Professors know your name if you chat with them after lecture, or visit them during office hours. It's a very good idea to do both. Maybe even complimenting them on the lecture of that day will give you a head up. My favorite class so far was Cultural Anthropology with James Smith. BOY can this guy talk! He had the most intriguing stories of his times in Africa, all discussing broad themes and sociological patterns that we see in America, too! Learning about people and the history of other peoples is fun.
My least favorite class was Economics. I'm not a money person. I know how NOT to spend, and to pay bills and that is ENOUGH for me. The lectures were always online and you didn't even need to go to class because he would READ the slides. ^(this econ info can also be found on ratemyprofessor.com when you become an aggie and register for classes! Others agree with me.)
Class participation is not common. It also depends on the class. I had a great political science professor who always made sure we were listening by adding comments like, "Guess what Stalin did next?" Etc... haha so that was fun.
The majority of UC Davis students I know, have all engaged in intellectual conversations with me at some point or another. We know what's up. We all think about the big picture. Who doesn't?
Ok so I'm a Spanish major and for one of my lower division classes, we met on Sunday afternoons at starbucks or a mexican food place and only spoke in Spanish. It was a totally different atmosphere and I loved seeing my classmates outside or school, if I hadn't already at parties! hahaha.. Also, I have met with my Major advisor twice throughout the year and she has been nothing but helpful and understanding that freshmen may need some extra explaining. Also, she told me about classes I could take for upper division electives that may suit other interests than just the language, like literature, linguistic, and cultural classes.
The academic requirements are totally reachable! I'm working towards a double-major with international relations, and I plan on finishing in 4 years. I will also sacrifice summers to make sure I'm ahead of the game. It's not that big of a deal. I like what I'm learing/experiencing and I like my professors so far, and that's what's important.
There are two ways to look at the education UC Davis can give you. There are plenty of majors and interships available for post-graduation jobs, and then there are the majors that can either go into teaching, more studying and more classes, and maybe even grad school. Bottom line, you'll find a job if you get good advice on what to major in and what pre-graduation jobs to look for. If you're not interested in a job right away, that's fine too and until then, take as many classes as you want!