside of the classroom is through office hours. All professors I have had are extremely approachable and friend if you attend their office hours. The engineering program at Boston University is really geared towards giving you the tools so that you can make an impact in whatever industry you desire immediately after graduation. They not only provide top notch academic environment but also a plethora of resources to enhance your portfolio and when looking for internships and jobs.

Pavan

Boston University has over 17 colleges and offers an extremely diverse range of classes and majors. Anything you can think about there is a class for. In addition, due to the diversity you meet a wide range of people that you never would have met otherwise and this results in extremely stimulating conversation. As a student of the College of Engineering we get the best of both worlds of a big University with all of its resources but the small school feel of Engineering. I have been in many classes of 200-300 students in a lecture. However, also have been in classes which there have been 15-20 students. I enjoy the variety of class sized. However, Boston University is a major Research Institution so as a result the most common way to have an opportunity to interact with your professor outside of the classroom is through office hours. All professors I have had are extremely approachable and friend if you attend their office hours. The engineering program at Boston University is really geared towards giving you the tools so that you can make an impact in whatever industry you desire immediately after graduation. They not only provide top notch academic environment but also a plethora of resources to enhance your portfolio and when looking for internships and jobs.

Pavan

Boston University has over 17 colleges and offers an extremely diverse range of classes and majors. Anything you can think about there is a class for. In addition, due to the diversity you meet a wide range of people that you never would have met otherwise and this results in extremely stimulating conversation. As a student of the College of Engineering we get the best of both worlds of a big University with all of its resources but the small school feel of Engineering. I have been in many classes of 200-300 students in a lecture. However, also have been in classes which there have been 15-20 students. I enjoy the variety of class sized. However, Boston University is a major Research Institution so as a result the most common way to have an opportunity to interact with your professor outside of the classroom is through office hours. All professors I have had are extremely approachable and friend if you attend their office hours. The engineering program at Boston University is really geared towards giving you the tools so that you can make an impact in whatever industry you desire immediately after graduation. They not only provide top notch academic environment but also a plethora of resources to enhance your portfolio and when looking for internships and jobs.

Pavan

Boston University has over 17 colleges and offers an extremely diverse range of classes and majors. Anything you can think about there is a class for. In addition, due to the diversity you meet a wide range of people that you never would have met otherwise and this results in extremely stimulating conversation. As a student of the College of Engineering we get the best of both worlds of a big University with all of its resources but the small school feel of Engineering. I have been in many classes of 200-300 students in a lecture. However, also have been in classes which there have been 15-20 students. I enjoy the variety of class sized. However, Boston University is a major Research Institution so as a result the most common way to have an opportunity to interact with your professor outside of the classroom is through office hours. All professors I have had are extremely approachable and friend if you attend their office hours. The engineering program at Boston University is really geared towards giving you the tools so that you can make an impact in whatever industry you desire immediately after graduation. They not only provide top notch academic environment but also a plethora of resources to enhance your portfolio and when looking for internships and jobs.

Amanda

BU is broken up into 18 different colleges and universities, so academics vary tremendously within each school and even within departments. Introductory science courses, for example, will take place in lecture halls seating 100+ students. However, individual discussions sections will be held with around 20 students, and professors are extremely approachable: they hold [multiple] weekly office hours, and are usually very correspondent to e-mails. Writing classes, on the other hand, are much more intimate and personal, with about 20 students per section. I'm currently majoring in computer engineering and enrolled in the College of Engineering (ENG), so I'll focus on my experience so far here. The professors in ENG WANT us to do well. They are all distinguished in their respective fields, and genuinely just want to help produce good engineers. The classes, like with any engineering program, are exceedingly difficult, but so much fun. ENG students have access to labs and opportunities to do research right from freshman year. ENG offers free tutoring 6 nights a week, a brand new imagineering lab (for us to just mess around a build whatever we want), and other opportunities specifically for engineering students. Another great thing about ENG@BU is the collaboration with other engineering students in Boston.

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Classes are tough, and make sure that you really study the material. The competition keeps you sharp!

Kevin

Academics are tough at BU because you always are competing with students who were in the top tier at their schools. Professors will vary from good to bad depending on who you get but that is everywhere. They offer classes that are degree mandatory and those that are fun like The History of Sex. As you progress further, all of your teachers will take a great interest in you and know your name as long as you take a minute to stop and say "Hi". Teachers are understanding and also enjoy to make the learning process fun. When some of my senior year classes allowed a more casual setting we would go to the BU pub.

Lisa

The real reason students choose to attend BU is because of the great academics. The class sizes vary depending on the subject. Typically, you will have about 100 people in a lecture and about 20 or less in a discussion for the same subject (not all classes are run this way, but majority are). I am a psychology major and I must say the department is extremely welcoming available to guide you on your future plans as well as answer any questions you may have. If you choose to attend BU and you are taking a psych class I recommend Professor Mercurio -- she is amazing ! She wants all her students to do well and most professors at BU are like this. They enjoy their subject matter and want to make sure the students are understanding it not just memorizing information for an exam to later forget it and never think about it again. The most unique class I have taken was my first semester freshman year and it was Reasoning and Argumentation, which is a philosophy class, but I didn't know that when choosing it. After finding out I thought I would hate the class, I loved it and ended up doing really well. I feel that the requirements at BU are fair, although sometimes I feel annoyed with the language requirement. However, I know that in the future I will be happy to be fluent in another language as it will be beneficial in whatever career field I choose.

Catherine

I've taken so many cool classes at BU. I am a music major so my schedule is mostly music heavy. But for my liberal arts credits I've taken Ancient Greek Civilization, Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Art and Architecture of Ancient Americas, Sociology, World Beat, a writing class on Dante's Inferno and a few others. My classes in the music department are always fantastic. The faculty really know their craft and are willing to spend hours with you so you can really learn a subject. Plus, my classes are always small and the students usually all know each other. I feel I've really learned my craft and have been getting prepared to get a job with confidence in my skills. I am a music ed major, so I spend a lot of time in education methods courses - those are my FAVORITE because we address ways to improve education in our own classrooms and on a broader scale. The music ed faculty is comprised or active researchers and teachers in their field with years of experience. The most unique class I'm taking is CFA's African Drum and Dance Ensemble. It's a class that meets once a week at night for 2.5 hours of drumming and traditional West African dancing. It's SO Much fun and a great workout!

Anonymous

Classes are initially quite large, especially in the sciences. There exist what many Freshman call "weed-out" classes that basically contain up to 100-200 students and in my experience grades have sometimes been curved at the end of the semester once many students have dropped the class. However, despite the lectures' large sizes, there are discussion sections which are broken up into smaller groups to expand upon and review information, and almost all professors are available outside of class to answer questions. BU does require two semesters of writing for pretty much every student, which many consider redundant, but is also useful for some who need honing of their writing skills before they enter higher level courses that expect good writing.

Leanne

The academics are rigorous to say the least. Coming from a high school where it was easy to be a big fish in a small pond, it was a bit of a challenge to adjust to the rigorous academics. Luckily, you'll quickly found that you're surrounded by tons of motivated students who push you to motivate yourself as well. I like that the professors challenge us, yet they are so accessible during their office hours. It's really nice to know that you can always meet with them outside of class to clarify topics or assignments. I am dual enrolled in BU's School of Education (BU's smallest school- around 400 students) and the College of Arts and Sciences (BU's largest school- around 8,000 students), so I really get to see both sides of the spectrum. In both schools I am academically challenged, yet never feel too overwhelmed. It's all about balancing your academics and free time wisely.

Hannah

BU is a challenging school. It is possible to skate by at BU but that's for a student who doesn't want to take advantage of all the opportunities available. There are really interesting, challenging classes for motivated students. Depending on your tract the work can be harder or easier. Engineering is more difficult than a lot of other programs, but for students who are excited about learning (and most BU students are) then there are a lot of chances to challenger yourself and teachers are really eager to help students who are excited about a topic. Expect to do work coming to BU, expect to study, expect to write papers, and expect to challenge yourself.

Brian

Academics are strong -- there are courses in just about every subject you can imagine, with world-class faculty. If you get to know your professors, you'll have a great experience. If you sleep through lecture and turn in high-school quality work, you won't. It's all about choosing challenging courses that are going to encourage you to grow, not taking the easy way out. But yeah, I think there are some folks who leave without having learned anything because they found the easiest profs on RMP and got an upper-classman to hold their spot. The best professors are the ones who challenge you to better yourself.

Alex

Again! depends what you want to do. Acting and College of Fine Arts stuff is hard as hell, but really prestigious. I was in the College of General Studies, which has the stigma of stupid kids on campus, and that sucked. Hard. Really boring classes, one good professor. The COM school is fun though, definitely give that a chance if you can. There are fun classes here, but you have to have the right professors.

Harper

Barely any professors know your name unless you talk all the time in class, which is pretty pointless because the classes are just power point lectures. The smaller classes are definitely more personal, but most freshmen end up taking introductory classes that are huge. Some students study all the time, others barely manage to make it to class. With huge classes, no one notices if you don't show up. Once outside of the class, students completely forget all about it. If you aren't in the school of Fine Arts, you can't take an art class. It is ridiculous the restrictions and course requirements. And getting into the classes you want is difficult, especially with the registration schedule that is completely unfair. Students aren't too competitive. The education at BU is totally geared toward getting a job, nobody takes classes just to learn. They think about what the class could mean for their future, and once they take it they forget about it. Not learning for learning's sake.

Jessie

In the big lectures, teachers will get to know your names if you go to office hours. Academics go as far as you take it yourself. If you want to know your professor, they will want to know you. In the smaller classes, the professors like to get close to all the students, and usually professors teach more than one class level, so you may have the professor again. I am in the School of Education, and in your freshman year you experience 60 hours in an elementary school classroom for one full semester. It is great to be able to observe the very first year. ED100/101 is a "weeding out" course to see who really wants to be a teacher and who should reconsider. Coming out of BU, you will receive one of the best educations in the country and will be seen as a top contender for any job position.

Rachel

My experience is limited to the College of Fine Arts, where I was an acting major and had a wonderful and unique experience. I would recommend BU highly to anyone looking for an intensive conservatory style training while also having the "college experience" of growing and finding one's self within a university setting. My teachers were not only passionate and strong in the classroom, but always had their doors open for conversation and questions. My biggest "regret" is not taking advantage of the university's liberal arts classes as much as I could have. While I took a few wonderful classes in art history and photography, there were classes with such acclaimed professors as Eli Weisel that I wish I had taken greater advantage of.

Ryan

Do professors know your name? yes Tell us about your favorite class. the professor is hilarious and the work wasn't too difficult Least favorite? I hate math. How often do students study? depends, anywhere from 3-20 hours a week Is class participation common? very Do BU students have intellectual conversations outside of class? yes Are students competitive? very What's the most unique class you've taken? Africa Today Tell us about your major / department. The OM department is amazing - thanks to the course offerings and faculty Do you spend time with professors outside of class? occassionally How do you feel about BU 's academic requirements? they're fair Is the education at BU geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake? a little of both, but more just about the learning

Kelly

It depends which class. My favorite classes are the Core Curriculum classes in the College of Arts and Sciences. Least favorite: Intro to International Relations. Students study a lot. Class participation is mandatory in most discussions. Intellectual conversations outside of class depend on the student I think. I don't spend time with my professors outside of class, but the Dean of Students just participated in a student musical, and then invited us all over for dinner, and it was fabulous. Education is geared toward learning for its own sake.

Xavier

I know my professors names, but I never get to know the professors of the big lectures. The TA's deal with most of the students anyway. In the Metropolitan College I feel most connected with the teachers, considering the small class size. A lot of BU students have great intellectual conversations outside of class. There are heated debates on politics, religion, and philosophy constantly around my floor and friends. It sounds stupid to say that, but when you break down your conversations, it's amazing to think that you're truly discussing those topics.

Becca

Professors in small classes know your name. Best and most unique class is ASL (offered at night). Mostly lecture style classes (plus labs for sciences). Very strong physcis and earth sciences department. No architecture. I came in as a freshman and fufilled all basic requirements through AP test credits. Not many students enthusiastic about learning.

Tristan

I love my major, but I hate the business of it, so I won't be doing advertising after college. The professors are really great at bringing real-world senarios in to the classroom, and are wonderful at helping students find jobs, internships, etc. They are really dedicated to their students. It is a little cut-throat, but the business of advertising is, so that's to be expected. They definitely have the resources available -- in terms of clubs, professors, workshops, career centers and the like --- to help you become successful. SMG professors and students are all very stuck up about their program. The professors tell the students that SMG stands for "Sex Money and Greed" (it really means School of Management). They consider themselves better than the rest of the University, even though they're NOT the best program at BU. The College of Communication, School of Hospitality Administration, the College of Fine Arts, many programs in the Sargent College, BioMed in Engineering, and various other programs are all considered some of the best programs of their kind, while SMG is just breaking in to the top 30 management programs. They really need to get over themselves. Also grade deflation is way over-exaggerated. It may happen once in a while, but it's definitely not a rampant problem like some students complain it is. Everyone comes in to BU as an A student and not everyone can leave that way. BU puts tons of resources at your finger tips, you just have to take the initiative to use them. College isn't suppose to be easy!

Jason

The student-professor relationship is entirely up to the student. All professors have office hours that students can attend (which is HIGHLY recommended!). The professors here are incredibly open to talking and getting to know their students. It is smart to come up with some questions from class (even if you actually understand the material) to justify using the office hours.

Ryan

I came to BU not expecting any of my professors, especially those in large lectures, to know my name. However, I found that quite a few learn it even if you just email them a few times with a question about the class. Of course, the more often you speak to the professor, the most likely he or she to recognize you, and in smaller upper-level classes professors almost always know their students. My favorite class, by far, was CL322, Roman history. Even though it had nothing to do with my major or my minor, the professor (professor Varhelyi) was really good and the class was so engaging. It may just be my affinity for Roman history, but I suggest everyone looks into taking CL322 with professor Varhelyi. On the other hand, everyone should try to avoid taking classes in subjects they do not enjoy or do well in, and if you still have to take it for a requirement, make sure the professor is a good one - a lot depends on the quality of the professor I feel that BU students study a lot. There is the infamous 'grade deflation' that is never as bad as you fear, but always much worse than you hope, which probably contributes to the extent of studying that goes on. One can be certain that doing well without doing a lot of studying is not an option here. Class participation is common in smaller, upper-level classes, and is not altogether great in introductory level, large lectures. In part this may be due to the large size of an intro level class, or the prevalent indifference of the people taking it to the subject itself (unless they plan to major in it). There are separate discussion sections for larger lectures that are aimed to remedy this, but I never felt like they were doing much to liven up the discussion or increase participation. Highly intellectual, passionate discussions at BU easily coexist with some of the stupidest statements and conversations you will ever hear. I guess its just a paradox of BU existence, yet one that sometimes makes the dinning hall a very interesting place. I think many of BU students are competetive by default, since admissions to BU are pretty competetive to begin with. The infamous "grade deflation," whether real or not, must also contribute to the students' desire to outdo their classmates. Although many college graduates are proud of the close mentoring relationships they have formed with their professors, this has not in general been my experience. Having looked into some other schools' general education requirements, I think BU's are actually pretty good. One is required to complete courses in math, science, foreign language and a humanities and social sciences, as well as writing, but many of these requirements are automatically fullfilled by one's major, and the rest can probably be completed in one year. A BU degree is definitely a good one, and it may or may not get you a great job upon graduation. There are some schools and departments at Boston University that produce graduates extremely competetive in the job market (the School of Management). There are others that are more theoretical, like the English Department or the School of Theology. While BU degree can do a lot for you, a choice of academic major is definately the more important aspect of getting a good job upon graduation.

Erica

There's a huge gap in achievment at BU. There's the really studious kids, who tend to be there on scholarship, and there's the rich kids that drink instead of study. I'm a studier. I've liked almost every one of the classes I've taken. There's some unusual ones, too: for example, to fulfill my lab science requirement I took Physics 103: Cinema Physica. It was awesome! Professor Cohen was always available to answer questions (and as an English major, I had a lot of them) but he didn't make me feel stupid for not understanding everything right away. Instead, he was quite encouraging and combined physics with movies to study concepts, like when we studied magnetics, we watched "X-Men" and found out Magneto definitely shouldn't be able to control metal like he does. I also enrolled in the Core Curriculum my freshman/sophomore year (only the humanities section). I learned SO MUCH in Core! Especially compared to my friends that did divisional studies. Divisional is easier, but Core is so worth it, you get a total grounding in general education, but at a higher level. The professors are also some of the best you can find at BU.

Greg

Professors don't want to know your name but if you're obnoxious enough during class they'll be forced to learn it. I've had multiple professors get in front of my class and tell us that they hate teaching and that they only do it for the grant money from BU. My favorite class was psyche of learning with Fabio. It was actually intellectually stimulating, unlike many classes at BU. My least favorite were the CC 101 and CC 102 because BU pushes the classes so forcefully but the discussion professors are all remarkably bad and the courses are mostly review because most of the texts have been read by most decent high schools. Student seem to claim to study more than they actually do. They like to seem like they're swamped with material but the university, for the most part, is easy to coast through with a 3.3. Class participation is common among the two most annoying kids in your class. No one else will dare to speak. Student don't really have intellectual conversations outside of class (or in it, really) although they often think they do. Students are competitive academically to an extent but academics do not dominate their lives as much as extra-curriculars so while they're competitive in general it's not so much in academics as it is in other areas. The most unique class I've taken was a class on fairy tales and feminism and it was small, personal, and magical. It is one out of the two classes I've taken at BU and actually liked - and I've taken 16 classes! I feel that BU's requirements are normal and appropriate. They match most other universities requirements. The education at BU is neither about getting a job OR learning for it's own sake - it's about walking out of college with the most expensive and prestigious degree possible.

Andrea

In my major (Manufacturing Engineering) professors know who you are, I'm only graduating with 27 other people. In the larger pre-req classes you take as an underclassman, your treated like livestock. You're an ID number and you have to fight to stand out to get a decent grade.

Ricky

Yeah, professors know my name because I am a loudmouth kiss-ass in class. They will not know your name if you are not. Favorite classes have had tons of reading with professors who were willing to accept discourse. Least favorite class was statistics in which the professor could speak English poorly and on top of that was a horrible teacher. Some students study constantly others don't. Class participation varies. Most BU students don't have intellectual conversations, my friends very often do, so that is subjective. Some students are competitive, but typically more in classes that have curves... less so in film studies and english or the humanities in general. Every class was unique... that is a silly question. Film studies department I don't know much about. English department is pretty cool, but it has silly requirements and a limited number of classes and space in said classes. I spend time with some of them. Professors are known to sometimes have a beer or two with students of age. BU's academic requirements are ok. I learn for my own sake, in my department I don't think anyone cares about getting a job... SMG is a different story.

rachel

To get to know professors, you really have to make an effort. They will not go out of their ways to ask your name or get to know you, but it is possible to forge relationships. In the journalism department, the students are very mainstream and very competitive. They tend to write about what is safe and what is, in my opinion, dull. Being at BU is all about getting the best internships and making money as opposed to social change or worth.

Sarah

One of things that surprised me when I got to college at BU was the focus within the classes. I was expecting to make all my friends in my classes but no one tells you that everyone just shows up in 'class mode' and is really focussed and doesn't really talk outside of it. Of course you meet people later though. I've deffinitly had a mix of big lectures and really small specific seminar type classes. I'm only a second semester freshman and my largest class is probably only like 70 people. My smallest right now is 12. Professors are all different but going to office hours is deffinitly the key to good standing, it helps if they can recognize your face if the class is really big. Most the of the professors have led really awesome lives, just get them to tell their stories. Because BU has such a diverse student population in the sense of academic focus, you can really find your niche wherever. I got lucky on my floor because generally we're quiet so it's easy to get studying done. Other dorms tend to be crazier- it just depends where you are. I feel like the requirements aren't bad, but that is only because I got credit for all of them from AP/IB scores (soo worth it I promise!). College is obviously harder than high school, but the adjustment to BU really isn't that bad. There are lots of tutoring places and writing centers. Of course, we are right across the river from Havard so anything seems chill in comparison.

Gene

Most professors didn't know my name, because I didn't really go to class much. I'm sure if I did, they would have. I took my favorite class my senior year, a creative writing seminar - my teacher was this incredible grad student who I've kept in touch with ever since I graduated almost-three years ago. My freshman year, I took only classes that were after 11am, so that would explain why I ended up as the only white and the only Jewish kid in a Chinese Literature class. Good course to take, though. I found that kids don't study until they need to. I think it was a requirement for people to participate in class - professors would say that it was 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of a student's grade - although I talked to professors after the semester had ended, and they said it was all bullshit to have the classroom not sit silent for an hour. BU students can and will have intellectual conversations outside of class - that is, if you steer clear of the idiot sorority girls and frat boys. American Studies was the perfect major choice for me, as I was able to study whatever I wanted, as long as it fit into the American culture in some way. So, I studied rap music and hip-hop culture, and now I work in that industry.

Chris

I am a double-major in English and psychology, and I have to say that I prefer the way the English department operates. They have small classes and faculty that, aside from being simply passionate about and good at what they do, have a genuine interest in teaching. You can tell when they are in class that they want to be there, and English professors are I've found the most consistently available for office hours, to discuss and revise assignments, etc. Granted, this might have something to do with the small size of the school and the nature of the topics, but the system definitely works for me. I also like the flexibility of an English major at BU. There is a system of required courses, and some specific classes that you need to take (none of them insufferable) but for the most part a range of topics and course numbers is available, and you are able to pick those classes that most interest you. In one semester I took one class on the Contemporary American Novel (the main requirement for a book to make the reading list was that its author be still alive) and individual author courses on Emerson and Milton. I loved them, and the professors definitely brought the class to life with their passion about their subjects. Without personal experience it's hard for me to contrast this experience to other schools, but I've had friends from the College of Engineering for example tell me that they weren't even able to consider studying abroad because of the number of required classes and the frequency at which they were offered. One missed class put her off schedule, and she had to take summer classes just to get back up to par.

KC

Professors do not know your name unless you introduce yourselves to them. It's very hard for them to memorize 200 + students' names but that doesn't take the "good" about the course they're teaching. If you want to be known to your professor, you have to make it happen. Students are of course very competitive. Everyone is competitive here. We want to be the best and at the top of our class. In order to do that, you have to single yourself out and be the exception. The only thing I don't like really about academic requirements are the college writing courses we have to take our freshman year. We have a bundle of books to read and so many essays and papers to write. Other than that, there isn't much I would complain about. BU is definitely all about getting a job afterwards. There are job fairs here for anyone who wants to come and see what they can do after graduation. I'm an education major and I know for sure I will have a job and BU has great connections.

Regina

I'd say all of my professors know my name, even though most people assume that BU is too big for that. My favorite class is my Literary Types: Drama class. The professor is really young and really funny and does an amazing job of keeping us entertained and engaged. I didn't love my science class first semester, mostly because it wasn't what I expected. I'd definitely say that it depends on who you're talking to whether or not you have intellectual conversation. The academics are really easy to fulfill, especially if you have some AP credit coming in or have place high up in a language. And if you do Core, a lot of those requirements get fulfilled.

Reese

Some professors know my name, others don't. I've interacted a lot with professors in smaller classes, but otherwise I'm not one of the ones who goes out of her way to introduce herself. But the professors have always been approachable, so whoever wants to know them well, can. My favorite class has been organic chemistry. It's not terrifying and impossible to learn, and my professor is ridiculous. His 8am lectures always fill up quickly so I still have to get there 15 minutes early. His lectures are hilarious and fast-paced and he's backed this year by a TA who is very, very capable on her own in helping students more closely in discussion (some TAs don't make discussion worth it. She does). Least favorite are definitely any intro classes. You don't want to be there, the professors don't want to be there, and these are usually the classes that ask the trivial questions. Also, I took some unnecessary intro classes. BU doesn't really outline for you what is required and what's not. You have to be careful and can pretty much just hope you meet a few good upperclassmen who have figured it out and are willing to share. I have friends I haven't seen for a semester because they've been locked up studying, and I have friends who I've never seen study. It depends on how challenging your coursework is and how much you want to rock it. I hate class participation. It's somewhat common in the small classes. I think most people find friends who have similar interests and who can talk about intellectual stuff outside of class. Of course, there are also a lot of idiots. Competitiveness depends on the student and the program. Premed is definitely very competitive. People chase the professor, ask questions in class, and actually go to office hours. But I haven't had to worry about it reaching the level of sabotage or being cutthroat. Just a lot of people running very, very hard. Most unique class I've taken so far would either be Sympathy for the Devil and my Peoples and Cultures of Africa classes. Sympathy for the Devil is a WR150 course, the professor is funny and British, the works aren't so forbidden or evil, but it gets you a look into a lot of important classic literature, and you read Master & Margarita, one of my new favorite books plus other modern stuff. People and Cultures of Africa, the professor is amazing. We've referred to him as Mufasa. He's a passionate, humorous, approachable professor who is very informed (he wrote one of the books in the class, and it was my favorite out of about a dozen we read). Careful: the final assignment is a 30 page paper, which isn't so bad either. I was previously in international relations. I didn't like the intro course, but the upper division ones are definitely all amazing. Biochemistry & molecular biology (BMB) is a very difficult major, but it's put me with a group of students that are at a higher caliber of science-geared students than I've ever worked with. Premedical program here is known for being tough. It's competitive, the classes are very hard, but the premed students are definitely not as smart as the BMB students and can be frustrating to work with. French, I've only taken one class so far, but I loved the professor, and I've only heard good things about the others, so I'm excited to finish my minor. I wouldn't spend time with my professors outside of class, but I have run into them or ended up chatting with them before or after class, and I know a lot of people can relate to them as peers and have fun. Academic requirements are typical of a liberal arts education, luckily they took all my APs. They are manageable. Just the writing requirement a lot of people think is stupid. Depends on the department. My science classes, I feel like I'm just trying to get into med school, but the other ones have felt more like they really just educate me on the topic. You decide what job you want and what courses will apply, they'll make sure the course provides a lot of good information on the subject.

Ryan

I was pleasantly surprised with the academics at BU. The professors definitely impressed me with their extensive experience and background in their fields of interest.

Casey

they don't meet the level of rigor required at most of the University of California campuses, except for their pre-med classes which are just ridiculously, unnecessarily difficult in order to weed people out.

Brittany

Some professors know your name, others do not. Depending on how big the class is. Usually professors make an effort to learn your name. My favorite classes have been my english classes, the professors are very smart and experienced. My least favorite classes were the required classes, like math and general science. Students are competitive and the general feeling on campus is that people are always trying to get ahead and get the best grades they can. A lot of money was put into the English department so they have some of the best professors and classes are especially interesting. I think people that graduate from BU have a very strong academic background and will be in good shape to get a job. There are resources at BU to help people get internships and jobs, help with resume building, etc.