My intro class professors don't, unless I make an effort to go to their office hours (GOOD IDEA) and talk to them. If I do that, they remember. Classes of 30 or less they tend to remember names.
Favorite class: Modern Art with P. Kalb. An interesting and enthusiastic teacher who broadens your mind by elegantly and engagingly talking about art. You can't ask for better.
Worst class: Advanced Intro physics. Need I say more? I don't know if it was because this class is taught poorly or if I'm not up to par, but i kicked my ass.
Studying varies. I've seen people who study constantly in the library to the detriment of their social life, and I've seen people who barely crack open a book. I think you would find that anywhere. In general though, people study a fair amount, but know when to spend time doing other things. Above all, Brandeis students love to achieve and do well, so they work for it. I think this is an admirable trait. It shows passion for knowledge and a level of discipline indicative of a high level of maturity. Don't come here if you want to goof off.
Intellectual conversations are always happening. I have them with my friends, my boss, everyone. I love to learn about people beliefs and idea, and in turn share my own. Sometimes these discussions degrade into arguments, but for the most part they are civil. It's a very stimulating environment. Nonetheless, we're not preoccupied with it. We hang out, play video games, do nefarious deeds, all that good stuff. We just tend to keep it a little more in moderation.
Competition is surprisingly low, especially considering most science classes are graded on a curve. I've never felt like I was trying to beat the person next to me. Indeed, if I didn't work with other students on my physics HW I would probably be failing. I guess there's a tacet sense of competition but nothing overt. The only real friction is between liberal arts major and science majors. It's more of a playful thing, but I have gotten pissed when a friend in film studies starts bitching about having to go to film screenings. "Here, have my bio problem sets, I'll go watch gone with the wind"
unique class: I don't really understand, but if you mean a class that has challenged what I believe in untraditional ways, then I would have to say my University Writing Seminar (required for all freshmen). It was a class all about space. Not outer space, but the space we occupy on a daily basis, like building, communities, everything. The reading were absolutely astounding and they broadened the way I think about how I occupy space. It made me question my basic assumptions about moving and living, and in the end I wrote a great final paper on the use of page space in comic books. It was a really open-ended class that asked students to put themselves into the discussion.
My major/dept. Don't really know yet. I'm almost done with the basic courses, but I haven't really hit the upper level classes yet. So far so good, I guess.
Spend time with professor: I don't really so, beside office hours to just chill and get to talk, but I have dozens of friends who go to meals with their profs, get invited to dinner at their houses, and even baby-sit for them. Your relationship with professors is mostly dictated by two things. 1) How actively you pursue getting to know them and 2) being in the upper level small classes and getting involved in your department so that they will actually know who you are.
Academic requirement: Perfect. Not to many, not too few. There are a couple of writing and research seminars, and then a few distribution requirements such as humanities and social sciences (check the website for a more detailed list). The requirements got me into classes I would never take, like Literature of the Caribbean. The requirements are a push to go outside your major and get a well-rounded education. View them as an opportunity, not a burden.
The education is more for learning for its own sake, but our pre-med program gets people into med school (about double the national average for acceptances). Nonetheless, brandeis prepares you by forcing you to mature and develop discipline. No matter what your major, you will be ready to handle most entry-level jobs in any sector.