Miami University-Oxford Top Questions

I think most of my professors knew my name. My favorite class was my English class. I always looked forward to going to class because I knew I would have a good time, but also learn new material. I learned more in my one semester of English here at Miami than I did throughout my high school career. My professor Gale Holcomb made learning fun. She made me more excited about becoming an English teacher. She showed me how to go outside of the box to make learning fun. My least favorite class was my history class. Its not that I wasn't interested in the material it just the class was too long. Its hard for me to focus on one subject for two hours and forty minutes.

Class sizes are nice. Some professors will know you name, but that is mostly up to you. If you make an effort to talk to them they will remember you. Yes, students are competitive, but not everyone has to be. The learning is a nice mixture of geared toward getting a job and learning for its own sake.

All of my professors knew my name by the end of the semesters. Most classes are small so professors knowing your name is common. My favorite class was my English 112 class second semester. Most of the professors for that class are still graduate students so they're pretty laid back. At school, most of the time students were studying. I don't remember a night where I wouldn't see people studying somewhere in my dorm. The classes are pretty difficult so studying on a daily basis is almost necessary. Class participation was very common in my classes, most of the time it was for a grade. I feel that Miami's academic requirements are a little much. The "Miami Plan" I feel like can be a waste of time and money because there are so many classes you are absolutely required to take across all subjects. The education at Miami is geared toward learning for its own sake, I would say. Just because it is not always required to have internships and there are not many co-op programs. Overall I feel like Miami does not offer enough programs for its size.

yes participation is common...i feel that the education is very much so geared toward getting a job, and holds excellent academic standards

The classes are decent sized usually. Freshman lecture classes suck because they're huge and the profs hate them. Classes for your major are usually smaller and a lot more personal. In the business school participation is a big part of your grade and so is group work. most professors are available in office hours and really want to help you succeed

Farmer School of Business is a great program to be in. With a new world-class facility on the way, the program is definitely considered top-notch.

The entrepreneurship program at Miami is excellent. I've learned more from those classes than I have in any other program. Classes are generally small when you get into upper-level classes, and professors know you by name. I know and am close with a handful of marketing professors, especially the professors I spent summers studying abroad with. The most unique class I've taken is "Entrepreneurship and Imagination". Our mid-term assignment was to combine creativity and business. A group of 4 other students and myself decided to start a Miami holiday tradition. We started an event called "Gravy Days", a party the Thursday before Thanksgiving break, where everyone gathers at Stadium (a bar uptown) and the cover and percentage of the profits of the night go to a local charity. It was extremely successful and we raised over $3000 for the Oxford Family Resource Center. Gravy Days was just as successful the next year, and hopefully the tradition will continue long into the future!

I've only had a few professors who did not know my name. Most of my classes have been small and the professors made it a point to know my name. I even had a few lecture classes, where the professor made a real effort to involve students and learn our names which was very impressive. As a management major, participation is a huge part of my classes. In other classes, its not as much. Psychology classes are all lecture and so are most science classes and the basic Miami Plan classes. One of my favorite classes currently is the history of Miami, its really interesting to learn about the place that I've considered home for the last four years. I've also enjoyed a lot of my business classes, especially the ones where we work on semester long projects with real life problems. I'm currently in a human metrics class where we have a client and we are working with them to design a way to measure the ROI on their wellness program. I've utilized professors office hours throughout the years especially in courses where I have struggled. I think it depends on the courses you take (or the major you pick) as to whether or not Miami is geared towards getting a job or learning for its sake. A lot of it is learning for learnings sake though.

Professors know you by name, within your major or outside your major! Students study A LOT...sometimes it's impossible to find a spot in King Library. Music is very unique because students are guaranteed to spend time with their professors outside of class. My choir director, Ethan Sperry, is one who I spend much time with outside of class, and he has his "office hours" at one of the local bars uptown! Miami is tough, and I think they could cut down on the science requirement for the Miami plan (since when do I have to know all about microbiology, chemistry, AND geology in order to teach high school choir??)

Most of the professors I have had at Miami are good-natured, humorous, open-minded, and amazing at what they do. You can tell when a professor loves her job, and if you're lucky you'll see what I mean. Miami students absolutely have intellectual conversations out of class--at least the students I know do. The best professors create an atmosphere of mutual respect and learning--they acknowledge that they don't have all the answers, and students learn just as much from other students when the classroom is a place for honest and thoughtful discussion. The Miami plan liberal education requirements can be tiresome to complete, but I personally didn't mind so much. It's good to take chances on classes outside your comfort zone.

Like most things in life, getting what you want usually involves an aspect of luck, and that's how it works here. There are fabulous professors at this school, and there are not so good ones. Make sure to sign up for classes as early as possible so you have the best possible chance of getting the professor you want. Note: the lines at the academic advising office are usually horrendous. Declaring a major as soon as possible (as long as you're 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure about it) will help you get settled in a more exclusive academic community with professors you can receive more one on one attention from. At this school, the definition of studying goes something like this: "laying in the grass by the on-campus Starbucks, wearing $500 bikinis with a latte in one hand and a very profound literary publication called The Enquirer in the other, studious University of Miami students contemplate pressing global issues exemplified to them in their reading material...intently studying these issues, like Britney Spears' latest bipolar episode.. and Angelina Jolie's tenth adopted child. yes, academic endeavors are tough at the university of miami.. but at least they can be proud that they are tanning in natural sunlight, rather than baking at the local tanning salon." The University of Miami has some great attributes; a spectacular campus and top of the line facilities. BUT, once the palm trees, hot bodies and swarovski encrusted blackberries stop distracting you, it may not be the most intellectually fulfilling place to spend four years of your life. Basically, if you're looking for an intellectual or politically active student body, I would not suggest going to the university that believes Ms. Ashley Dupre, Elliot Spitzer's call girl, should "run for president."

Some professors know my name. Students in my major study a lot. On the whole, students study a lot, although from personal observation, those in majors such as marketing or general business have a lighter courseload. The most unique class I've taken is horseback riding.

The professors at Miami are all great. Almost all of my profs. have known my name. My favorite class has been calculus because of my prof. she is just great, really wants everyone to do well. Least favorite would have been my geology 121 class first semester, it just sucked. Seriously don't take it. Students are competitive at Miami, everyone wants to do well. It was what most of us were like in high school, so you want to continue to excel in your classes. I think the academic requirements at Miami are pretty difficult, they are challenging and allow you to push yourself.

I have had a very positive experience with my student-professor relationships. The first two years are slightly different, because the classes are bigger usually, and there is less focus on developing research ideas. While I cannot say if all Miami students are similar, I have found that asking intellectual questions is not seen as uncool or unexpected outside of class for the most part. Probably about half of my friends enjoy talking about what they did in class, and what their research is focused on here. Most Miami students are not competitive amongst each other, but are competitive in the sense that they feel the need to hold themselves to a high standard to fit in. The most unique class that I took was either Introduction to Black World Studies with Dr. Coates or Psychopathology with Dr. Leitner. In both classes I was required to read beyond a textbook, and critically discuss topics such as racism and mental illness. I spend more time now with professors than in any other year, because I just applied to graduate school. The academic requirements at Miami may be stringent, but they force students to really dig into a diverse range of subjects. Each student has their own set of goals - some may be interested in getting a job, while others are really interested in each class for its own sake.

Academics at Miami are something that I think is unparalleled compare to any other institution. The experience with in the classroom thus far has been amazing, every professor I have had knows my name, always says hi when we pass outside of class and actively engages classes in discussion. Class participation is common because of the wide variety of classes offered, gen ed or major based, students get to take what they like and are thus actively engaged in class.

Professors did know my name, but i took small classes

The professors that the school attracts tend to be smart, funny and knowledgeable, so I feel like I've learned a lot from going here. Students, homogeneous as they are, do tend to work hard and focus on being successful in their fields, which adds a competitive edge to the classrooms. The "Plan for a Liberal Education" seems like overkill (though I agree that global warming is an enormous problem, every science class seems to have turned into environmentalist propaganda), but many of the required classes can still be education and enjoyable. Professors strongly encourage students to come to their office hours and treat you like equals.

Some professors know your name depending on how much you decide to interact with them. My favorite classes are literature and writing, and least favorite were sciences. Students study regularly. I am a mass communications major.

professors: dont know my name class: favorite broomball least ACC 222 study: all the time Participation: some classes but yes for the most part competition: alot unique class: broomball major: finance is difficult and just b-school is hard to get into

Every semester I usually have 3 classes where I know my professor and 2 where I do not. My favortie class so for was Political Geography with Carl Dahlman. He is an amazing person and professor. I hated both classes I had in Pearson: MBI 131... prof was a fat bitch and BOT 131... Alfredo Huerta expects way too much from 200 students who couldn't give a shit about botany. Students study fairly often and if not, when it comes time to study, we study hard. Even though there is never a dry moment on this campus (literally... someone is always drinking), we get our shit done. If I got trashed on Thursday, it means I finished all my work for Friday on Wednesday. Students are fairly competitive. We are all striving for really good jobs/internships, so yes we are very competitive. I wish there was more intellectual discussion outside of class. It is present in my friends' and my conversations and with others, but it should happen more often. I love both my departments and all the professors in them. They have all been amazing. My most unique class has been the Western class I am taking, and and upper level IES class. Miami Plan is great in theory, but not in practice. If Miami gave us more leeway to what classes to use to fill our requirements, I'm sure it would be better for everyone. My friend took a geology class in Israel this summer and for some reason they won't let her use it to fill a physical science credit. So she took a class abroad like they asked her too, but now they won't let her use the credit? DUMB Many of my classes are for learning's sake, but will be used in upper level classes, and then applied to a job. I hear the bussiness school is basically all memorization and training for a job one day. That sucks I guess.

Yes. MKT435. MGT302. Daily. Yes. Yes. Yes. Women's studies - understanding relationships. Marketing major - love the classes. Spend some time with professors outside the class. I HATE MIAMI PLAN! NOT NEEDED. If i am paying for an education, i should be able to choose the exact curriculum that I desire to have. A combination of both.

Most professors are very good and it is really easy to meet with them during their office hours. My favorite class is ECON 321 The Structure of American Industry. Miami is building a huge new business school building and has recently renovated its engineering facilities.

Of course professors know my name! Personally, I have never been in a class of more than 50 students and my average class size is probably 20-25 people. Students take studying pretty seriously but they also know how to balance their work with their play. The administration and faculty at Miami really has a vested interest in each student's educational and professional success. Everyone helps everyone else whether is be getting into a class or finding an internship or getting a job. One of the best departments within Miami is its Career Center.

Academics at Miami are definitely at a different level than other universities. This really is not to put them down, but more of a warning. This is a place where many of the top people from different schools all over the country come, and we are one of the Top Seven Public Ivys in the nation--so naturally, that comes with a bit more than the usual pressure. Luckily, I was kind of ready when I came here to work hard, but some of my friends had a tough transition from high school work to college. Miami is fast-paced, and its professors often expect a lot of you, but they push and get results. I have learned so much--and I really do feel that my "liberal arts education" is well-rounded. I started out a Mass Communications major and switched midway to English Literature--something I'm really passionate about, and many ask me what it will amount to after graduation. Honestly, I'm still not sure, but I love my classes--and I find that my friends who are in majors they love really learn so much and have so much passion for whatever they will do with it. That being said, we also have a really top-notch business school, and the pre-med program is pretty tough, but very good. I have had mostly great professors, some really amazing, and most of my classes have been small enough that I am able to get to know them. In fact, I have taken some professors a few times, because I liked them so much and learned so much from them. Most of the professors I have come into contact with are really willing to help students, and many actually want to get to know you. I haven't spent a ton of time with them outside of class, but the ones I have are really great people. It's cool because you feel more comfortable in classes where you like the professors, and tend to get more out of them. Even President Hodge seems pretty nice; I have actually been to his house, where he let Campus Crusade for Christ have a holiday party. He is also really interested in what students have to say, and when he came to visit us in Luxembourg, he told us to call him, email him and tell him what we want, what our concerns were, and he seemed really willing to listen and help. All of this being said, I have to say that everyone here, myself included, complain, seriously despise the "Miami Plan." This is the creation of the administration, in an attempt to give us all a well-rounded education. It's basic education requirements, only there are a lot of them, and it takes a long time to finish, so long in fact, that it can begin to interfere with the classes you want/need for your major(s) and/or minor(s). For instance, I am a junior, and I still have Miami Plan requirements that I will be fulfilling next year, as a senior. It, very simply, sucks. However, to be fair, every college has some form of basic education requirements, and many of your major/minor classes can fulfill some of these, and visa versa. However, it is still the bane of every Miami student's existence.

Yes all of my professors know my name. My favorite class was International Studies and Geography. My least favorite is Spanish. Students study a lot here. I think the girls might study more though but that is probably typical anywhere. Class participation is more common in the smaller classes that the larger ones. Yes I think that Miami students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are competitive here. The most unique class that I have taken so far was International Studies. My major is International Studies in the Arts and Science Department. Yes I make sure to go talk to any of my teachers whenever I have a question or need help with the subject.

Miami's academics really are just more a testament to the quality of the school. For the two years I've been at Miami I can honestly say I am very pleased with most every class I've taken. There is a miami plan that every student has to take. It's a list of requirements you have to fufill, such as 4 hours of a math course, or 9 hours of humanities, etc. The requirements differ for students in the business school or the western program, but everyone is required to complete a few courses like this before graduation. At times it is tiring, people complain "I'm not doing anything with science, why am I taking microbiology." or they have to take spanish until their junior year to complete the language requirements, but really I personally don't mind it. I'm a nerd in the sense that I love knowledge, and it cools to learn about things that may not be your forte. Sure I struggled through math but it also helped me decide I wanted a minor in marketing--lo and behold I needed that math class as a pre req. The students are pretty 50/50 in the sense that some are 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure they're going to be pre-med (as so many do originally..) or a CEO, etc, and the other half are like "oh hell, I hope I even have a clue by junior year. I think the Miami plan helps you to explore this. Whether it's to make sure for certain that you want to forever have a scalpel in your hand or it gives you the chance to see hey, I really like music class. Maybe I should go into something with that. The Miami plan classes tend to be a larger lecture, but every teacher that I've had manages to make a class of 100 feel as though it is about 20. My favorite class as a freshman was PSYCHOLOGY 111-the introduction to psychology. It had about 100 students in it but the professor was so engaging, fun, and knowledgeable on the subject that even though attendance wasn't taken, I attended every class. He had me laughing, he had me studying to do well on his test, and he had me retaining what he taught. At the end of the semester he shared with us personal stories of his battle with Aids which he had recieved from a blood transfusion years before. It was so moving and so touching to see a professor letting us into his life like that that a year later when he passed away I wrote his wife a letter letting her know how he had affected me. Because of him and that class I decided to double major in psychology. I've had a lot of good-humored professors, in another Miami plan class about music my professor is short and bald. When he asked us what kind of music we thought he may like, someone shouted out "Phil collins!" He laughed it off and joked that he'd meet the kid after class outside. Not all the classes are large, in fact only a few of mine have been held in lecture halls. My spanish class feels like high school all over again in the sense that we all became friends because there was only about 20 of us. My journalism classes, as I begin to take more and more for my major are fun because there are a few people I consistently see in the classes and it's nice to have someone you can call when you sleep through that alarm. Even classes that I don't enjoy the subject, such as philosophy, I manage to pull through because the professor is still respectable as a professor and it makes the material a little easier. A downfall to Miami's academics is that bad news seems to come at once. At about four weeks in most students have 2-4 classes all with a test that week. Professors also really enjoy group projects, so you'll be studying for a chemistry midterm and trying to plan a time to meet with your marketing group to get you case study done. Life gets a little hectic. Our King Library is really great in terms of having a writing center in the middle of it, a starbucks cafe, and an abundance of printers, computers, helpful librarians and research material. For this reason it's usually utilized consistently throughout the year, but come test-week or finals time, it literally looks like a mall the day after Thanksgiving. I feel that Miami kids are good at getting their assignments done so that they can party for the night or weekend. They literally work hard and play hard. Class participation really depends on the class. Go to an 8 a.m. and it's doubtful you'll see many students raising their hand. But in smaller classes when questions asked by the teachers are more common, students are willing to offer their opinions. It's like highschool. You're going to have loud-mouths, shy kids, and sleepers. Students outside of the classroom have intelligent conversations or sometimes really really unintelligent conversations. There's a facebook group "overheard at Miami" where ridiculous things overheard (hence the name) are posted. Sure ditzy comments are said but also we have newspapers available to us everywhere. As the election draws near talk of politics reigns through the air. Professors make themselves really available. I am a huge fan of office hours. The personal attention and extra help is sometimes really needed. Every teacher has made a point to say "these are my hours, but let me know if they don't work for you and we'll set up another time." Whether it's through e-mail, a few of my professors have Facebooked me, one even handed out her cell phone, or just their office hours, the professors are great at being there for you. But YOU have to take the initiative and put in the effort. One of my teachers had two "spaghetti dinners" during the semester in which she invited all her students too. We recieved home cooked meals and just had a chance to relax outside the class setting with her. It was wonderful. I feel the workload is pretty fair. You probably have at LEAST an hour-2 of something to do every night but with more free hours in the day you can always find time to do it. Miami is great about subscribing to an abundance of websites needed for research, or having every copy of Time or Newsweek, or having their librarians on AIM to answer questions, they even have their own websites they made to help your create a resume or search for internships or find a book you're looking for. THey make sure everything is available and there for us. I think the academics are geared towards preparing you for the real world as well as the next test coming up. You are given real life experiences sometimes, but you learn about it by reading it from a book and discussing it in class. They do a pretty good balance between the both.

When it comes to academics, Miami has a great reputation especially in the Midwest area. The Richard T. Farmer School of Business is definitely a strong point for the campus and employers recruit kids from the program all the time. They have an excellent career fair that brings in the top accounting firms and companies like Proctor and Gamble. Because of this, the program is very competitive and requires a lot of hard work and long hours of studying. The reward is having a good chance of landing a job often before you ever graduate. The down side to this is that if you choose to go for another degree at Miami you can find yourself feeling a little ignored. The classes and professors are still great in other departments but the business school is by far the university's golden child. Other programs like architecture and engineering thrive at Miami, and a lot of development is going on around campus to renovate and build better academic facilities for the numerous other departments. Your curriculum at Miami is divided into two main parts: filling requirements for your major/college and completing what the school calls the "Miami plan." The "Miami plan" requires students to take a few classes from a variety of academic fields including science, math and English. This is meant to give students an opportunity to study a little bit of everything. It can at times be annoying to take such random classes that have nothing to do with what you are studying, but it can also be life changing when you take that art history class and discover your new life calling. And even though the classes are usually 100-level courses, they are often some of the largest and toughest. Requirements for your major will be spelled out for you by the college and will be pretty straightforward. These classes will tend to be smaller, and you will get to know both professors and other students in your major quickly. Take advantage of getting to know your professors — they are great for recommendations and are way more lenient with absences or late assignments, ect. if you are a familiar face. If you don't know what you want to study right away, don't panic. Start by knocking out your Miami plan classes first and hopefully those will provide you with a little direction. Don't be afraid to major in something other than business or a medically oriented field. No matter your major you WILL get a job after college, and chances are your GPA will be a lot better if you are taking classes you truly enjoy. Education at a college level is a whole new ballgame, and if you follow heart you will find yourself enjoying class, which will make life exponentially easier. In terms of studying you will quickly figure out what is crucial to being a good student. Your professors will tell you that for every hour in class you should study 2 or 3 outside of class. This may be true, but especially as a freshman, is not very feasible when everything is new and there is a lot going on. When the reading starts to pile up prioritize what needs to be read and what doesn't. Often time professors will tell you the important stuff in class, so going is essential and is like automatic studying. Also, Miami has an amazing study abroad program. You can go almost anywhere in the world. We even have a campus in Luxemborg. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and is usually more fun than academic. If you are worried about missing out on a semester with your friends, anyone that stayed in Oxford will tell you that you didn't miss anything and anyone that has gone abroad will tell you it is worth it!