North Carolina State University at Raleigh Top Questions

My major is fairly small, less than 100 students total. Because of this, my classes are usually smaller, more intimate classes where the professors knows you on at least a first name basis. Classes are comprehensive, and detailed, often with an accompanying lab for extra instruction or hands-on activity. The coursework and tests are challenging but totally do-able. I feel comfortable in my classes and it's easy to make friends with people in them, for studying and social purposes alike. As a freshman, introductory classes can be much bigger (upwards of 300 students) but the more specialized you get into your major, the smaller your classes become.

My classes have been pretty small since I am in the College of Education. A couple of my more general education classes have been in large lecture halls, but the teachers have microphones, projectors, and use large handwriting so it is not hard to learn in the large classes either. The smaller classes I have been in have been largely focused on group work and class participation. The larger classes are mostly lecture style. Though I took a differential equations class with 140 students and my teacher did a great job of keeping the students involved, asking questions, not letting the same person answer again and again. I might add she is also a very well liked teacher, so students were happy to participate in her class. She made the class fun and entertaining.

I am still young in my major, so my classes are still general ed classes that are designed to weed out people who are not cut out to be engineers. That means pretty difficult, but not impossible.