Cornell University Top Questions

The professors are very helpful and accessible. Although I am in mostly large lectures, I frequently attend office hours and email questions to the professors. They always respond. They are there to help the undergraduates. Several know me by name. In the intro premed classes the curve is hard and you will study your hardest and it is a challenge to get above the mean, which could be a C. The mean on a test is usually between a 50 and 65 in these classes. Students have intellectual conversations. Right now I am in a fascinating class on global warming I dont want it to end. My least favorite is intro chem. It's really hard and boring. There are some competetive premed students, but most people want to help. RIght now I am in the only 5 credit class at Cornell -- genetics. Its a requirement for Arts and Sciences Bio majors. It's a really interesting class, but takes up a ton of time. For the first six weeks of the semester I had to go in and count and phenotype fruit flies every 8 hours. The class takes over your life. You will be in lab every day. And studying lecture a lot. You either love it or hate it, I love it. The professors are great and VERY helpful.

Classes are hard, hands down. It's as simple as that. You cannot come here expecting to do the same caliber work that you did in high school, or expecting to get the same grades that you did in high school. Students here are competitive, and we study a lot. Still, we know how to have fun - again, it all depends who you hang out with and what niche you fall into.

Somtimes competition can get out of hand, but that also pushes students to work harder. Big classes are balanced by smaller sections where active participation is basically required. While it's not easy to get to know the professors of big lectures, they always make themselves available during frequent office hours. However, due to the size of the university, the advising system is very poor. The variety of classes is outstanding, but it's up to the student to create a schedule that appeals to him/her.

Students work hard at Cornell. In my classes, students have always participated a fair amount, I think in various aspects, Cornell students are competitive, but at the same time, willing to help each other. I think Cornell stresses learning more than actually geared toward getting a job.

Studying is the major sport at Cornell. Class participation depends on the class, with larger classes being rare and smaller classes being frequent. Competitiveness is most evident in pre-med classes. Everyone wants the A and is grabbing for that extra point. The biological sciences department is extremely well organized. The neurobiology department in particular has amazing professors in every field and is a lot of fun to take classes in. Time with professors is mostly in office hours going over class topics. Education at Cornell is balanced for both getting a job and learning. The major thing classes try to portray is understanding concepts and using them to work a problem out by creating a new solution.

because im only a freshman, almost all of my classes are huge lectures with about 400 students, so the professors do not actually know us well. however, i still feel like i learn so much from them. the professors are also readily available to talk to students after class or at after hours. i think i'm learning at cornell just for learning's sake

One thing that I realized after coming to Cornell is that just because you're in an Ivy League, doesn't mean that all of your professors will be good educators. My least favorite class this semester is my Visual Communications class because none of the instructing team (Professor or TAs) know remotely how to run a 100+ student class. But with its downs there are definitely its ups. I've taken classes with professors that I'm really eager to do research for or take more classes with.

The majors are not geared towards particular professions, rather they are skill-based and allow students to take courses of interest to them and then choose an occupation that may or may not use that skill set. IT'S AMAZING! Colleges, especially the College of Human Ecology, have very few distribution requirements and allow students the freedom to choose from an enormous amount of classes.

As I said above, I loved all my classes here. Of course, a lot of people end up not liking all of their classes here, but you have to pick and choose, and I think a good motto--even though it can be tempting--is not to take any "easy" classes just to get an "A." These classes may improve your GPA, but they end up not being very satisfying. My favorite classes were the ones that engaged and challenged me, that I had to work to do well in, and that stimulated me inside and outside of the classroom. For instance, a class I took sophomore year to fulfill my major's "pre-1800" requirement--"The English Literary Tradition"--was one of the best classes I took, because the professor was so demanding, but also brilliant. She really taught me how to write. In terms of whether Cornell is geared toward getting a job or just learning for its own sake, it completely depends on your school and your major. If you're an English major, it definitely is not pushing you towards a certain career path. However, I imagine if you're an AEM major or a Hotelie, it definitely is.

It depends on what kind of class that you take - the majority of my classes have been large lecture classes ranging from 100 students to 1,000 students. However, there are plenty of opportunities to get to know the Professor and Teaching Assistants through office hours. My favorite class is Neurobiology 222 because it pertains to my major and is a very interesting class. One of the most popular classes that students take as freshmen is Psych 101 and as upperclassmen Wines. I meet with my advisor and I meet with professors through the various organizations that I am involved in. Education at Cornell is definitely geared for the future - whether it is getting a job or getting into graduate school or getting into a medical school. Some classes offered at Cornell are offered to gear students towards learning for its own sake (so no stress in getting A+).

Some students are competitive, others not as much, and many students work hard, but there are definitely those that either appear to never do work or are always calm when it comes to academics. I'm a Nutritional Sciences major and almost all of my required classes have been really interesting/enlightening in some way or another

People are serious about getting their work done. It isn't weird to stay in on a weekend at the library, but you can get your work done if you try. The professors know you if you make an effort. Obviously there are big classes (Bio 101, Psych 101) but most of my classes are much smaller than that, and I've been to several of my professor's homes. It's all about what you make of it.

Professors are generally wonderful- my first semester here I ended up having been to one of my professor's house a total of three times. I am in an English class now of about 25 students- professor is great, likes students to all him by his first name, always available for help. The only class I have not enjoyed/despised so far (I am in my second semester of freshman year) is my anthropology class- the professor is unapproachable, only cares about getting through the material, although she is a good lecturer, doesn't seem to care about the students. The T.A. is completely unhelpful and his sections are pointless wastes of time. There are definitely competitive students here, but if you don't want to come into contact with them, you don't have to. Or at least that is true for me, as an english and psychology major in arts and sciences (might be different in the engineering school, for example, I really have no idea). The college of arts and sciences does seem geared towards learning for its own sake.

THe good profs know your name. My fav class is my Western Civilization and Science class which is weird because I'm not big on writing, but the prof is the best one I've ever had and just garners soo much interest in the topics he teaches. Orgo=hell

I'm taking four classes this semester and I believe only one of my professors know my name. They don't normally go out of their way to get to know you, if you want them to know you you have to be proactive about it. The students here are extremely competitive but I find it to be healthy, the job market is competitive so I feel Cornell prepares people to enter the job market quite well. Students study all the time here, any time of the day you can find people in one of the libraries on campus.

Classes and professors are for the most part exceptional, but the real value is the real life experience that Cornell constantly provides

I enjoyed my time at Cornell, but it has a well-earned reputation as an academically rigorous school and it works hard to protect that reputation. The school admits hard workers and expects them to work hard. There are slacker majors, mostly in the publicly funded colleges (Industrial and Labor Relations, Human Ecology, Agriculture and Life Sciences, etc.), but even in the largest college, Arts and Sciences, a savvy lay-about can find a way to get by without doing an uncomfortable amount of work. I was a history and government double major, and generally didn't feel too overwrought until about three weeks before finals, when it was time to start digging on the floor for the syllabus. Of course, I had friends who were engineers and architechts, and those kids were always under the gun. Although I always said: engineers bring it on themselves. The most important thing to know about the academics at any college is that you will get out of it what you put into it. At a school like Cornell, there are nerds, stoners, hicks, rich kids, and (oh my god) about 79 a capella choirs. The size of the school dilutes competitveness, so I never felt that to be an issue (other than thinking, "damn -- that kid who always sits up front and never shuts up is gonna get an A"). Professors are like anyone else -- if you want to be friends with them, go to office hours and make friends. Many of them are geniuses and fascinating people and can write you recommendations for things you have never yet contemplated, like externships or, God forbid, law school. I should also mention the Hotel Administration School, which is reputed to be one of the best hospitality schools in the world, but functions in reality as a sort of campus country club. Hotel kids do the least work and get the most benefits. They generally come from wealthy families (if there's a kid in your Hotel class named Marriott, then guess what? It is THAT Marriott) and they arrive on campus as a natural aristocracy. These are the kids who will be the best connected in the frats and know about concerts and events around town. Fancy cars, fancy booze, fancy parties -- call your friend the Hotelie and find out what's up. They also get by far the least amount of homework. There was an urban legend about a couple of engineers who transferred to the Hotel school in their Sophmore year and within one semester had caught up on three semesters of Hotel school requirements. A case in point is "donuts," a freshman requirement for Hotelies that entails wearing a suit to a lecture once a week (albeit Friday morning -- nothing like a hungover teenager trying to tie a necktie while running down the sidewalk), sitting through a lecture, and eating donuts (thus the name). Also, there was a class on handshakes (firm grip, one pump, smile, eye contact, good job!). Ultimately, the Hotel school is more about making connections than anything else, and in that sense, is a sort of undergrad business school. And because the Hotel school is so highly touted, Hotelies visiting restaurants and hotels can usually finagle free stuff from managers who might want to recruit them later -- pretty sweet. So, at the risk of sounding like a brochure, the school's motto is "an instiution where any can receive instruction in any subject" (or something like that) and that's the school's real advantage, because it's true. I switched from a biology major to a double major in history and government and got a great education in all three.

Very few complaints so far - class size has been good; even my bigger lectures don't touch that of other schools (perhaps because I'm in the humanities), and section usually offers a great outlet to discuss what we're learning. Professors really are at the top of their fields - I've already had a class where I've read my professor's book - and I've had very few mediocre/dry lectures. Anything of seminar size is almost guaranteed to be interesting.

Professors don't know me by name, the classes are too big. There isn't much class participation because of the class size. Students in my classes often study at least a bit each day. Students are competitive but they are still generally willing to help other students understand the material/finish the homework.

There is a lot of variety when it comes to classes at Cornell. Classes range from the HUGE lectures of over 700+ to the small classes with only 7 students. It's cool because in most subjects, they offer chances to take small seminars and large classes. Some classes have sections, others just meet in the lecture hall. Professors and Teaching Assistants always make themselves available. In terms of academics, because there are SO many majors, there are a lot of great companies in really different fields that recruit here. Some programs are more pre-professional than others, but all and all Cornell provides students with an A+ education.

Professors definitely don't know anyone's name. I doubt whether they know their own TA's names. Students study the morning after partying before class, before partying in the evening, and after coming home drunk from partying at night. Students are highly competetive but somehow simultaneously unmotivated, unless the goal is medical school. Cornell does offer a fabulous array of classes and majors, but you have to get to the really obscure ones in order to get any beneficial professor-student interaction. One exception is Animal Science 100 with Professor Bruce Currie, a genuine individual concerned with each student as a person. Cornell is absolutely geared towards career goals as opposed to learning the sake of education. A good side to this is the excellent career counseling services provided to students.

Academics at Cornell are NO JOKES! Being an engineer, everything is made purposely harder for classes but the work is doable. No matter what college you enter at Cornell, you will be pushed because the tests and the classes are difficult to an extent and are meant to stimulate thought and generate results.

Professors do know my name. My favorite class was a hotelie law class, HA 387. The professor, Sherwyn, was amazing, and it turns out law is really interesting. He was funny and clever and taught us stuff that could have been really boring in an incredibly engaging way. I'm also a big fan of all the service-learning courses I've taken. Three so far, HA 497, EDUC 240 and DSOC 497. I've worked with the hungry and homeless, taught at a local middle school, and am headed to Nicaragua in three days to build houses. My least favorite class was hotelie Information Systems. It was stupid. And pointless. And my professor was just stepping in for a colleauge for the semester and didn't put any effort into getting grades back to us on time or making sure the assignments were relevant. We did some dumb shit. He used to make us bring in our laptops to class and then take the test on the class website - only the problem was, the wireless couldn't handle 60 kids logging on at the same time. What a debacle. He's such a prick. Preston Clark. I've had a lot of intellectual discussions outside of class, mostly with my English and Philosophy major friends. They like to think about stuff a lot. I love reading, but at home there's no real outlet for discussion. Plus, hotelie classes are dry and uncreative. It's great to talk to people and think about things outside of the classroom - that's when exercising your brain is actually fun. My friend took a writing seminar about porn, strippers, and prostitution. They took a field trip to an actual topless bar, funded by Cornell. That's pretty unique. Hotelies are all interlinked. We like to network. The professors are generally really involved. You see them around the Statler all the time. There are professors I had freshman year who still say hi in the hall and greet me by name, two years later. The hotel school is definitely geared toward getting a job. It's frustrating. I wish I had more time to take literature classes, stretch my brain out. Accounting kills your soul.

Professors definitely know your name, but that varies on what your major is. As an English and History major, I tended to take smaller lectures and seminars. Even in larger lectures, though, you can get them to know your names. And the big classes have sections, so you're never totally lost. Favorite class was freshman fall, a class by Nick Salvatore on dissent in American history. He taught me how to think for myself in a way I never really considered before, by challenging us a lot - without ever making us feel stupid. He held my hand through my first college term paper and was understanding when I needed an extension for health reasons. And then he graded me harshly but fairly. Least favorite was Holocaust lit with Schwarz. He's a pompous dick who quotes his own book. Seriously. Um, hi, it's an Ivy League school without serious grade inflation. So yeah, people study a lot. The most common thing is to work all day all weekend, then go out all night. And work in the evenings during the week. Students definitely do have intellectual conversations outside of class, but it depends on who you hang out with. I think I was disappointed by how many conversations I heard about Uggs. Ugh. Most unique class I took was a writing seminar about how satire has changed since 9/11. The Onion was required reading. I really enjoyed the courses I took in both the English and History departments, but I was disappointed by the lack of breadth in both departments. I tried to take a class on South African literature or 20th century South African history. I couldn't even find a professor to oversee an independent study. I did spend time with a couple of professors outside of class, a younger guy and an older professor who's that stereotypical grandfatherly old man. I see both as mentors and went to both for advice on grad school, other academic issues, even a few drinks at times.

Incoming students must realize that introductory classes have hundreds of students in them and that it is unlikely that the professor will know your name. However, it does get better, and you can always get to know the faculty within your major. I believe that the education at Cornell is geared mostly for learning for its own sake, but then if your major is AEM or something like that, theyre training you for a job. I think that students at Cornell spend a lot of time studying, and if theyre not studying, theyre thinking about all the studying they should be doing.

I think there is a huge divide between humanities/social science classes and the hard sciences/engineering. In the former, classes are very small, professors know your name, and as long as you participate in classes discussions, good grades are attainable. In the case of the sciences, classes are huge and impersonal, and you will be lucky to get a high B.

Because Cornell has so many different schools, if you really do your research, you can choose a program that is either entirely professionally or entirely academically oriented. It's all here. Similarly, classes depend. My first semester, 3 out of my four classes had no more than 22 students. My second semester, I chose more "survey" type classes. Everyone pariticpates in section. People study a lot, but they also party a lot. On any given night you can find a lot of people at the library, or a number of parties. Cornell students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. However, as a whole, the student body is not intimidatingly brainy. It's just people who are concerned with current events, life, society, etc.

- Most professors know my name - Favorite class: Multivariable Calculus, Dynamics - Least favorite class: Statistics - Students studying engineering and who are serious about it (upperclassmen especially) study most of the time, including the weekends. Students at Cornell are very competitive. Outside of class, Cornell students have intellectual conversations. You can always see/hear students debate various political or social topics with each other or even with professors. - Education at Cornell is geared toward getting general knowledge which ultimately helps to get a job.

Professors are hit or miss here. I've had some of the most brilliant professors and I feel privileged to have to opportunity to learn from them. There are others that care much less about their students and more about their research. Those classes I tend to enjoy much less. My favorite classes have been my astronomy and spacecraft engineering classes, my least have been the physics courses here. Engineers are incredibly competitive, but we also work together. My department is Mechanical Engineering. We're a bunch of nerds, but mostly everyone knows each other. There are some great Mech E professors, and the support staff is wonderful. The Mech E requirements are too rigid, but we do get a broad range of courses and we're ready to take on any job we apply for once we're finished.

None of my professors know my name because classes are so big. class participation is not really that common. Only sometimes in smaller classes. students are really competitive. one of my favorite classes was marketing. i also liked pam 230 and human bonding. I feel like my major has no purpose sometimes and will not help me in the real world.

Unfortunately, going to class is not like going to Cheers, and most people do not know my name. I learn a lot, but I struggle to learn even more sometimes.

I don't know many of my professors personally. As a sophomore, I haven't had the opportunity to take too many small classes. Most of my classes have been midsized or large lectures. However, all professors are available for office hours, and most are willing to meet with students outside of office hours if they schedule an appointment. While I haven't found the need to take advantage of office hours, I know other students who see their professors weekly to discuss lectures and homework. It's up to you as to whether or not you want to get to know your professors on a personal level. I loved a class called "Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds" in the Plant Pathology department. It had nothing to do with my major, but it has a great reputation on campus. Professor Hudler, who teaches the course, is absolutely passionate about fungi and it really shows in his lectures. You wouldn't think that you would normally be engrossed in a lecture about fungi, but Prof. Hudler makes it possible. I haven't experienced competitiveness from other students. All students here have the desire to do well, but most are willing to help others with classwork. You'll see lots of study groups on different parts of campus.

You must take the first step to knowing professors in big classes. In smaller, writing based or language classes there is no problem. Spanish for Dairy Production/Magical Mushrooms Mischievous Molds Gen Chem It really depends, it is a good idea to study consistently so you don't get surprised and actually learn. I really like my profs this semester because I have decided it is silly to assume anything about people before you know them. In my classes (pre-med/vet track) it is easy to criticize from afar. They are obviously all intelligent and some of them are better teachers one - on -one. You should just ask them something not related to the class if you don't have any questions in mind, and you'll probably be amazed. Requirements suck in terms of scheduling, but they are necessary and not too outrageous. I like taking gyms but I wish they were free. I'd say a mix of both

Professors are extremely well known and renowned. They are happy to get to know you and help you most of the time, as long as you make the effort. They typically won't get to know you until Junior and Senior year when you get to smaller classes. There are a few classes Freshman and Sophomore year that are small enough to get to know them, but in general it takes a while. Cornell education is what you make of it. That sounds cliche, but it's very true. With a Cornell resume you can go ANYWHERE. You can gear toward research or you can head straight to industry.

Do profs know name- a lot depends on your major. If you're a psych major, plan on taking courses with at least 100 people. Other departments make sure they cap classes for discussion purposes (English for example). But even if you are in a big class, you can always get to know profs in office hours or by doing research for them. Sometimes you just have to make the extra effort Favorite class-Psych 101 is great. It's more like going to a show three times a week than going to class. Very entertaining and not too challenging. A great course for new students though it may make you want to be a psych major. Social Psych is another great course, though a bit more challenging. Class participation- students tend to be eager to contribute. Some will keep asking questions even when class is technically over Intellectual convos outside of class- I've overheard a fair share of painfully philosophical discussions while out for pizza in Collegetown...and just as many inane ones. The worst of both extremes seem to surface when substances are involved. My major- Human Development. A mix of Psych and Sociology (and possibly Bio depending on your focus) that provides a great foundation for law school, med school, clinical psych, and other grad programs. Opportunities after undergrad are not as good as other majors, unless you have supplemented your HD curriculum with classes from other departments to give you a more distinct focus (for example, HD plus communications courses would help if you wanted to do something in PR). Only 30 credits required for major (10 courses), so there is plenty of room to explore other majors. Spend time with teachers outside of class-- no, but some seem cool enough if the opportunity presented itself. Especially writing professors Requirements-- distribution requirements vary depending on your college/school. I haven't heard any complaints from anyone, regardless of their college. Job or learning-- depends on your major, but some departments do a good job of balancing the two. Personally I think the Hotel School does the best job of preparing students for work right out of school. Tons of hands of experiences and projects, yet you still learn theory.

The thing I love best about Cornell is the ability to take classes that you would normally never be allowed to take. Cornell allows you to take classes in all of its seven undergraduate colleges and even some of its graduate schools as an undergraduate. These classes range from the weird, to the most interesting. For example: Introduction to Wines Introduction to Wood Construction Sheep Weed Biology and Management Wines and Vines Anheuser Busch Seminar in Quality Brewing and Fine Beer

Cornell students party hard and study hard. You see the little heads crowing down in the common study area right before the big prelims. Most intro classes are very big with the professor standing in the front of the hall. If you want to know them personally, you have to take the initiative of approaching them during their office hours.(trust me, it will pay off in the long run). I have actually become friends with one of my professors and we still keep in touch after I finished his class.Also, remember to make friends with TA's though most TA's at Cornell don’t really speak English that well. Be nice and polite to your TA's since they are the ones grading your paper and assignments. For upper-level classes, the classes are much smaller and there is a more dynamic interaction between the students and the professor. The workload really depends on your major, expectation and efficiency. I have engineer friends who sleep 5 hours a night and study in the library all the time. On the other extreme end, one of my floormates who is also an engineer plays Guitar Hero almost non-stop in his room.I have never seen him flipping through his book. In general, the students in artsy majors tend to lead a less stressful life than the ones in hard-core science majors. The students are very competitve here since most of them graduated as the top 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} from their highschools. Also, the grades are often belt-curved so you just need to do better than everyone else to get a good grade. Surprisingly enough, I have actually found the workload here lighter than my highschool workload. THere are not too many projects and you just need to ace the prelims. I have heard the friends from math department say that in general, education at Cornell is geared more toward theoretical studies instead of real life application. One thing I would argue though is the classes in AEM ( the special undergraduate business program) is all about developing a business mind-set. The two classes you must take here is Professor Moss’s Psych 101 and the wine-tasting class.Professor Moss is one of those ancient wisards who have been teaching at Cornell forever. His class at Bailey Hall is always full and he always tells everyone that he would retire the next year. The wine-tasting class isn't a piece of cake, from what I have heard. You actually have to distinguish the differences between the grapes from different origins. And the most "interesting" class is this class devoted to pornography. I have no idea what they do in that class.