University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Jessica

Academics are what you make of it. If you want to be the college kid who sleeps all day and skips classes, you're not going to learn anything and you won't enjoy college. Go to class! It's the best way to actually take something from school. Make an effort to get to know your professors. Even if there are 400 people in your class, if you go and introduce yourself to your professor or visit him/her doing office hours, they will remember you. In 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my classes, I've gotten to know the instructors on a personal level, even to the point where they're offering to write letters of recommendation for me before I even ask! If you're a hardcore studier, you'll fit in at UNC. Everyone seems to take academics very seriously. Hanging out with my friends often consists of study dates and ordering pizza. UNC has a huge variety of courses to choose from. There's something for everyone. I've taken everything from computer programming to children's literature to animal behavior. Don't just find classes that fit the requirements, find the ones that will interest you most.

Christina

The academics at UNC are what you make of them. Class participation is common, regardless of class size, in my experience. I graduated with a double major in Economics and Public Policy. The Economics department was a little larger, but has some of my all-time favorite professors. If you get a chance, take an Economics class with Ralph Byrns...or just have a conversation with him on the steps outside of Gardner. He's amazing. The Public Policy department was smaller, so I felt like I knew every other public policy student and professor very well by the time I graduated. Outside of my major classes, most professors will learn your name, but others may require that you go to office hours to get to know them better. As a freshman, you have the option to take a freshman seminar, which is a 20 person class. Definitely take one, but take one that you're genuinely interested in because more participation is required. I took one on Jesus in the Media...which basically was watching movies like Jesus Christ Superstar once a week and writing our own gospel. For the most part, all of the classes require a decent amount of studying for the average student. The whole cramming the night before does not work for exams in most classes. Also, attending class majorly helps in most cases. I had a lot of classes where the material on the exams only came from the lectures although there was assigned reading. Overall, I would say UNC's education is geared at learning for its own sake. Professors always talk about how we are academics, but my public policy practicuum (last class required for the completing the major) was actually a consulting internship, which really prepared me for a job. Every department is different, so I would ask someone who studied the major that you are interested in.

Alex

School is tough. Since most people were top of their class they really never learned to study because they were just smart like that. However, you'll have to learn what works for you and how to study. So don't be dissapointed when you don't get a 4.0 your first semester, it's a learning process that can be mastered quickly. How much studying and work required depends on things like your own personal work ethic/intellegence along with what your major is or what type of classes you are taking along w/ extracurriculars. It's really about balancing and finding out what works for you. I know for me , I don't study well with others because i'm easily distracted so I either closed myself in my room ...but sometimes that just leads to you falling asleep..so I would go to the library after/betwen classes and meetings or practices. Professors are usuallly understanding and approachable. Since it is a large university it is wise to talk to/get to know your professors especially those in your major courses so you have references and people to help you with internships and jobs. Although you are given a academic advisor as a freshmen they are not always the most helpful people so feel free to find someone else that you find most helpful--there are always plenty of options for adopting an advisor : ) The education is geared toword education itself and jobs. Depending on what department/school you are in some are more job based and others maybe in higher eduacation (grad school etc...)--which is usually the most practicle for whatever feild you are attempting to be in.

Brian

Academics at UNC are ranked among the best in the country. The university brings in some of the world's experts in every field of study, and it is not uncommon to interact with world-famous faculty members on a daily basis. I have developed many great and lasting relationships with professors outside of class that I continue to enjoy today. The liberal nature of UNC fosters the perfect atmosphere for learning. All students and faculty are encouraged not only to have opinions, but to form opinions on their own and share and defend them openly. Class sizes at UNC can range from very small to very large (10's to 100's) depending on the subject and course level, but the highly experienced and motivated faculty are able to rise to the challenge of any teaching environment and I feel that I have received a personalized education in each and every course that I've taken at UNC. Class participation is considered an essential part of the learning process, as most professors at UNC believe that they are spearheading the "educational renaissance" by using discussion rather than traditional lecture-style teaching methods to help their students learn. Discussion in class necessarily breeds discussion outside of class, and students are encouraged to learn and to grow and to bring that growth into class with them. Academics at UNC are competitive, but not to a degree that students are afraid to help each other out. Grades are obviously important, but in every class there are study groups designed to help students and facilitate learning. Being a liberal arts state-funded university, UNC has certain academic requirements that can be frustrating at times. However, it is no secret that students leave the university more well-rounded for their efforts in areas that they normally would not have chosen to pursue. UNC truly is an institution of higher learning, and learning is indeed what the undergraduate curriculum is focused on. It is designed to help students find themselves and find a path for the first 2 years, and then preparation for a career can commence in the third and fourth years.

patrick

Professors will know your name, IF you make an effort. For the most part, classes range in size from about 20 to about 400. Classes aren't as hard as you'd expect. If you give an honest effort in a subject you're not terrible at, there's no reason you should get anything less than a B. UNC education (in the liberal arts departments, at least) is geared more towards academia than job training. This shouldn't be a problem though, because having UNC-CH on your resume can get you a lot of places others can't get to.

Nicole

UNC generally has around 16,000 undergraduate students, so a professor knowing your name is dependent on your participation and cooperation. There are a lot of classes with 30 or fewer studentes where your input is greatly appreciated, and there are lecture classes with upwards of 400 people, and if you want the professor to know you, you should go to office hours and make your name known. The liberal arts classes are my favorite ones. The sciences are known to be really tough (often on purpose to weed people out). UNC is filled with very bright students, which is great. There is often intelligent conversation outside of class, but of course, people aren't academic all of the time. Beware: If you consider yourself to soar above the rest of your class, that doesn't mean college will be a breeze. Everyone here is smart, so be ready to have a tough time competing with classmates. I'm a Physics major, and a lot of my professors know my face and name, and are always willing to help, though many can be pretentious.

Whitney

it's like any school probably - some absolutely amazing profs, some pretty lousy ones. make the most of it. use pick-a-prof.com.

Rebecca

Most professors will not know your name in the 100 and 200 level classes. The biggest class I was ever in had 360 people in it. Professors and TAs will know your name if you make an effort to get to know them. In my major, class participation was common, almost required. You could not learn properly if you did not participate. My friends and I had lots of interesting conversations about globalization, sports, weather, science, education, and politics outside of class. I would think we mostly just goofed around though. Students are not very competitive because you often make friends with people outside your major. In my group, we were more likely to be competitive because we all took the same classes together for 2 years. My major is geared towards getting students ready to work in middle school classrooms. Our degree requirements may seem easy because our content information can be completed in introductory level classes, but I challenge other students to complete a semester of student teaching. Most would not be able to do it.

Kathryn

ACademics are challenging. Many intro classes are huge but the professors generally have a real interest in their students and if you need extra help they make themselves available. The classes where you need more individual attention, like English or Math are smaller and the professors will know your name.

Mike

- Professors will give out whatever you put in. If you're willing to meet with a professor and get to know them, they're equally as willing to do so. - Most have very fair grading policies and are clear and upfront at the beginning of the semester. - The business school is very helpful with getting students internships/jobs.

Natasha

Some people dislike UNC because they've heard of how large the classes are, but personally, I love large lectures. It lessens the pressure to do the reading on time and attend class, and recitations are usually really helpful and I've had some brilliant TA's. But there are certainly options to take smaller classes if you want. UNC is very academically driven and classes are very difficult, but I feel like the campus has a strong "work hard, play hard" mentality. There's a good mix of the social and academic elements of college. Any major in the sciences is going to be very difficult, but if you want an easy major, choose something like Psych, Comm, or Exercise and Sports Science. If you're going to be a poli major, I'd definitely recommend a class with Andrew Reynolds. Poli 130 (intro to comparative politics) was a great class and he doesn't grade very harshly. Additionally, I'd recommend Ehrman's New Testament class (reli 104) for EVERY student at UNC. It has impacted my life more than any other class. You may not like Bart, and the class isn't very easy, but you'll never be the same after you take it. Plus he's semi-famous (best-selling book, plus he's been on The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Animal Planet, CNN, etc.). Also, for incoming freshman, I'd recommend taking a freshman seminar. I took a really weird one, but I made some great friends in the class. It was a wonderful experience.

Matt

Class sizes are large, but in my upper level classes it would have been easy to know most of my professors. They get to be an ideal size where it is easy to know some professors, but also where you can get by unnoticed.

Gene

The best. If you don't like big classes, don't come here because that is what almost all the introductory classes are except for the languages.

daniel

Professors here are the best in their field... but you have to seek them out sometimes (grad students teach a shocking number of lower-level classes). Again, UNC is so diverse that every class is different. Most students participate, some don't. Most students study, some don't. Some students view UNC as a way to get a job, and others view UNC as a place to learn. Sorting out which group you feel comfortable in is hard. Students are rarely competitive, though. UNC's general education requirements are frustrating.

elizabeth

I was a Communication Studies Major. It was awesome, it's a great department and you get to engage with all kinds of other academic disciplines in your studies. It really changed the way I thought about the world.

Ashley

Academics here are definitely very different from high school. I am now a senior and possibly 2 of my professors from my 4 years know my name. This is of course, partially because I don't go to office hours, etc...but when you go to school full time and work full time, you don't have time to force someone to get to know you.

Meredith

I made straight A's in high school, graduated top 10 in my class, and am considered an average student. I graduated with above a 4.0, here I have to WORK to get B's. It's difficult. But I love my professors and I know the sacrifice of attending a rigorous academic institution will pay off. The profs here are fantastic. Many theories I learned about in high school were created by my professors here, at UNC.

Andy

There are a lot of large classes at UNC, this can be difficult during your first years. However, that being said, you can develop close relationships with professors. It is all about what work you put in.

Dale

Unbeatable.

Ellie

Many classes are HUGE. Even classes in your major are larger than at many other schools. Even many of my higher level English courses would have 35+ people in them. Teachers don't get to know their students very well for the most part. Not as much class participation occurs in larger classes. Classes tend to be good at encouraging learning.

Erin

I make an effort to attend class and to get to know my professors, at least to the extent that we say hello when we see each other on campus. I think that little bit of effort on my part has drastically improved my aademic experience at UNC because professors are willing to help me when I need it. The students that I hear complain about their professors or their classes are the ones that skip class all the time or that show up but don't engage at all. Professors notice that, and don't respond kindly a lot of the time. Students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class, particularly about big issues like the presidential race, human rights, gender issues, etc. The policy department is wonderful because they are very willing to work with students. I love that there is a Major's Union for students to express grievances or to make suggestions to make their UNC experience even better. I feel that the majority of UNC's academic requirements are valid and important, but I think that the requirements for visual and performing arts are a bit ridiculous. A student should be able to test out of the requirement with an audition and/or theory test.

Andrea

The intro level classes can be gigantic or there can be twenty people in them depending on the subject. Some of the lower level classes are taught by grad students but the classes are always good. It is a large university and the professors won't always know your name, but they want to. Students who go to the professors office hours almost always do better in the class. The academics of the place allow you to excel if you want to but for those who want to cruise through college there are also the Poli-sci and anthropology departments.

Jessica

Some of the classes are way too large, but then others are so small they are impossible to get into. They need to offer more sections of highly sought after courses--especially upper level biolog classes

Maria

There is a large variance in class size at Carolina, I have taken a 400 student Biology 101 class and then I had an 11 student English 102 class directly after. Obviously my Biology instructor couldn't learn all 400 of our names, but my English class became a fairly tight-knit group. My favorite class was a First-Year Seminar that I took called "Think, Speak, Argue". This class was geared toward building argumentative speeches, we ended the semester by organizing a public debate, and we had several in class debates. I had a blast and the professor was amazing.

Valerie

Academics are hard, only 23{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are admitted, and teachers demand excellence. If you are coming here to earn all A's... don't bother. What you will learn in the classroom is more significant then letter grades obtained.

Kelly

Professors are pretty sweet. Don't like the grad student ones so much. Don't generally care for TAs; they're kind of arrogant. I have one favourite professor and we're totally hanging out even though I don't have class with her next semester. I don't know what the education is geared toward, but it shouldn't be toward getting a job, it should be for learning. And I think that people get way too caught up in the getting a job thing.

julia

Some professors are wonderful. Its harder than it seems to form good relationships with professors because lots of lecture classes are huge and there are some classes you dont need office hours and you dont really end up getting to know them. lots of professors make class too hard. and miserable. students are very competitive and its hard because everyone is always stressed out. Academic requirements are outrageous. i have so many compliants about them. education here is geared toward getting a job.

Whitney

It is pretty difficult to get accepted but depending on your major, I havent found too many of the classes here too hard or unmanageable.

Emily

Most classes that are intro classes are large lectures. However, I never felt like I was lost in a big classroom. The professors do a great job making sure they are available during office hours for any questions etc.

Meg

In smaller classes, the professors know everyone's names. In larger classes (200+ students), the professors do not. If you go to office hours however, they will learn who you are & what your name is. My favorite class & most unique class I have taken is American Studies: Birth & Death with Professor Marr. He was AWESOME. It was so interesting. We learned & discussed literally everything about anything that had to do with birth & death. My least favorite class was statistics. My professor was hard to understand & he flew through the material. Also, I just don't like statistics. Class participation is very common in smaller classes..language classes, first year seminars, etc. Students are competitive with themselves. Test grades are never curved, so I don't compete with other students to get the better grade. I just compete with myself to make a good grade. I am a nursing major doing all my prerequisite requirements. The nursing school is the top program in the country, so I am really excited. I don't spend time with professors outside of class unless I need extra help on something & I go to office hours. UNC has a lot of academic requirements, but it's a liberal arts school, so that is expected. It is hard to meet all the requirements before you graduate though. The education is geared toward qualifying people to get a good a job AND for learning for its own sake. We wouldn't be required to take classes about stuff that has nothing to do with our major if the education wasn't made to make us more well-rounded people.

Louise

Competitive, but not in a malicious way. People want to succeed together.

Tristan

they are challenging, but fun, they ask the most of you as a student, and give you back everything you put in. We are the "public ivy"

Tiffany

It's hard and definitely should not be taken lightly. With that said, even if it's hard, the amount of things/social activites, friends you make, it doesn't matter how hard you're struggling.

Andy

I love my creative writing classes. They are the ones in which I learn the most.

Robin

Teachers will often bend over backwards to help you. Some are amazing, but others are terrible. Doing your research is key. Worst teacher ever? Johathan Hill. I can't believe the university just brought him on as a full time professor!

Chelsea

i love my first-year seminar on marketing b/c it gives me the opportunity to learn from my renowned professor in a field that is constantly changing. it is an intimate setting where all my questions can be answered and all my knowledge can be heard.

Devin

Academics are difficult but not impossible. Even classes that seem like they would be easy here as fairly difficult. UNC is a great school and lives up to its reputation in the classrooms.

Jarvis

The school I am in is one of the top in the country. It has a unique ciriculum and offers lots of group work.

Natalie

The academics at UNC vary according to what your major is. Some majors are harder than others, the business school and the sciences being among the most difficult. Nevertheless, every school with UNC is amazing and ranks among the top in the nation for public universities. The only complaint I have about academics at UNC is that everything is so liberal. Any academic environment tends to lean toward the liberal side in general, but UNC in particular seems to really harp on "open-mindedness" and "tolerance." While these can be good things, I sometimes feel out of place in holding my my beliefs and disagreeing with certain lifestyles and moral issues.

Heather

UNC is all about academics. The libraries are always full of students studying. You can probably get by making Cs or Ds without studying, but to get an A, you have to put in hours of work. Professors are a mixed bag. Some are really full of themselves and arrogant, others put so much time and effort into getting to know their students and helping them.

Jessica

They are hard, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you never studied in highschool, you are more than likely going to have to study ten times harder here, just to get a b or a c on a test. Also student here are very competitive.

Nicole

The one thing that I really do miss about high school is the fact that every teacher knew me personally and asked about my life. Here, it sometimes feels that teachers are there to teach a class and leave; almost like they don't make students a part of their lives. I think that my opinion is somewhat biased, though, because the majority of my classes are very large science classes, where it is hard for a professor to get to know a class fo 230 and, for the most part, they are there to research, not teach a class. Aside from not having many personal relationships with professors, the academic quality of an education from Carolina far exceeds anything I ever anticipated. I find myself forming strong opinions on things that never mattered to me before I came and I have had to learn to think in a completely different way than I did in high school.

Brandt

I try to do as little work as possible.

Andrew

I love classes here, but some professors do need to realize that "learning" is not "spitting my own words back at me verbatim"

Kennan

I could not think more highly of academic at UNC. The right classes will generate intensely stimulating discussions that are often continued outside of the classroom. I have majors in Peace, War, & Defense (PWAD) and International Studies, with a minor in Philosophy. The PWAD curriculum is very unique, as undergrad peace studies program are quite rare. As a liberal arts major, most of my classes have been geared towards learning rather than job skills. I have been impressed by several upper-level Poli Sci classes that directly seek to encourage critical thinking. The workload for most majors is not overly burdensome. Granted, although I came into college with 20 or so AP hours, I have been able to complete two majors, a minor, and have senior leadership in two organizations without having to sacrifice my social life. Science majors, however, tend to have their lives dominated with lengthy labs and difficult tests. There are a lot of bright people at UNC, as it is extremely competitive for out of state students and for certain areas of North Carolina - notably Wake and Mecklenburg counties. UNC tries to admit students from all over NC, thus it accepts the top students from more rural areas who are usually less competitive.

John

Im not so into school really.

Jessica

Academics at UNC are academics at UNC, which means they are no walk in the park. Each of my classes has challenged me to do my best work and work my hardest. I have always loved school, from kindergarten to graduation, and now I love it even more than I ever imagined I could. So many professors are so passionate about what they teach and makes the students really care about what they have to say. The variety in classes is awesome! If you're interested in the most off the wall topic you could think of, there's a class for it!

Karen

There are two major complaints that I have with the academics at UNC. 1. The professors give TAs too much leeway in grading across the board. There needs to be a defined grading standard, especially in subjective work such as papers, so that everyone is being graded the same way, no matter who they have for their TA. I feel that there are some big discrepancies between sections of a class, especially when undergraduate TAs are given grading power. 2. I do not like the new academic requirements. I feel that I have taken a lot of classes that are not going to ever come into use in my life ever again. It seems more logical to give students suggestions based on their majors for the connections and approaches, but not a general standardized sheet for everyone.

Mike

They are great, a good value. UNC offers every type of class you could want. UNC has many strong majors.

Ann

Some professors know you by name, and some don't. I've found that I try hardest in classes where I really like and respect and am inspired by the teacher, and the majority of my professors have been incredible. Maybe it's because I am an English and Art History double-major, but my classes are centered around learning for learning's sake. I have developed great relationships with some of my professors outside of class by going to their office hours, etc. They have written me wonderful letters of recommendation for internships, and probably will for graduate school, when that happens.