University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Top Questions

The Engineering department is great. The courses were rigorous and I was always challenged on my path to excellence. Every year the College of Engineering has Engineering Week were we have activities throughout the week, ending with a Fluid Dynamics Lab at one of the local bars. It's great time to have a beer with your fellow students and professors. The career services at OU is great. I got my job by having my resume posted on the schools website!

The general freshman classes tend to be rather large, but by the time you get situated in your major, the numbers drop significantly (20-30 ppl in a class). Some professors are difficult to understand, but generally they are extremely intelligent and love their fields.

Classes range in size from 20 to 200. I like them both for different reasons. In the smaller classes you know the other students, the teacher and you get more of a chance to interact with the teacher. For me this is beneficial because I'm a hands-on learner. I do like the large classes though, too! It's nice to not have to participate, simply go to class, get the lecture notes and be done. This isn't to say that getting to know teachers of big classes is impossible. Quite the opposite. In big classes you just have to go to office hours and the teachers are 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time more than happy to see you, get to know you and help you.

Although I have experienced large classes, once I got into my more major specific classes it became much smaller and more intimate. Although I do not know exact statistics I can say that OU excels in many academic areas and I believe has the most national merit scholars at any public university

I think that students study a lot more than professors give them credit for. The academics here are wonderful, and I consistently feel challenged. I compete with myself and classmates, and usually come out doing well in my classes. I think most people here want an education, and OU offers a good one. If people aren't here to learn and discuss with other like-minded individuals, then they don't need to be here in the first place. Fortunately, I believe that many of the students here are very education-oriented people, and generally work to get the job done.

the only professors that knew my name were from classes of fewer than 30 students. of the 150 or so credit hours i earned, only two of the classes were that small. there are classes in which participation is common, but it is usually the same 4 or 5 people who participate all of the time. i really liked most of the professors in the psychology department, but there were some problems. davetta (the advisor for the department for my first two years) was not a suitable sole occupant of her position. she was nice, but she was not very helpful. with as many classes as i took, i could have graduated a semester earlier and had a much easier load. i know this now only after doing what i did. the education at OU, in my opinion, is solely geared at learning for it's own sake. it was rare in my education at OU that i learned a practical application of the knowledge i acquired. and i mean practical in the sense of getting a job.

Pretty academics oriented but sports is still more important to the university in my opinion..

OU academic advisers need better major-specific information. For Chemical Engineering I had very specific courses to be taken each semester in my major and my advisers were unable to alert me of this. They should have had access to major-specific requirement and scheduling information so that I would have had the option to leave 2 semesters earlier than I will now.

The academics are strong and felt like they were always improving. Some of my favorite classes were in the philosophy department, but that is probably because they were a nice break from a lot of science. Large class sizes are a problem, especially in the science department. This didn't seem like such a problem in other departments. The problem of large classes in the early years of college is predominantly avoided by adding discussion sections for the student to attend that are taught by the TA's. This is helpful because it reinforces the material a second time, but might not be necessary if the classes could be made smaller. I didn't see many of my professors outside of class, nor did I spend much time talking to them. Most of them made themselves available to students to come and see them, I just chose not to do so. I majored in biochemistry. The department was strong, but I felt like more credit hours to graduate may have been helpful. I managed to finish a semester early and was sort of stuck in limbo before graduation. Nobody else that I know had this problem, so it is by no means common; I just know of other classes (in or out of the department) that would be helpful for most students to have before graduating. Some sort of research requirement would also be nice to see (optional at this point). My department was very helpful, and the advising staff was great. The department itself is geared more to students interested in pursuing a doctorate in some scientific discipline after graduation. I ended up going to medical school and still felt well prepared (and even ahead of the curve at times) even compared to people next to me fresh out of the Ivy League.

Academics at OU are good, but not necessarily world class. I think it depends on what you want to study. I was political science, and while we didn't always get the best classrooms, i did have some excellent professors. The general trend at OU is that classes for your first year or two will be big, as you have a lot of students clearing out core requirements. However, as you progress in your degree, specialized classes tend to be small. In those classes, the professors generally take the time to get to know you. I had very good relationships with several professors, and would even occasionally see them outside of class for beers or lunch.

I am in mostly gen. ed. classes which means they are huge so mostly my professors don't know my name but in the smaller classes they definitely do. My biggest complaint is about some of the professors from outside the country. They can have terrible accents which makes it extremely difficult to understand the material.

There are 2 classes at OU that every one should take before they leave: Freedom in Greece and Freedom in Rome these classes are taught by J. Rufus Fears and all he does is tell stories about the history of Greece and Rome respectively its the kind of class that you are truly disappointed to miss.

Some professors do know my name. All of my film professors know my name, and some of the general course professors make an effort to know my name, and in the past, several other professors have known my name. My favorite class was either English Comp II, taught by Tommy White, or Storytelling, taught by Jeff Van Hanken. My least favorite classes were all of the gen. eds, and some others. Some students study quite a lot. It varies. Personally, I never study and I never read the textbooks assigned. I rarely pay attention in class. Class participation is not common. Just like everyone hates the 'ice-breakers' that are done in groups when you first go to a conference or some other event. Nobody wants to talk in class anymore than people want to sit on each others laps in a circle of self-supporting human chairs. Intellectual conversations are much more likely to happen outside of class, because outside of class, there are no professors to 'guide' the conversation to the outcome they want it to reach. Students are competitive, but oftentimes it isn't against each other, but against the class or the professor. I do not spend time with professors outside of class. OU's academic requirements are similar to other university's requirements. There is too much emphasis placed on gen. ed. courses, which do not help the student, and only take more time away from what they want to be pursuing. The education at OU is generally geared towards whatever goals the professor wants to achieve. Very little is done towards getting a job or learning. Most of the courses are all the same, and the most the student has to learn is how to tailor his or her writing to that professor's liking, and how to take the exams. None of this is cheating, but all done by 'learning' the professor and what kind of answers are likely to get you a good grade, as opposed to learning the material. This is the biggest problem at the collegiate level.

Some professors know my name---those professors that I've had. But they don't know me very well. That's one thing I miss from high school---interaction with my instructors and great intellectual discussions with them. I've had many favorite classes---my honors colloquium (Race and U.S. Cinema), Indian Epics, Mythology/Folklore, Politics and Literature, the Bible as Literature, some of my German classes, British Women Writers, and Arthurian Legend/Lit. I've also had some terrible ones, mostly because the teacher was bad---Calc II, Contemporary/Modern Native American Literature, Native Peoples of North America. The amount that students study is highly variable. Some study a lot, some study very little. In my experience, class participation is not very common. Usually the same five people or so are the only ones participating. I don't think most people have intellectual conversations outside of class---I wish I had someone to do that with, though. I'm competitive, and other students are, too, but not all of them or even most of them. The most unique classes I've taken have been Indian Epics, Bible as Literature, and Race and U.S. Cinema. My major is English. The department is okay---some good professors, some bad ones. I don't spend time with professors outside of class. I would if I could, but I'm too timid to go to their office hours. The academic requirements are just fine. I think the education is more geared toward getting a job, which I sadly regret. Learning for its own sake should be emphasized, too.

Probably not in the 200 person 1000 level classes most departments have. If the class is 50 or less, and you talk occasionally in class, the prof probably knows your name.

I feel like the professors know who you are as long as you try not to hide from them. The norman campus professors are very great in helping you out in thier classes. they are always wanting students to come in and talk with them. It is nice to have people who want you to succeed. My favorite class at OU was Human anatomy. I learned more in that class than any other. I also liked the discussion based classes such as The New Hollywood, a film class. They really push you as a student. You get to discuss things with your peers and it feels like you lead your own class. Class participation is common, but most of the time in large classes it is done by the same students everyday. that is why I recommend small classes. I feel like a lot of the students at OU are very intelligent. But there are the few you will run across that you will not be sure why they are here. There really is a good mixture of students here. Of course in every class there are student that will get on your nerves. There are competitive students in every class, just like high school. My major is nursing. I took 3 years to do my prerecs. The classes I took were not impossible. At times they were challenging, but also rewarding. At this moment I am very down on the nursing school at OU. I feel once you get into nursing school it is a different ballgame. You will no longer be the smartest person in class. It is very challenging. i live for the time I can be in clinical class. the first semester of nursing school is not too bad. I did not change my lifestyle much. the second semester is way worse. I spend most of my week nights in the library and little time with friends. I have made friends in nursing school, which is nice because we spend most of our time together.

Letters is one particular major at OU which sometimes gets a bad wrap. It can be a catch all for smart, but indecisive students. It is not a course for the faint hearted - you must take two languages and then upper division coursework in History, Philosophy, and Literature. This course boasts the all around classics education you wish mattered, but can be hard to market to employers - make sure you have extracirrular activities and internships to strengthen your resume. For this reason, many Letters graduates head to graduate school (law school in particular is popular) To the average student, OU is moderately academically demanding. Although there are labor intensive majors and classes, many students get by with just studying for Midterms and finals. If you are an above average student interested in learning, this plays to your advantage. Professors are delighted with students that ask a few questions in class, show interest in their subject, and visit during office hours. This can certainly reflect positively on your GPA. With that being said, there is certainly an opportunity for a challenging environment! By joining the honors college and/or majoring in something other than communications, you can find that academic stimulus.

The art school was small, so all of the professors knew your name as well as what classes you were taking and generally how you were doing. I loved 'Apartheid in South Africa' - it was a really interesting combination of learning materials and so interesting! Most students (that I knew) studied a few nights a week, but it varied by major. In the art school class participation was both common and required. Some majors tend to emphasize competition, so some students are competitive. The art program was competitive, but also very cooperative. There was a real emphasis on helping each other and learning from each other. I was a Graphic Design/Visual Communication major. It was very competitive to join the program and we essentially competed against each other for our grades, but we were very into making sure each person had their own voice. We were encouraged to cooperate as a means of understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our own work. We were all very close and most of us still communicate with each other and some still talk to our professors. As an art major it was very important to meet with professors outside of class. I found that most professors at OU enjoyed students who would meet with them outside of class. I wish that OU's academic requirements were a little bit higher, but their National Merit scholarships do ensure that most classes are filled with very bright students. Different schools within OU are geared differently, but my experience was that it was learning for learning's sake, that was very helpful to me after I got a job.

Most of my professors know my name, except for in the classes with 500 people of course. My favorite class is my Communications class. I just think it is intresting and we do group activities and my teacher just makes it intresting yet at the same time he is chill and down to earth. Right now my classes are geard just toward learning but I think once I get into the business school I will be recieving a more focused business learning style.

Yes, a few professors know my name. All of my classes are art related classes so I pretty much enjoy all of them. I wouldn't know too much about studying...I am more used to working on projects. Yes, class participation is a pretty huge thing around here. Of course OU students have intellectual conversations outside of class... what a sad world we would live in if our young people didn't have intellectual conversations around college age. Students in my major are very competitive. The most unique class...I would say would be an art history class I took on a study abroad trip to Austria and Germany. My major is visual communications, which is really just another word for graphic design. We spend time talking to our professors outside of class a lot of times because none of us understand what's going on, so we nag our professors to try to get some kind of answers out of them.

OU's academics are probably the best-kept secret in the country. The Engineering program, at least, is excellent. It provides all willing students with the opportunity to excel in whatever course they choose. Classes are of a personal nature. Even in classes of more than 250 students, professors always know my name (although that might be just because I am very outgoing).

Name: Yea, the more you get into your major the more they recognize you. Favorite class and least favorite: I like most of my classes, I find something good about each. Right now, I have to say that Biological Physical Anthropology is a killer, but I have to take it for my second major. I loved Socio-Cultural Anthropology. Intellectual conversations: Yes, we do have amazing conversations outside of class. Even at parties I have been too, U.S. foreign policy was being discussed while we were sipping on a Screwdriver. Many students I have talked to care very much about what is going on in our world and think progressively for and care deeply about how our country. Competitive: Yes, students are but not against each other. Often, you will find them helping one another with something. No, they are competitive with themselves and their professors. Majors: Journalism and anthropology are amazing for their faculty. Both have incredible programs. Education: OU balances both job and learning. Of course they want us to succeed but we do have classes we must take that force us to think outside of the box and in the mindset of others.

Some classes are huge..like chemistry, zoology, physics. And some classes like poetry and literature in medicine are quite small. The size of the class obviously determines whether a professor will know your name. And students study at different degrees depending on major and future plans. Law school/Med school wannabes are at the library or Barnes and Noble 24/7. Education majors have it a bit easier as far as study hours. Most unique class I took was Chaucer. The entire class was about Cantebury Tales and other great Chaucer works. It was a memorable experience and really shaped the way I view society.

My professors in my smaller classes know my name, usually classes of 25 and under.My least favorite class is my honors communications class because it is based mainly on discussion, and that really doesn't fit my personality. I am more of a shy and introverted person, so speaking out doesn't really suit me. Class participation is common in the smaller classes. I never spend time with professors outside of class. That seems very uncommon. The education at OU seems geared at getting a job: every major is very specialized and we have a ton of connections with various companies that come and seek out future employees here at OU.

I like drama class and making facial expressions.

Favorite class is soil sciences in the engineering department. We get to dig holes. I would say my education is geared toward eating, sleeping and digging.

Academics at OU are not bad at all. It depends on what you major in to be honest. I'm accounting and have felt I have had only one real hard class which has been Finance. Just listen to what teachers to take and you'll be fine. Also, talk to the teachers because they do favor those who actually talk.

The academics at OU are wonderful. I have felt very challenged here and it has made me have to really try and learn. In high school it was very easy to just get by but hear they really make you learn which will of course benefit you in the long run. I feel very prepared for jobs and my life after OU.

I had many amazing classes at OU. Among the best of those classes was Creative Writing, History of Afro-Brazilian music, and French food and film. I also really enjoyed the camaraderie of all the language classes I took. It was really wonderful being in an environment where everyone was motivated to grow and learn. I spent most of my time with friends when I was studying or when I wasn't. I made conscious decisions to take classes my friends were taking or had taken. This gave me the opportunity to study with them. My least favorite class was definitely Freedom in Greece. I had always heard that the class was a lot of fun, and that the professor was extremely engaging and informative, yet all my experiences from the class are negative. The professor was well versed on the subject of historical Grecian democracy and the origins of democracy, yet he was obsessed with the modern ideology of American democracy and also war. He was always manipulating the facts from the past and past victories in Greece to coincide with the current turmoil that American government has placed upon many American citizens. In his tests, he would write questions that could only be answered correctly if we agreed with his ideology. There was no room for independent thinking. This was fairly indicative of the way very few of the professors at OU operate, however, this particular professor was a campus favorite and loved by the president of the university, and his importance is over-inflated and solidified throughout the campus. I was more interested in learning, yet I believe OU is geared more towards job training. The students that are drawn to OU seem a little more practical an well-suited to that kind of education, however, my particular training was more contemplative and geared to prepare me for grad school.

Professors know your name if you make the effort to get to know them. In general, the academic requirements are not difficult.

OU classes are: small within your major, but stadium size for general education classes. Students usually study in the library, in dorm study lounges or at Starbucks. My favorite class at OU has been hosting a radio show and my least favorite class has been PR research.

Some of my professors do but it really just depends on the class size. My favorite cass is accounting!! I love it soooo much! Our teacher tells us about his life and talks to us about ours! My least favorite class is mis because we do the same thing everyday and the information is painfully boring. I study at least four nights a week. Yes, we have intellectual conversations outside of class. Very competitive. I am majoring in energy management and finance. The head of the Energy management department is amazing, he knows everyones name and wants to help everyone.

I got credit for talking to weeks straight about drugs, sex, movies and rock 'n roll--my Honors Capstone during Intersession called 'Hollywood and the '70s.' The Honors College offers the best classes--small with superbly cool profs. Discussions practically blow your brain to bits. By the end of the class, the professors know your name and whether you're registered Democrat or Republican, and you know whether they smoked grass in college--or still do. Outside of Honors classes, I've sometimes felt like a robot going through the motions--take notes, memorize, spit out info on test, forget it. If you go to office hours and ask questions--professors across the board are more than willing to help and talk to you. I think in several cases, my talking in class has bumped a B to an A. Kids cram around finals. The library's like a 24-hour caffeinated camp out. But it' s not un-hip to study, students hole up all over campus and campus corner to study 24/7. Everyone's on their own schedule and too busy to notice anyone else's habits. There's an extremely competitive co-culture on campus--I'll call them 'campus-climbers.' These kids join every club, apply for every leadership position and scholarship--and get them. These are generally the kids who took all A.P. classes and will end up in D.C. or being a rich housewife. But you have to have both ends of the spectrum, right? I won't give names, but yes, I've had a glass of wine or two with some professors. Many leave around campus so it's easy to meet up and have coffee. I meet with one professor regularly at the BookMark coffee shop to talk about a research project--that's my 'class time' with her. Once again, you get what you give. I think OU's academic requirements are fine, because whether a person comes straight out of high school with a 4.0 or took ten years off to have kids before coming to college, everyone's paths are carved differently. The journalism college has been a great networking tool for the real world. The professors span the board-from Harlequin Romance writers to ex-editors of big name papers and journals. I'm part of the Gaylord Ambassadors Program, which has landed me on first-name basis with many higher-ups. We regularly meet with professionals in various journalistic fields and have opportunities to chat, get business cards, and find out about internships. Recently, the college started a Facebook group that keeps me posted on available jobs, internships, happenings, etc. I have complete access to the best equipment from computers to green screens. Basically, it rocks.

I have been pretty lucky to get to have some pretty far out professors who can remember my name. My favorite class has been communication for social change with Clemencia Rodriguez. I wanted/want to change the world after taking the class. Least favorite class would be statistics; it was really boring for me as a non-math person. I see people studying all the time at all of our local coffee houses so you can always find a study buddy. Class participation depends on what class you are in I think. Freshman classes don't have a lot of participation but as you go on more people loosen up for some participation. OU students do have a lot of intellectual conversations outside of class. I have met some students that seem more knowledgeable than professors. There are a lot of national merit scholars here at OU. Actually, I think we might have the most in a public university but I don't see a lot of competitiveness among classmates. The most unique class I have taken is Ballroom dancing. It was two hours once a week of lots of girls and a few nervous boys. I couldn’t ask for more with the University of Oklahoma’s Communication department. Communication was my original major as an incoming freshman to the university. I learned about it through friends and thought it would be a great department to get my bachelor’s degree in. Falling into this field has granted me with many opportunities to learn with exceptional professors and guidance through it’s advising. My personal career goal is to obtain a significant position within a large music company and work for the free press of all music. I believe communication has and will continue to prepare me for this goal. Classes within the department have given me the confidence to do tasks like researching, speaking, and writing in excellence and success. I don't spend a lot of time with professors out of class however I do take advantage of office hours. I feel the academic requirements are fair here at OU.

Most of my teachers know my name, it's because our president does his best for us to get small classes. We participate a lot since classes are small.

I had some professors who knew my name the first day of class, others that probably never knew it. My favorite class was Mass Communication Law - my least favorite was Photojournalism (horrible teacher made the class miserable, that prof is no longer there). Most students study a large amount, but that varies on the person and their major. I thought there was a lot of class participation. Intellectual conversations occur outside of class. Most unique class I took was Freedom in Greece. I was an advertising major and a Spanish minor. It was a good program. I felt like OU's academic requirements were fair. I'd say the education at times geared toward learning, and then later on there was some focus on getting a job.

Do professors know your name? The ones I wanted to know my name do. The ones i didn't care to get to know don't. Tell us about your favorite class. Least favorite? Purington's Intro to Ethics course. difficult class for lower division and he will hurt your weak little feelings if you don't have thick skin. loved it. least favorite: Feminist professor-Lower division Am. Literature class. I never made above a C on a paper and i'm a writing major. i feel like I got "hated" on because I have a penis. How often do students study? Well it depends? that's like asking me what students usually eat for breakfast how am I supposed to know that. people generally study based on their needs. Is class participation common? In classes where it's necessary for the "learning experience" or where it's required. not as much in classes before 1030 am though. Do OU students have intellectual conversations outside of class? yes. Are students competitive? some of them, they are mostly annoying. What's the most unique class you've taken? Photojournalism. it was fun. Tell us about your major / department Journalism/professional writing. we are one of like 10 schools that have this major. It's weird. it's Journalism with some extra bits about how to write fiction and market yourself and be successful. it's still ironing out kinks but it's a good major. fun so long as you like to write and don't mind crazy professors. Do you spend time with professors outside of class? How do you feel about OU 's academic requirements? Is the education at OU geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake?

Intro classes (freshman and sophomore year) are usually huge so you have a make a effort for professors to know your name. It isn’t difficult though, just a few visits to office hours. Once you move into major classes, the class sizes are much smaller and instructors will know you on a personal level. You cannot leave this university without taking Rufus Fears’ “Freedom in Rome” or “Freedom in Greece” classes. He is the most captivating speaker I’ve ever heard and he makes ancient history fun. He lectures with a broomstick pole in his hand so he can act out battle scenes and he’s been known to stab students or cut off their heads with it during passionate fight scenes. In the big classes, the same kids speak up over and over again, but in the smaller sections class participation depends on the atmosphere professors set. I usually spend anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours a night on school work, depending on the day. People don’t usually study all night every night, because there’s too much going on. What’s in my schoolbag? You mean that purse with a notebook in it? Students have occasional intellectual conversations outside of class but most of the time they talk about sports, parties and Greek life. The weirdest class I’ve taken was “Steel Drum Band” and we had a Steel Drum concert for our final. There’s a skill to put on the ol’ resume. My major is Professional Writing. It’s a tiny major within the Journalism Department that focuses on a freelance or creative writing career rather than the factual reporting style of mainstream journalism. I think the PW program needs a facelift or at least a Botox injection here and there, but from what I’ve heard, they’re working on a revamp. The Journalism department over all is an incredible place to be. The instructors have all had major industry experience and the building is equipped with the newest technology on the market. I only had one professor that I hung out with outside of class but I’ve heard of other students getting coffee with their profs too. It’s pretty uncommon for a teacher to invite a whole class to dinner at his house though. There is a core curriculum and it’s pretty basic. I didn’t have any issues with it. The education depends on your major. Some majors equip you for getting a job (Business, Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journalism, Education, Engineering, Meteorology, etc), and others (Classics, Letters, Philosophy, History) are just learning for the hell of it.

Yes some do know my name. It is really up to the student to decide how interactive he wants to be with the professor. OU's professors are very liberal and like to get involved on campus. My favorite class happens to be Social Problems. It provides me with in depth knowledge of our society and its' problems and the professor is very open and outgoing on every subject. Students at OU are very studious. We have many places on campus to study at night and many of them are always packed with study groups and individual groups at all times of the year. I do have intellectual conversations outside of class and many times it is with a professor. We have a lot of interested and smart students who strive to always know a little bit more. It really depends on what college your in, but I would have to say OU is not as competitive in some colleges at all, but in Engineering and Business colleges it is amazingly competitive. My department is in business and it is very hard to get into and maintain the strict requirements. It is nationally recognized on many facets and in many majors and boasts a great resume for business oriented students looking for schools. OU's academic requirements were stiff, but not hard. It did require good grades and work in high school and no slouch can get into OU. Education at OU incorporates both. We are a research university and tend to learn a lot of new information as our professors teach it to us. We learn the needed information pertaining to the class, but we also gear towards getting a job. We have many services on campus for life after college.

Professors are generally nice, and with some research, you can usually land good classes with good professors. Students study very little overall. OU's academic requires very little from its students, starting with admissions. Economics department is decent, although I feel it is hindered by the business school/arts and sciences split, offering 2 different economics degrees. The business school is on a pedestal it really should not enjoy, but large donors see otherwise. Admission to the business school is easy for most, but very difficult for the bottom dwellers of the classes. Business school is the only school that wont allow enrollment from outside its ranks...real snobbery.

Yes. Favorite class is taught by Rufus J. Fears and it's called Freedom In Rome or Freedom in Greece. Least favorite class is Gateway a freshman orientation class. People are always in the library. Yes class participation is a must because we are usually graded on it. I know my friends & I do. Slightly competitive. Unique class is probably Freedom in Rome. I am an art major specializing in Painting. Our art department is probably lacking in comparison to other universities, but they just hired this awesome guy from VCU, Tommy White who has awesome ideas. He makes you want to be a better student. Not really unless I see them around. At OU academics is number one. I would say that it is more geared toward getting a job.

My professor's all know my name. My favorite class was African Drumming and my least favorite class is any science class. Some students study more than you could imagine and some don't. Usually the people that don't study make poor grades. There's only around 20 people with the same major as me so we spend a lot of time with our professor's.