University of California-Davis Top Questions

There's a good relationship available if you seek it with professors. The expectations don't seem to get increasingly harder as years go by, and it's not too hard to figure out how to succeed in college.

Challenging but not impossible

I love my classes. That may sound like the obvious answer to the question, but the fact is that when a teacher can engage students, provoke critical self examinations, address local and regional issues with precision and delicacy, inspire thought and motivation, and generally be a badass, class is good. I have to be challenged, and Davis does that. Our professors and the other students in our classes and discussions do that. We do have big classes, up to 500 people, but our discussions are small and intimate, providing that balance, and office hours are always available; then when you get in to your degree specific courses and upper divisions, you can have a class with as few as 5 people. I have a friend who is the only person in her class. How's that for one-on-one attention.

Some of the teachers are really cool, but some are don't care either way if you fail or not. Teaching or TA is usually done because it's required for credit or in order to keep researching at the university. You'll be lucky to get one of the few teachers that are there that WANT to be and teach you. There is hardly any class participation. If you're planning on being a science major at all, the most hands on you'll get is in labs. Other than that information is spoon fed and you're expected to regurgitate it back out. The students are really competitive. You fight against your peers for a grade instead of trying to focus on really understanding the material. I'm a biochemistry major and the classes are so jam packed that it's hard to get a lot of your classes needed to graduate. If you really don't understand the material and can't form questions because you're just simply too lost, don't go to office hours. Some teachers would chew you out for not having a question.

As I stated above, I do with that more classes gave you the opportunity to turn in assignments and essays instead of just passing out 3 multiple choice exams for the entire quarter. I also wish that teachers would take advantage of other mediums to teach with (ie. video clips, powerpoint, speakers etc.). A great majority of my professors lecture for the 110 minutes and after a while it gets quite difficult to concentrate. In one of my classes with 50 students in it, the teacher did know most of our names. In other lecture halls or more than 200 students, teachers have announced that they will try their best to get to know students idividually, especially if you stop by their office hours. I thoroughly enjoy my Health Psychology course with Professor Robert Emmons. He encourages us to ask questions during his powerpoint lecture, and he has slides that add to the entertainment factor of the lecture. He is very personable and knowlegeable in the field of health psychology and overall it's a very interesting course to take.

Academics at UC Davis are definitely challenging for me. I love the big classes because there are smaller discussions in which you can be more interactive in the classroom. My favorite class was Animal Science 1 where I learned about animals and did hands on activities that I would never have done before. I also loved History 174B because the professor covered the time frame very well without just lecturing. As a UC school, I definitely feel challenged here.

Hella good, Davis has really good academics. Something like 23rd in the nation!!

UCD has quite a unique array of classes. Since it is an agricultural school, there are some interesting classes you can take. One of the best I have taken was Food Science. I learned so much useful information that i never knew about food. Usually most people go to class, but there are always those days when its just so hard to get out of your bed and onto your bike to get to class.

Professors would know your name if you visit them often in office hours. You don't have to talk in class if you want to get noticed by your professors, of course, it would be a lot easier to. Students are VERY competitive but there are a lot who never visit their professors.

A lot of the teachers and ta's are not culturally or ethnically sensitive, but we have really good ethnic studies programs on campus if you're looking for that space. The classes can be pretty challenging, and the quarter system is really fast.

Academics at Davis are very good. I've had some excellent professors and classes. Many of the professors are very involved in their fields because research is required at Davis. I'm a transfer students and lived in the dorms and from living there I can tell you that those people at least spent a great deal of their time studying. People in general probably do spend a good bit of time studying. Requirements are similar to those at other schools. Majors are definitely career oriented, but because of other requirements you get a pretty good base of general knowledge. It's really up to the individual. Just like with any school your education is going to be what you make of it.

Yes my professors knew my name. My favorite class would be Asian American Studies, History, and Political Science. Sociology was my least favorite. Students study in cycles such as before midterms and before finals. There was little competitive spirit I felt in my class, but I did not care much for it. The most unique class I've taken as a student was Food Science and Technology 10. My major was political science. It was a pretty large major with other majors in the School of Letter and Science. I did not spend any time with professors out of class, besides office hours and just random talking. Academic requirements were fair, easy to follow. The education at UC Davis geared towards general education to help with the basics of life, nothing in specific towards career or job. As a social science, we're taught broad information, but the analytical, communication, and research are the most important.

I'm an english major, so I get a lot of special attention in workshops for creative writing. The professors in those classes know my name, however I believe that is because I searched out that sort of a relationship. In lecture classes I rarely talk to the professors. I can't generalize how often students study. I've seen all types of studiers here. Class participation feels forced a lot of the time. Most people show up and expect to listen. However, if a class is conducted correctly (as many of mine were) the students did participate in an intellectual way. Students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. I would say that most of my intellectual conversations happened outside of class. But it was necessary to go to those classes in the first place to find people interested in exploring the same subjects of intellect. I think college anywhere is geared more toward getting you a diploma than getting you a job. You'll only really learn the real stuff when you get on the job. If learning happens along the way it is because a student wanted to learn.

Professors know your names if you let them. I find that class participation happens more so in the classes of the Letters and Sciences, such as Theater, English, and Sociology. I have spent time with prof's outside of class and some of them are pretty funny people.

Professors know names if the class is small or if students go to office hours and mee them. I'm not sure if I've had a favorite class yet. I'm not sure if I've had a least favorite class, but the amount of work involved in all my classes kind of detracted my enjoyment of the material. There are always students studying in the library or in the 24 hour reading room, and in terms of me and my roommmates, I feel like all we do is study, so we never get to do anything fun, although we try to do something on special occasions like holidays, such as eating out. Class participation is somewhat commmon, although usually it's always the same students speaking and I only participate when I feel like it and have something really good to say that I want to share with everyone else. Students probably have intellectual conversations outside class, but I haven't joined in, although my roommates and I occassionally have intellectual discussions amongst ourselves. However, I don't like it when people throw around academic buzz words in common conversation just to show off their intelligence. Students probably are competitive although I don't like that. The most unique class I had was a technocultural studies class where I had to write a completely plagiarized essay by combining words and sentences from many sources to piece together a paper that reads like it was written by one person. My major is sociology with a general emphasis, and I chose it because the department had the most classes that sounded interesting to me. I don't really spend time with professors outside class because the few times when I went to office hours were kind of awkward, although I do want to ask some professors about their research in topics of interest to me, and I had a couple of nice TAs that are really nice and I want to correspond with even after the class The academic requirements are reasonable, although some majors have a substantial amount of prerequistite courses that students stress out about. I think the education is both about getting work and learning for its own sake, since it's best to mix these, but in the US, I think the goal of attending college is to find a career that results in wealth, so it's hard not to escape that mentality.

My professors all make an effort to get to know me and make an actual connection. They are never standoffish or too busy, and are always available in or outside of office hours.

Some professors know my name, depends on the size of the class and how much you go to office hours. My favorite class was African American Lit with Clarence Major. He is amazing and very passionate about the subject, it was the first class where having to read when I had a lot of other homework to do didn't feel forced, I was very engaged. Do UC Davis students have intellectual conversations outside of class? Of course they do. The best are usually at a gathering at a friends place or at a cafe downtown. I haven't noticed much competitiveness in my classes, probably for audition processes, yes. The most unique class I have taken was a Voice Class with Melanie Julian, it was an amazing learning experience. My double majors are Theater and English, both departments are completely different from the other. However they are both great, with awesome teachers and classes that really get you where you need to be. In the theatre department you can't help but talk to teachers outside of class. With ym English classes I tend to only do so when I believe I need the help. I think that UCD's academic requirements are great. They ask people to have a well rounded view of the world, and honestly, we really need that. Education at UCD is geared toward what you make it to be. It could be purely for learning purposes but if you make it for getting a job, then it will be. It depends on what classes you take, what major you pick and what opportunities you don't pass up.

I highly recommend that incoming freshmen enroll in Freshman seminars. Coming from high school to a huge university can be intimidating because your classes suddenly have 500 people and you can feel lost. Freshman seminars are one unit classes about random and really interesting topics. There are usually about 10-15 students in each class, and it's a great way to get to know people. My favorite class was Rome and Mediterranean Classics. It was like a history course but with a little extra flavor. The professors I had who teach history courses were all outstanding. Prof. Rauchway teaches a great American history course, and Professor Landau has a few interesting courses on medieval history. The education at UCD is geared more towards learning than job training, which is how college should be, I believe. You learn job training on the job.

It's very easy to get to know professors. I've been to a couple of professors' houses. A sociology professor kept an open invitation for students to come to a local coffee shop and discuss concepts that weren't covered in class. They're always begging you to come in to office hours because they get lonely by themselves. Even if you don't like your professor all classes also have a TA who is a graduate student. TAs are always receptive to questions and might be easier to talk to than a professor. I feel like most kids at Davis take their academics very seriously. The standards are pretty high and professors expect you to engage with material, but I don't feel like classes are overly competitive. Most students know the importance of balancing school with social life and activities. As far as intellectual conversations outside of class, my roommate and I talk about our classes all the time. Of course, the two of us are kind of weird. All in all, the academic experience has been very fulfilling. I feel like professors care more about teaching than research and they really want students to learn.

Most of the classes are too large for professors to know everyone's name, but I'm taking a lot of French classes, and since they're small, everyone is pretty friendly. Students study pretty much continually, and the competition in certain classes/majors can be fierce.

In the larger, lower division classes like Food Science or Film Studies, there will be upwards of 500 students. Don't expect to get to know your professors in these classes. However, once you move into more advanced coursework and the classes become smaller, professors will definitely learn your name, especially if you speak to them outside of class, which they are always willing to do. My favorite classes were Hip Hop Culture in Urban America and Holocaust Literature. The Hip Hop class was something you'd never expect to see at UC Davis, but is a testament to the broad scope of academics here and the diversity we enjoy and promote on campus. The Holocaust Lit class only had 12 students, but the professor was extremely knowledgeable and explained the incredibly difficult material so well that over a year later I am taking a class with him again, just for fun. My least favorite class was Film Studies. It had about 500 students, and the course only focused on film up until 1915, so I didn't feel it was representative of what a true introductory course should cover. The professor also had a love affair with the word "discourse." Students do study a lot, but not alone. It is not uncommon to be approached by a complete stranger in your class and be asked if you want to form a study group. Class participation is common, but not at all necessary if that's not your thing. Intellectual conversations are also quite easy to come by outside of class, on the bus, at a coffee shop, at a football game, or wherever. But, like any college campus, silliness and goofing off are welcome too. The English department is very "family-oriented" in that it is close-knit. English majors run into each other in several classes throughout their careers, and the department sponsors contests and other events to get students involved. The department academic adviser sends out weekly emails to English majors keeping them apprised of upcoming events, career/internship opportunities and other announcements pertinent to the major. I have a professor who dubs himself the "poetry liaison" to the city of Davis. He co-hosts a poetry/open mike night at a restaurant downtown, so I see him there often. I also had a professor who gave a talk at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, so I saw him there. Admission to UC Davis varies between "selective" and "very selective." Currently it is "selective" due to the many expansions happening around campus that are increasing the number of students we can take. UC Davis probably leans more toward "learning for its own sake," though your major may determine whether your education is geared toward getting a job or learning for its own sake. Veterinary medicine students are more likely to get a job in their academic field than English majors, who have no specific job title that correlates to their major.