University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

Professor know my name? This semester 3/4 of my teachers know my name. As an English major, the classes are small and the teachers take a large effort in getting to know their students. Language classes are also very intimate. Favorite class-- I love Black Politics because it is so relevant to this year's election. Study time-- Students study really hard; it is not uncommon to wake up for 10 o clock class and then spend time at the library until dinner (and maybe even go back later). It is important to stay on top of your work during the day, so then we can go out at night! Class participation-- For a lot of my classes, participation is necessary to get a good grade. It is worth it to participate because then you pay attention and it is embaressing to fall asleep. Convos outside of class-- It really depends what circle you run in. I appreciate learning about my friend's classes but at the end of the day, discussing the last episode of Gossip Girl is a nice relief. Competitive-- Not at all... atleast for English majors. Unique class-- Children's Literature. Major/Department-- English majors really vary. My classes mostly consist of girls. Most students are amazing writers, others just have a passion for literaute. Very laid back, only a few papers due each semester, but definately a lot of reading. Requirements-- I hate the language requirement. I would much rather take interesting random classes than 2 full years (4 semesters) of a language I will barely use outside of university. Education geared towards-- Getting a LSA degree is mostly learning for its own sake because most students end up needing to go to a grad school. As an English major, I am pre-law.

1) Mainly b/c I prefer to ask questions and actually leave this campus w/ an education-not just a piece of paper that cost $120,000. 2) Any of my history courses. 3) Gen eds in general. 4)Students study everywhere and all the time. 5) Class participation is always handed over to 5-6 loudmouths-the rest just sit there hoping they won't be noticed. 6)I do, but besides myself the most intelligent conversation I've heard was when people realized that half the bums on campus actually have apartments to go home to at night. 7)Some classes are hardcore competitive-just as I expected. Others are very laid back. 8)-leaving it blank. 9) leaving it blank 10)leaving it blank 11)the requirements are nowhere near as difficult as I was lead to believe. The bark is worse than the bite. 12)Education at U of M is geared to make you a student for life....and please sign your name on their dotted line for that big loan you'll need...

Classes are challenging, and it takes a lot to get noticed by the Professors. That being said, people who study and work are generally successful.

For me, there was a large difference between general education classes and classes within my major. Freshman and Sophomore year classes consisted of lectures of 100 and discussion sections around 20-25. My average class size for my junior and senior year was around 16 and the largest class was a lecture of 90 people that divided into discussions of around 10. Professors in large lectures won't know who you are unless you make an effort to know them but by and large they are willing to spend time. My Profs for classes in my major know my name and my personal interests and were generally available for any and all type of discussion, whether it pertained to class or not. The academic environment as I experienced it was highly competitive, but the competition mostly kept a healthy and positive nature that contributed to my overall learning ability. In the end, an experience here is what you make of it. If you take large lecture classes and never make an effort to meet your profs or other students, you will be miserable. If you make a concerted effort to know your professors and peers, you can succeed on academic, social and professional levels.

The education I get from my classes is not what I will use to get a job one day. I take the classes I take because I am interested in the material, not because I want to be a historian. However, this is what I like. I don't want to have to choose my career right now. I want to take classes that I enjoy, and that is what I can do at U-M. There are so many interesting classes that the knowledge never ends. The skills I get outside of the classroom are the ones that I will use to get a job. I have learned how to work with people, how to lead people, and how to socialize with people. These are skills I can use in any career I choose.

Professors get to know my name in most smaller classes. Most students study at least a little. A lot of my friends neglect studying on the weekends and then cram during the week. For many classes, especially science and math classes, it's simply impossible to pass if you don't put a good amount of time in. Myself, I probly spend 10-12 hours a week reading (though I'm a fast reader) and at least 3-4 hours writing papers. (I'm also a fast writer) I occasionally go to office hours, though I feel most students underutilize them. Right before an exam or paper, there's always a line of panicked students with half-developed theses, but otherwise the professor is usually just hanging out waiting for students to come in. I've found all the professors very receptive, friendly and ready to help without doing the assignment for you. I don't agree with the language requirement. UM requires LSA students to take two years of a language. I finished my spanish requirement two years ago, and I'm forgetting more and more every day. If you're not going to become completely fluent in a language and use it often, there's not much of a point in just learning a little.