University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

Some classes are lectures, which you just sit and listen to the professor, and some are discussions, which you do activities or discuss about what you learned in lecture.

Some classes are lectures, which you just sit and listen to the professor, and some are discussions, which you do activities or discuss about what you learned in lecture.

There are large classes and small classes. New students should definitely talk to the counselors to try and see how to best get into smaller classes if they thrive in those environments.

The lower level classes are packed. You can expect 100 or more students in your lower level classes. But once you reach the higher level classes later in your academic career the classes become much smaller and time with professors becomes much more intimate and involved.

My classes are usually two or three times a week. Once or twice a week I'll have lecture, and once a week I will have a discussion or lab for that same class. The lecture has about 100-150 students, and the discussion only 25 students. Lecture is mostly the professor talking and students taking notes with an interaction and activity here or there, while discussion consists of more talking amongst students and projects such as labs or in class activities. After being in the same classes with other Kinesiology majors for three years, you get to know everyone at least by face and recognize each other when you have the same discussion/lab section.

Challenging, but rewarding

Surprisingly, despite the size of some of my classes, my classes are quite personable. I am usually engaged and quite interested in what my professors have to say. In fact, my theatre class is by far one of my favorites because my professor got us out of our seats and even took breaks from class to talk to us about how our days were going. This just goes to show that classes are not all work and no play. They are an equal balance.

Let's face it, classes can be a drag. Don't get me wrong, I'm a student first, and slacker by night, but I generally love my classes. I honestly don't think that I learn much about my major (journalism) in class. It's one of the disciplines that requires hands on experience. So my internships and job have given something more valuable than what class has given me. Overall, classes here vary: you have your basic lectures, and some classes operate like a law school does. The professor gives us readings and something to get us start it, but we lead the discussion, essentially teaching ourselves. It's invigorating to hear everyone's views on a topic and to debate on them back and forth. We note each response and listen to each other. In my view, this is the best preparation for the real world because we actually converse with others and share ideas. Sitting a listening to a lecture is only half beneficial because we aren't hear the input of others. The course load rigorous, as it should be. We are in college to be challenged, and U of I does a great job of it. We learn something from even the easiest classes, and take away valuable lessons from each professor. I enjoy going to class not only because I'm paying for it, but because I'm growing as a person.

Most classes at the U of I are pretty laid back. Big lectures allow you to get away with even sleeping in class, you won't learn much though. If you pay attention, take notes and follow up on studying, you should do fine. Some classes are designed to allow a lot of participation from students. Some people find this as a good tool for learning and others are bothered by it. It's really exciting when students actually want to participate and get involved in the discussion. Unless you're really interested in basic 100 level classes, they can be a little boring at times, but its do-able.

The gen eds I'm taking are pretty ho-hum, with the professor giving big lectures in halls and then discussion sections to go over the material. My journalism classes are, on the other hand, very fun and hands-on. We get to go out and make stories the way we want and do live newscasts, in addition to learning about all the tricks of the trade from our professors, who are all broadcast veterans very cool.

As a senior, I have specific classes that I need to take to graduate. When I was a freshman, I took pretty much Gen Eds and whatever sounded cool. Now, as a Broadcast Journalism student, I am taking an Journalism Ethics class, my final major class with is TV2 - producing and broadcasting a live weekly newscast, a sports law class and a fantasy literature class. As a Broadcast Journalism major, you are required to take many different kinds of classes to get a wide array of knowledge on many different subjects.

Most of my classes are politically oriented, but that's because I am a political science major. However, I am currently in a Communication course as well as a leadership course and a French course, so both of those deviate from my usual classes. But all but one of my classes have 30 or less students and the other being a large lecture, but I sit in the front row...so it seems like there are only 15 students in the class because that's who I see. All of my professors love what they are teaching and you can tell too!

There is a huge variety of classes that you can take here at Illinois. Right now, I'm mostly taking upper-level classes for my major, but I still like to take time for some fun classes here and there. For freshmen, there are Discovery classes that are like little seminars on oddball/creative topics that you might not normally think about. They're only open your first two semesters, so take advantage of them while you're young! Now, I am in food chemistry and its lab, sensory science, organic chemistry II, and biochemistry. I have no complaints about any of them for the most part, but I'm getting a little sick of science this semester! Next semester I'm excited to take Popular Film and Movies just for fun. I'm done with all my general education classes, so now I'm just taking things to get hours towards graduation. That's one of the perks of being an upperclassmen and an honors student: you get first pick of the most popular classes during the registration period. But don't worry! Freshman are always reserved spots in the classes you need to take, and if you ever can't get in to a class you need for your major, just talk to your academic adviser. They can do magic sometimes.

There are a variety of classes and each one is taught a little different. Most of my communication classes are large lectures, 50 -300 students. You go to class, you listen to a professor read off of a power point, and occasionally you answer a question or send in an answer via these things called iClickers. These types of classes can be interesting or boring depending on if you're interested in the topic. Most of these classes also have a discussion portion that meets once a week and is led by a TA. In discussion you fill out worksheets, discuss issues in groups, and occasionally present to the class. Most lectures and discussions are about 50 minutes long. Other types of classes could be labs. I have had a number of chemistry and biology labs. These types of classes can be 3-4 hours long but they usually move pretty quick and a lot of the time you can finish your lab in 1-2 hours. In labs you usually have a partner or two and are given a lab to finish in the 3-4 hour period. The lab instructions are recorded in a lab manual so you and your partner(s) just follow the instructions all the way through. Some other classes are more like what I was used to in high school. They are smaller and taught in a classroom. The teacher will talk about a subject and then ask for your input about a topic or have you work in a group to talk about an issue or fill out a worksheet.

The classes at the University of Illinois are different in so many ways. There are large lectures, small lectures, large discussions, small discussions, labs, hands-on field work and more. Depending on the popularity of a class, the demand of it as a general education requirement versus a class for your major, and the resources available, a class may have hundreds of students in it, or just a few. This semester my classes are Hebrew, creative writing, graphics and design, political science and dance. From this semester alone it is clear that there is a diverse range of classes to fulfill your requirements and your personal interests. All of my classes meet twice a week for an hour and a half, except for Hebrew. My Hebrew class meets four days per week for 50 minutes. Also, I take a lab for my graphics and design class, which is three hours. During that time we learn computer programs like InDesign, Illustrator, HTML and Flash. We then use these skills to design newspaper pages, create charts and graphs, and code our own websites. The workload in each class varies. In creative writing I have nightly homework. In graphics and design I have weekly assignments. In political science I have three tests and one paper. Hebrew has more frequent quizzes and tests, but of a smaller scale. As far as size goes my Hebrew, tap, and graphics and design class each have 20-30 people in them. My creative writing class has about 15 students. Political science has over 100. The classes at the University of Illinois can be great opportunities to learn. I am required to take a political science class and was not looking forward to it, but my professor takes a subject that I assumed would be boring- the US presidency- and makes it interesting and relevant. We've spent time learning about the problems in the US presidency and how the public is uninformed about a president's ability to lead. University of Illinois classes are worthwhile and memorable experiences, but because of the variety of classes offered no two students will have the same experience.

The classes at the University of Illinois are different in so many ways. There are large lectures, small lectures, large discussions, small discussions, labs, hands-on field work, and more. Depending on the popularity of a class, the demand of it as a general education requirement versus a class for your major, and the resources available, a class may have hundreds of students in it, or just a few. This semester my classes are Hebrew, creative writing, graphics and design, political science and dance. From this semester alone it is clear that there is a diverse range of classes to fulfill your requirements and your personal interests. All of my classes meet twice a week for an hour and a half, except for Hebrew. My Hebrew class meets 4 days per week for 50 minutes. Also, I take a lab for my graphics and design class, which is three hours. During that time we learn computer programs like InDesign, Illustrator, HTML, and Flash. We then use these skills to design newspaper pages, create charts and graphs, and code our own websites. The workload in each class varies. In creative writing I have nightly homework. In graphics and design I have weekly assignments. In political science I have three tests and one paper. Hebrew has more frequent quizzes and tests, but of a smaller scale. As far as size goes my Hebrew, tap, and graphics and design class each have about 30 people in them. My creative writing class has about 15 students. Political science has over 100. The classes at the University of Illinois can be great opportunities to learn. I am required to take a political science class and was not looking forward to it, but my professor takes a subject that I assumed would be boring- the US presidency- and makes it interesting and relevant. We've spent time learning about the problems in the US presidency and how the public is uninformed about a president's ability to lead. University of Illinois classes are worthwhile and memorable experiences, but because of the variety of classes offered- thousands each semester- no two students will have the same experience.

My classes right now are truly compelling for me because as a senior, I am now enrolled in the upper-level subject areas of my major. I am a Communication major, so right now I am taking courses on: -how to communicate properly in a business setting, -how communication occurs within familial relationships, -communication in health care settings, and -the use of social marketing campaigns in changing health behaviors. My lower-level classes were interesting as well and allowed me to get a better idea of my interests and future goals within communication. I was also able to enroll in courses outside of my major to make my studies more well-rounded.

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