Ohio University-Main Campus Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Ginger

The academics at Ohio University are very challenging, however the professors are always willing to assist with special help.

Hannah

I think the academics are strong and I feel like I am always learning something

Drew

All of the professors know my name, depending on the class you have to make an effort to get to know the professor and go to their office hours or talk after class. My favorite class is sociology because i have a great professor and the least would be math because my teacher doesn't speak english well. Depending on the student is how much they study, i personally study 2-5 hours a day maybe more because of my course load some kids i know barely study at all, it just depends on your classes. Class participation is pretty common you just can't be scared to answer in front of a lot of people. None of my classes are pure lectures professors ask questions and what not. Students sometimes have intellection conversations outside of class in clubs or study groups but you have to meet with kids about it. Most students I have met are not very competitive. The most unique class I have taken would be sociology I guess because I have never taken a class like it before. I am a finance major and am in the college of business. The Cob is very helping and gives you a straight forward guide on how to graduate in 4 years. Depending on the class i spend sometime with professors asking questions or I ask class mates or helpers. The school academic requirements are pretty easy the course load can be a lot but so far the material I have gotten has not been too hard. Yes education is geared toward a job for my major I must get an internship before i graduate.

sean

When you first start here as a freshman you are likely going to be taking general education classes. These classes are very different from the classes that you will be taking as an upperclassmen. Most of your early classes consist of being in a big lecture hall with sometimes up to 200 other students in your class. I do not believe this is a bad thing because there are so many kids trying to take the same classes that the school has to do it this way. As you go along in your major your classes will get smaller and your teachers will know your name. Another big change that you will notice as you move along in your college career at Ohio University is that you will switch from dong mostly individual work to group work. As a junior and senior almost every class will have some sort of group project. This is great because you really learn how to work with different types of people and how to get work done based off of everyone's strengths. I am a double major in both Management Information Systems (MIS) and Marketing. If you are in the business school at OU you will participate in something that is called the "Business Cluster". You will set aside a quarter in which you will partake in this cluster of classes with all of the same students. Everything will be group oriented and you will have a client based project in which you will provide consulting for. This is what sets our business school apart from the others. Yes the program is intense but this is where you will learn proper time management and other vital skills needed to survive in the business world.

sean

When you first start here as a freshman you are likely going to be taking general education classes. These classes are very different from the classes that you will be taking as an upperclassmen. Most of your early classes consist of being in a big lecture hall with sometimes up to 200 other students in your class. I do not believe this is a bad thing because there are so many kids trying to take the same classes that the school has to do it this way. As you go along in your major your classes will get smaller and your teachers will know your name. Another big change that you will notice as you move along in your college career at Ohio University is that you will switch from dong mostly individual work to group work. As a junior and senior almost every class will have some sort of group project. This is great because you really learn how to work with different types of people and how to get work done based off of everyone's strengths. I am a double major in both Management Information Systems (MIS) and Marketing. If you are in the business school at OU you will participate in something that is called the "Business Cluster". You will set aside a quarter in which you will partake in this cluster of classes with all of the same students. Everything will be group oriented and you will have a client based project in which you will provide consulting for. This is what sets our business school apart from the others. Yes the program is intense but this is where you will learn proper time management and other vital skills needed to survive in the business world.

Lauren

Ohio University classes have given me numerous real-life tools in only a quarter's worth of classes. Courses are geared toward practical skills with a theoretical background, so students understand the basis for the lessons that professors teach. In my experience, every professor has made an effort to learn each student's name and nearly all succeeded. This promotes class participation because students feel the professor truly cares, which he or she most likely does. I have witnessed peers of mine having an intellectual discussion in a hallway only to be joined by a professor who is interested in sharing his or her thoughts and hearing what the students have to say. Every course and academic requirement at OU has been created for a reason, and that reason is to prepare students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workforce, grad school, or whatever else they decide to pursue post-graduation.

Kendell

Academics at Ohio University can be very intense. However the faculty and staff make themselves highly available for student contact. Many professors make a strong attempt to learn all of their students name and create fun ways to remember each student, most times by asking students to identify something about themselves that makes them unique. Student participation is encouraged in almost all classes, including online classes. Here students are asked to partake in discussion forums each week to earn credit for participation in the classes. Due to the number of student organizations that are available at Ohio University, many students are able to talk amongst each other about what they have learned in class and begin to apply the concepts to real world settings. As students decide which major they would like to pursue, more options for hands-on experience become available and the understanding of academic concepts becomes clear in the real world. Overall I have found that the education that can be found at Ohio University is directly geared towards getting students jobs after college, and also creating atmospheres where students are able to achieve real-world success before graduation.

Sean

Academics at Ohio University are inventive. Since I did attend another school before OU I have a good perspective on what other universities of higher learning are doing. Ours is like none other. The disciplines are blurred. Every program is connected to one another. Majors are interrelated and connected, just like people on campus. I am a Pre-Med/Biological Science major with a minor in Anthropology and a minor in English. I was persuaded towards these duel minors because of what one of my professors told me early on in my career. He said, "We learn because we wish to understand and communicate with others." I thought that statement was simple, but very profound. Everything I have learned in the classroom has made me understand the world better. "World-view" is important to the OU curriculum. Recently in my molecular genetics class my professor has given me hours of extra help and advice outside of his lecture. I am truly grateful to have met such an educator. You realize early on at OU that life is about how well you engulf yourself in whatever you wish to become successful in, and all of my classes and professors have helped me reach this beautifully simple conclusion. All of my professors know my name, and that is rare because it is a larger university. If you put the time in to introduce and communicate with your professor, they will put the time in and communicate back. That's the way of an Athenian. Everyone invests in what others are doing. I stop in to one of my Anthropology professors office just to chat on a regular basis. We've formed a strong relationship outside of class, and it is one that I really love. These are the relationships that allow you to learn, and give you the right connects to get a job. My experience is not uncommon among other students. Everyone I know has a professor that looks out for them. They want you to succeed, not fail. There are a few professors that are not as passionate as the others. You get through their class and move on. It's the ones that invest in you that make you the successful person you are. It's a special friendliness, and something that is uniquely Athens.

Sean

Academics at Ohio University are inventive. Since I did attend another school before OU I have a good perspective on what other universities of higher learning are doing. Ours is like none other. The disciplines are blurred. Every program is connected to one another. Majors are interrelated and connected, just like people on campus. I am a Pre-Med/Biological Science major with a minor in Anthropology and a minor in English. I was persuaded towards these duel minors because of what one of my professors told me early on in my career. He said, "We learn because we wish to understand and communicate with others." I thought that statement was simple, but very profound. Everything I have learned in the classroom has made me understand the world better. "World-view" is important to the OU curriculum. Recently in my molecular genetics class my professor has given me hours of extra help and advice outside of his lecture. I am truly grateful to have met such an educator. You realize early on at OU that life is about how well you engulf yourself in whatever you wish to become successful in, and all of my classes and professors have helped me reach this beautifully simple conclusion. All of my professors know my name, and that is rare because it is a larger university. If you put the time in to introduce and communicate with your professor, they will put the time in and communicate back. That's the way of an Athenian. Everyone invests in what others are doing. I stop in to one of my Anthropology professors office just to chat on a regular basis. We've formed a strong relationship outside of class, and it is one that I really love. These are the relationships that allow you to learn, and give you the right connects to get a job. My experience is not uncommon among other students. Everyone I know has a professor that looks out for them. They want you to succeed, not fail. There are a few professors that are not as passionate as the others. You get through their class and move on. It's the ones that invest in you that make you the successful person you are. It's a special friendliness, and something that is uniquely Athens.

Samantha

Academics are the ultimate & central point of everything on campus. All roads lead to the classroom. Classes here are surprisingly diverse - I've taken everything from Anthro 101 to Hist 330: History Through Star Trek (yes, that last class is a real, bonafide history class). Most of my classes are smaller, with my smallest class having been only 6 students and a professor. There are larger lecture classes, but most of those are introductory courses; once you pass them, it's on to smaller, more specific courses. Most of my professors actually know how to use the internet, and incorporate online assignments, videos, and texts into class to switch things up. All of my professors knew my name; some have even forwarded job or internship offers onto based on what they knew about me, my studies, and my interests. The education at OU is the ultimate luxury, and I know that when I graduate I'm going to be in high demand in the job market.

Alec

It's funny when you realize how few decisions you actually make until you're 18. Your parents decide where you live. Your school decides what you learn. Your peers decide what's cool. For many people, choosing a college to attend is their first truly independent decision. Not in my case, however. I chose to go to Ohio University because my girlfriend of two years chose to go to Ohio University. That is a wildly irresponsible, stupid and short-sighted reason to go to a particular college that almost never leads to the correct college choice...except for me it did. The relationship with the girlfriend lasted half a year more, while my time at the school has been nearly four years of total collegiate bliss. Whether through divine providence or sheer dumb luck, I chose the school that was absolutely perfect for me and a school that I suspect is perfect for many others as well. When I first looked at OU, one of my chief concerns was its relatively remote location. Sure, it's close enough to major cities like Columbus (hour and a half drive) and Parkersburg, West Virginia (forty-five minute drive) but believe me when I say that between Athens, Ohio and any other "metropolis" there is nothing but farmland and open sky. Athens is a little oasis tucked away among the Appalachian mountains. As it turns out, that seeming isolation has been my absolute favorite part of the town of Athens. When you set foot on Ohio University's campus in Athens, you feel like you're in the only town in the world. It's the perfect hyrbid of college town meets real small town America. The University and town have everything the modern college student needs (reliable Wi-fi, stable-enough buildings and 24-or so bars uptown) while still offering a sense of history. I have friends who attend public and private colleges all over the state and each of every one of them never wants to leave after they visit me in Athens. There is almost no such thing as "off campus." The town is so small and so compact that you can pretty much walk anywhere in under twenty minutes. I think this has contributed to the University's "party school" reputation because instead of having to figuring out designated drivers or if a mile-long walk through the snow to a party or a bar is worth it, students can just wander around like drunken zombies. The University, itself, has taken some financial hits like most other schools in the country and budget cuts have created some discord among faculty and the administration. Still, I have yet to see my education negatively effected by the school's financial prognosis. Depending on which field you are interested in, there are some great opportunities. The business school is actually quite underrated and the Russ College of Engineering is on the way up. I'm in the E.W Scripps School of Journalism, which was at one point considered a top-twenty journalism school in the country. I've been reasonably satisfied with my education. The professors are competent and mostly up to date. And they do a good job of getting guest speakers to Skype in or even visit this small Appalachian town. The idea of a journalism education is a little absurd though. It's such an "all new, all the time, up-to-date nownownow" industry that it kind of clashes with the more staid academic environment. And people within the industry are more concerned with what you actually produce than what your grades are. Thankfully, both the journalism school and the rest of the University offer a rather astonishing number of extracurricular activities to keep you occupied. Ohio University seems to understand that the college experience is as important, if not more so, than the education you receive. I can honestly say that I have grown up more and learned more about myself in the last four years than I did in the previous 18. That would not have been possible with Ohio University. If your idea of the optimal college experience is self-discovery and relationship building, I think you could certainly do a lot worse.

Matthew

The best part about Ohio University's academics is that no matter how hard/difficult/or uninteresting your major is to you, there will always be professors teaching that are willing to make the subject more applicable and interesting to you. For instance, as an English major I find myself plowing through books that are just not my favorite to read. But all my professors have taken time to chat with the class to figure out how to make the readings more interesting. Some teachers have shown movies others have opened up class discussions. Whatever subject one may be studying, the professors are willing to work with their students, on both an individual basis and as a group. Ohio University's professors are dedicated to teaching and to their students.

Madison

One characteristic of Ohio University that I adore is how passionate the professors are about teaching their students and actually developing relationships with them. In all of my time at Ohio University, I have never felt like just a number. In my classes of 200 students(many of my classes have about 25-50 students), professors actually call on people by name. Whenever I have needed help outside of class, my past professors have been glad to help. It is common to overhear intellectual conversations when one is walking around our beautiful campus. Students hang out, study, and converse while sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful atmosphere and the sunshine. They hang out at Donkey(my favorite coffee shop), or other coffee shops, and enjoy the company of their peers, while enjoying cups of coffee or tea. It is a relief and a joy to be able to spend time with other individuals who are interested in the same topics as you are and who want to do something great with their lives.

Roger

Ohio University is prominent for stellar academic undergraduate and graduate programs. There are many nationally ranked programs such as Accounting, Sport Administration, Business, and the School of Journalism.

David

For me personally, academics here at OU have been great. We have tons of options for classes each quarter, and I have never sat through a quarter of a class that I haven't enjoyed. As a liberal arts school we have certain specific requirements that have to be met as far as areas of study go, and I feel they do a great job by offering tons of good classes in all the pertinent areas. Most students spend quite a bit of time studying each week; the library is always occupied on the weekdays. I spend most of my social time outside of class having intellectual conversations with my peers and I am FAR from what most would classify as a nerd/jock/bro or anything of the like. I feel like the education I've received thus far has been geared toward learning for the sake of learning, and my professors have reflected that by offering time outside of class to help with anything and everything. Students haven't been too competitive at all from what I have seen, except in the Journalism school they can be pretty cut throat.

Sandy

Every professor that I have had has made every effort to learn students' names. When I was a freshman, I had several 300 person lecture classes which obviously made that hard, however, professors always urged students to come down and meet them after class or drop them an e-mail so that they could get to know them on a personal level. As for my smaller classes (once I got into my major), everyone of those professors knew my name. My favorite class was Marketing 202 with John Kiger. He was such an amazing individual and professor. He made such a connection to all of his students and had a great sense of humor. His tests were challenging but noone minded because he made such an attempt to connect to us. One of his assignments printed on the syllabus was for each one of his 90 students to come to his office individually to sit down and talk with him so he could get to know us. This meant that he had to be in his office for all of that time and that he truly cared about us as individuals and not just as students. Students study enough that the library is now open 24/7. Everytime I go, which is often, there are ALWAYS people there, even at 4 in the morning. Class participation is very common and is usually accounted for on the syllabus for 10-20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your grade. Participation is something many professors emphasize. Ohio students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. While I cannot think of many times that this has occurred in my life, I have been involved in many political conversations and current event conversations. Professors encourage students to keep up with both of these areas. I would not really classify Ohio students as competitive... a lot of people take classes with the same people once they get into their major so it is more of working together with others to get a good grade (it sharing notes, resources, etc.) I am an Organizational Communication major with a specialization in Marketing. I am looking to be an Event Planner/Activities Coordinator when I get out of school. The classes that I have taken have very much prepared me for getting a job- there are several teachers that I have had that have made a deliberate effort to focus on how the information that we are learning will transfer into real life and help us to get ahead of others in the job market. Our professors are very concerned with our lives after college and it is very obvious. I have gone out to dinner with my advisor several times and stopped in just to say hi. I have attended award ceremonies for past professors with faculty members and felt extremely comfortable. There are at least 7 faculty members from the College of Communications that I can think of off of the top of my head that I will maintain contact with for years and years to come. The only bad thing about the academic side of Ohio is scheduling for classes. It is ALWAYS a pain. You really have to pay attention to which classes are only offered in the Fall or Spring else you will get held back another quarter.

Will

Again, Honors Tutorial College offers one-on-one setting and allows scholars to strive.

Valerie

The academics at OU rarely get the praise they deserve because of the partying image. I'm an education major, but I have taken classes through a lot of the other colleges. The biggest class I've ever had was an intro to communications class that was about 200. Most of your general classes and ALL your major classes will be on the small size (10-30ish people). You get to know your professors well. People seem to socialize mostly within their colleges and/or major.

Tracey

Midsized classes with caring professors and staff. Diverse class selection. Majors are geared to prepare you for life after college and give you the needed skills and knowledge to make it in the big world.

Tate

This an area where personally like some my professors such as Davide Mould, Adeyanju, and Abubarka. They thought me how to conduct interact in accdemic setting in Ohio. Participation in class acitivties is another area they made me belive in power of group dynamics in learning in particulars of the world. My department was communication and development Studies. It was in set that we had the first "camera speak-a meeting of cultures. In we I took a picture on a siold can prepared to reture back 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} fertility. The education in Ohio is geared job geting. Right I have demostrated verious skills, one which made to become a Lecture of Mass Communication at Rivers College of Arts and Science, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State in Nigeria. The learning professionally individualized and systmatic to meet the needs of students.

Michael

Academics here are what you make of them. There are many different major and minor degrees offered here. The quality of the programs range anywhere from decent, to outstanding. This is a very big University, so you have to deal with all the academic pains associated with it. Scheduling is a pain, your advisors are spread to thin, you have to take initiative for your academic success yourself. Ohio is a terrible place for people not willing to do thier work. My undergraduate advisors were completely worthless, they did not have time for the individual as they themselves were overworked.

annie

I feel like most of my classes are twenty five people or less which i really enjoy because you and the professor are able to communicate on a personal level. The larger lecture classes are not bad, but there is not personal communication which can make getting help a little bit more difficult. I find SI sessions very helpful though. Most teachers make an effort to help students outside of class and utualize the office hours given. i think that the requirements needed are appropriate and most of them are helpful for majors.

Jenny

wonderful

Emily

The Tier II classes at Ohio can be cumbersome, but I like how it makes us explore fields of study that we may not know. This can open the door for other majors and careers that we had no idea was out there. I was an undecided freshman fall quarter. I declared a major at the end of fall quarter, so I had to change my adviser. I was sad that I had to but I still keep in contact with her and we get coffee every once in a while to catch up. Some professors you get close to and others you don't. It just depends on their personality and your willingness to approach them and ask for help.

Pat

The Professors are very nice and very friendly!

Elisse

Something that shocked me when i came here was the amount of studying i see people doing, and how necessary it is. A lot of the classes i take are French classes since it's my major, and those classes are all small enough that you have a lot of discussion and participation, and you form close bonds with some of the professors. In the larger lecture classes, a professor hardly ever knows you personally, but its good to take the time to go to their office hours and meet them on a personal level. They really are helpful and most of them want to meet you and have a conversation with you. I think the requirements for all majors here give a well-rounded education.

Rob

Having spent some time at other institutions, I'd say the students here tend to be more cooperative than competitive. Like any large institution, there are going to be those 101 classes with 200+ people in them where the prof. likely won't know your name, but with some of the more manageable class sizes profs. are friendly and more than willing to get to know students who take the initiative.

Josh

I've been in a lot of bigger classes in which the professors do not know my name. Some of the classes for my major, however, are a lot smaller. There, the professors know my same more frequently. Scripps School of Journalism is a very good program here. It is always ranked nationally in the top ten of journalism schools in the nation. It's very hands-on.

Tate

I can only speak about engineering stuff, it's what I do, it's all I care about (I'm mechanical by the way). I've heard repeated from several people scattered around at several schools that the 4 best engineering colleges in Ohio are: OSU, Wright State, Ohio University, and Ohio Northern. I've seen all 4, all but Ohio Northern I've spent more than just the geriatric walk and point at. I'm going to pick on OSU here because I've sat through many classes with a friend up there. They're not joking when they say giant lecture halls, a normal lecture there is in a class larger than all but 2 or so rooms on campus here at OU (we also don't do what lecture and recitation thing, there is just class, 4 days a week). The biggest classes I've ever had here were general phys and chem at about 120 each. Yes you do have to take and ungodly about of math and sciences, but thats just what has to happen. Once that is over you're engineering classes are very small. Most rooms in the engineering building only hold 35ish. Only professors teach, non of that TA crap, that goes for all the classes I've taken (6 quarters now)

Martha

ok

Allison

i know most of my professors names. My favorite class has been history injustice in the United States. it was very inspiring, challenging, and taught me about i subject i knew very little about, until taking the class. My least favorite would have to be any 8 a.m. I student more than the average student, so i am unsure how often students study. Class participation is very common in all my classes. I think many OU students have intellectual conversations, including my group of friends. My major is currently advertising in the school of scripts, which i think is far too competitive.

Ben

The classes are pretty hard but the teachers are great

Kat

I think that OU should not have lowered its admission standards. Luckily, the professors have not yet lowered theirs. Classes aren't overly difficult if students put in a decent amount of time (it really doesn't require too much, for most classes, but it is college, after all). OU has an amazing Political science department. The professors are all extremely open to new ideas and new directions of thinking, and they love debate. I have never been graded for believing the opposite of the prof: they really just grade on if you can support your point. It also has a good History department (my minor). I especially love the African Studies department. There could be much more classes in this area for undergrads, but the professors in this area are great and knowledgeable, and many of them lived for years in Africa doing their research or growing up there, giving a good perspective on what life and history and politics and geography and many other aspects of Africa are really like. Most of the professors are very helpful outside of class, and they try very hard to get to knwo all their students. They like it (and it helps you) to make an effort to ask or answer a question every once in awhile in class.

Jenna

Some of my professors know me and it's mostly in the Geography classes because that's my major. The geography classes are also my favorites. Those and the religion classes. Intellectual discussions happen ALL the time outside of class. It's our bread and butter. The most unique class I have ever taken was the vampires class. It was amazing and I learned a lot about parts of history I didn't realize ever happened. The academic requirements at Ohio seem a little stringent. They could ease up on things like the foreign language requirements or the tier 2 classes.

Amanda

Accademics, in my oppinion, are limited to really Journalism, Business, or Education. They are a bit lacking in the science departments. However, the teaching faculty here is great and for the majority, they want you to succeed.

Ben

Scripps is a prominent academic program.

Ryan

Right now I am a Computer Science Major and I am looking into getting a certificate in East Asian Studies (a certificate is the same as a minor). The classes aren't so bad. I get a ton of homework though but that should be expecting in engineering. The Math department sucks, I don't think you'll find anyone to disagree. You should expect to have a few foreign professors. I have no problem understanding what they say but others do. I can't compare OU's academics to any other college because this is the only college I've been to but I'd have to say it's comparable to others.

Hannah

Professors here are great! They know your name if you see them during their office hours, the classes, in general, are small though there are always the big lecture hall but there will also always be that class of fifteen to twenty.

Leah

The academics are good. I feel like I'm getting a worthwhile education here. I also feel like when I go to apply for a job and my resume says I went to Ohio University, it will look good and I won't get the whole "oh so you like to party cause you went to OU" thing. I don't even take the hardest classes and I feel like I'm being challenged. I also feel like I'm learning a lot. I'm a journalism major and I really like the school.

Arushi

Some of the GE classes are huge, about 200 students. But I feel like once you start to focus more on your major, the classes tend to get smaller and there is more personal attention. I'm in Scripps school of Journalism and I feel like it is an honor to be there. Academics at Ohio is something that I know will help me in my future prospects. But, I do feel like some classes are just unnecessary, like what is the use of a Biology class for a student who was to be a political journalist?

Zach

So far as I am concerned, the academics here are great. Professors go out of their way to make sure they know you, and you can always have a great conversation with them.

Christine

My major is forensic chemistry. Some of the classes are quite difficult. I spend a vast majority of my time studying. My favorite classes have been the Law Enforcement Technology courses. Class participation is present in some classes. It all depends on the size and the teaching style of different professors.

Kevin

The classes at Ohio are great. My favorite class is Spanish because it's small enough to get to know everyone which helps with classroom participation and the professor to learn names. Even in lecture classes you'd be surprised to know that a lot of professors know a good amount of names. Many people that don't go here think that all the classes at Ohio are blow offs that don't require studying. I believe that most of the classes are challenging and inspire intellectual thought.

Justin

Only some professors know my name, it is all about how you participate in class. Some classes only have about 20-25 classes while others have up to 300. This means that you actually have to put forth effort to get to know professors and for them to get to know you. My favorite class has been a class called PSC 100D The Solar System. This class was over the Solar System and was a very interactive class. The Professor clearly cared about the subject and did many different things to get the students involved despite the class being fairly large in size.

Kat

There is a shit ton of reading to do, that's for sure. In every class I have to read pages upon pages of stuff. I should probably study more, that's kind of my foil, but it's one I'm attempting to amend. I love my classes for the most part, and the requirements are not so bad, but still require me to cover a broad area of subjects. I know some of the classes I have taken have resulted in very late night conversations that really made me rethink my views on certain things. The profs are pretty good about making sure you understand what's going on and how to get help if you don't.

Brad

Great

Steven

I have found the adjustment to college classes to be made incredibly easy at OU. At precollege they put you in very small groups of people from the same major as you (there were only 4 of us in the group for English and creative writing majors), and they encourage you to join the learning community for your major. You get first pick of some classes that are generally very difficult to get into, and the group makes it incredibly easy to make friends. You also take a class with your academic adviser about study habits and opportunities within your field of study. My favorite class so far has actually been Linguistics 270, but I've also enjoyed my theater class and all of my English classes. All of these classes have challenged me to analyze more than memorize material, and many of the classes I have taken encourage interdisciplinary understanding. Participation in class varies. Between fall and winter quarters, I had four classes with my learning community, and we were all incredibly comfortable with group discussion. However, in my other classes I found that people were shy around one another, even after almost 10 weeks of having been in the same class. I took an English class without anyone from my learning community this quarter, though, and I generally find that people within the major are more comfortable speaking than people outside that discipline. There are certain people whom you expect to talk and others who surprise you if they raise their hands. I do talk a lot outside of class about the things I learn in it, particularly with people from my residence hall and learning community. Religion, literature, philosophy, politics- we talk about it all. Professors at OU are extremely reachable outside of class. Most of mine respond to emails within 24 hours and they all have made their office hours very well known. Most profs also like to use blackboard, which is incredibly useful for keeping things organized. The requirements at OU are very fair and do help to keep students well-rounded. The only complaint that I have to raise is that engineering and education majors don't have to take a foreign language. I think that speaking another language (at least basically) is a skill that everyone should have.

Jon

Most of my professors know my name, yes. Linguistics 270 was my favorite class, the TA was awesome! AAS 190 was the worst, the whole premise of the class was write papers with other people and present them, even though all the papers were the same topic. I think students study often, at least some of them. Class participation is common, most of my classes demand it. We do have intellectual conversations outside of class, particularly about religion. I don't think students are very competitive. The most unique class I've taken is Religious Beliefs, because it was an intellectual discussion class. I am an Englistics major, that is I am double majoring in English and Linguistics. Both departments are sweet, and I can't complain yet. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class, but most of them are available. The university's requirements aren't bad, but some of the College of Arts and Sciences requirements seem ridiculous. My education is more geared toward learning for its own sake, but I think it depends on the student and the major.

Rachel

It really depends on the teacher. I've had some teachers that bore me to death and I never even really know what they looked like until I turn in my final because I had to sit in the back of the lecture hall everyday. But I had one teacher who noticed that I loved his class by my grades and apparent eagerness that showed just sitting in his class. He talked to me outside of class and eventually convinced me to change my major. He is now my unofficial academic advisor. I also feel like I have more opportunities here. After just one quarter of PSY 101, my professor pink slipped me into PSY 390 and I'm doing research as a freshman.

Mike

Most of my professors have been doctors. All of my Englsh classes have been taught by really awesome professors who are actually very helpful when it comes to writing. The atmosphere here is really very intellectual. I've had in depth philosphical talks with almost all of my friends.