University of Oregon Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Matt

They are great. I like them.

Elisabeth

Excellent. Human Physiology is great for preparing you for graduate schools.

Melissa

My major is International Relations. I have found that the classes you pick are important and if you pick the "easy" or wrong ones, you are just selling yourself short.

Casey

They are like any typical college's academics. Some classes are challenging, some extremely easy, and some professors are idiots. It just depends on your class and what level you're in.

Marissa

Academics at the school can be easy or challenging, depending on the course. Since I am double majoring in biology and human physiology, my workload is tremendous and my classes are quite difficult. I am glad there is free help for math and writing on campus, because it is very useful since I can't afford a tutor and don't have a lot of time for one. The professors I have had thus far have all been very kind to the students, and I can always tell that they have a passion for teaching. Professors will make time for you outside of class if necessary, because they want students to perform well and understand the material.

William

University of Oregon takes pride in the high level of academic success is achieves. The Business program is among the top ranked business school in the country. Many students also come here for Journalism school that can get you started in any area of communication. The classes range from large student lectures to smaller, first-name-basis classes. The professors are always willing to meet with students and help out in any way they can. There is a large variety of classes that can be taken from the basic major classes to some of the more odd-ball classes like Tarot-card reading! There is always an interesting class to take that fits peoples individual interests. There are also many connections that can be made at the University for success post-graduation through internships, company interests, and personal connections that can be made

Addison

In most of my classes, my professors know my name, which is rare on a college campus as large as ours. I love our classes because we have a little bit of everything in terms of class size. There are 500 people lecture classes, Medium size classes containing about 75 kids, and smaller classes with 25 people. Because of this,, you really have the ability to choose what route you want to take and which classes you feel comfortable taking. Class participation is very common, and expected in classes as participation usually counts toward your grade. In addition, studying is a must at UO especially since we are on a quarter system. It always seems that right when you are getting comfortable in a class, it is time for finals! It is a fast paced class schedule that takes some getting use to, but as long as you keep up on your studying, it will should never get too overwhelming. UO really takes initiative in getting you ready for the real world. I am getting a Bachelor of Arts which requires two years of a language. Although some people don't like this aspect, it really prepares you for the outside world. In addition to language, all of the additional graduation requirements really prepare you, and force you to look into other aspects of education that you might not otherwise do. I really enjoy this because I am learning so much in not only my major, but other areas as well. UO is a great school, who pushed their students to ask question, learn, and branch out into areas you might not have ever thought. Through my education here, I have gained a stronger interest in the world around me.

Audra

Most classes at UO are very large and there isn't a lot of interaction with your professors. Discussion classes are necessary for most classes. The quarter system is unique and each term is 10 weeks long instead of 15 week long semesters.

Leila

The academic learning style varies by class. Some classes are like a high school setting, with no more than 30 in the classroom and the teacher knows who you are. Other classes are giant lecture halls and the teacher may not even know your face. Either way, the quality of education is excellent. Students are fairly competitive, but ultimately people are there for the knowledge rather than the grades.

Rebecca

The academics are a little intimidating but fun all the same. I didn't expect it to be such an inviting place to learn. The professors want to get to know you and help you, which is not what I expected at all. Its a pleasant experience.

Beth

The academics are very, very good. For such a big school, it's kind of amazing how there can be classes of 20-30 kids. Those kinds of classes encourage class participation, but the huge lecture classes don't. There is a huge variety of classes to choose from, and many are very unique and interesting. The common areas are always full of students studying and discussing intellectual issues. The education encourages students to do what inspires them, but there is also a great career center that helps students immensely.

M

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Jelve

The University of Oregon offers great academics. The classes are somewhat large, with 500 students, however there are small class as well consisting of 25 student, it all depends on the class. Also, some say that the teachers might not know your name is large classes which is probably the case, however, it's up to you as a student to make the effort and talk to your professor. Students at the University of Oregon study a lot, because since it runs under quarter system, each term is going in a fast pace, in which the students try their hardest to stay on top of their class. I am studying Pre-Law, but my major is Planning Public Policy and Management, and it is a very good department. The school has a wonderful academic program!

Elizabeth

Starting out at the University of Oregon you usually take larger classes. My largest class freshmen year was of 500 students. It sounds frightening but it really was not so bad and the professors are still willing to help you if you need it. There are also smaller classes that you might have to take such as writing, a foreign language or math. These classes usually have around 25 students which makes the learning environment a bit more friendlier and less intimidating. Freshmen year you have the option of being in a FIG, freshmen interest group. There are different options for figs. I chose one called Breaking the Wall about Postwar Germany. When you are in a fig you take three classes with the same 25 people. This helps you make a group of friends and gives you easy access to study partners if you are having trouble in any one of the three classes. I would highly recommend it. I made one of my best friends through the fig. Some of the FIGs are residential, meaning that you even live with your other classmates. My favorite class so far has been History of Christianity because it was not a class that I had ever really thought about taking. It turned out to be very interesting and made me realize that I could be interested in something completely different than I had originally thought. My least favorite class was probably Mind and Brain, a psychology class that I used as a science credit, just because I am not a science person. Students typically study everyday. Because we are on terms it is very important that you do not get behind as the terms go by very fast and it is hard when you fall behind. But, you still have plenty of time to have fun with friends! I think that classes get much better the older you get at the University because you eventually end up taking classes for your major and the majority of people in your classes are very serious and interested about the topics. The classes also get smaller the higher level your classes are. I am a history major. My classes right now are around 30-35 people. Next term I take my last history class, the 407 seminar, where we sign up for a class (mine is the USSR in Wartime) and then we write a paper on a specific topic of that subject. The class only consists of about 12 people and we spend the term researching for our paper. This class focuses our studies on one specific time period and subject helping us figure out how to write a research paper that could potentially turn into a thesis. The professors at the University of Oregon are very friendly and are willing to help their students if need be. They all are required to have office hours where students can visit and ask questions. If you are not able to meet at that time they are usually flexible in scheduling appointments that fit your schedule. Their job is to help you learn. The University's academic requirements are tough but if you are studying a subject that you love then they are really stimulating. The University also offers a career center that helps students make resumes, plan interviews and find internships.

Elizabeth

Starting out at the University of Oregon you usually take larger classes. My largest class freshmen year was of 500 students. It sounds frightening but it really was not so bad and the professors are still willing to help you if you need it. There are also smaller classes that you might have to take such as writing, a foreign language or math. These classes usually have around 25 students which makes the learning environment a bit more friendlier and less intimidating. Freshmen year you have the option of being in a FIG, freshmen interest group. There are different options for figs. I chose one called Breaking the Wall about Postwar Germany. When you are in a fig you take three classes with the same 25 people. This helps you make a group of friends and gives you easy access to study partners if you are having trouble in any one of the three classes. I would highly recommend it. I made one of my best friends through the fig. Some of the FIGs are residential, meaning that you even live with your other classmates. My favorite class so far has been History of Christianity because it was not a class that I had ever really thought about taking. It turned out to be very interesting and made me realize that I could be interested in something completely different than I had originally thought. My least favorite class was probably Mind and Brain, a psychology class that I used as a science credit, just because I am not a science person. Students typically study everyday. Because we are on terms it is very important that you do not get behind as the terms go by very fast and it is hard when you fall behind. But, you still have plenty of time to have fun with friends! I think that classes get much better the older you get at the University because you eventually end up taking classes for your major and the majority of people in your classes are very serious and interested about the topics. The classes also get smaller the higher level your classes are. I am a history major. My classes right now are around 30-35 people. Next term I take my last history class, the 407 seminar, where we sign up for a class (mine is the USSR in Wartime) and then we write a paper on a specific topic of that subject. The class only consists of about 12 people and we spend the term researching for our paper. This class focuses our studies on one specific time period and subject helping us figure out how to write a research paper that could potentially turn into a thesis. The professors at the University of Oregon are very friendly and are willing to help their students if need be. They all are required to have office hours where students can visit and ask questions. If you are not able to meet at that time they are usually flexible in scheduling appointments that fit your schedule. Their job is to help you learn. The University's academic requirements are tough but if you are studying a subject that you love then they are really stimulating. The University also offers a career center that helps students make resumes, plan interviews and find internships.

Elizabeth

Starting out at the University of Oregon you usually take larger classes. My largest class freshmen year was of 500 students. It sounds frightening but it really was not so bad and the professors are still willing to help you if you need it. There are also smaller classes that you might have to take such as writing or a foreign language or math. These classes usually have around 25 students which makes the learning environment a bit more friendlier and less intimidating. Freshmen year you have the option of being in a FIG, or freshmen interest group. There are different options for figs, I was in Breaking the Wall about Postwar Germany. When you are in a fig you take three classes with the same 25 people. This helps you make a group of friends and gives you study partners if you are having trouble in any one of the three classes. I would highly recommend it. Some of the FIGs are residential, meaning that you even live with your other classmates. My favorite class so far has been History of Christianity because it was not a class that I had ever really thought about taking. It turned out to be very interesting. My least favorite class was probably Mind and Brain, a psychology class used as a science credit, just because I am not a science person. Students usually have to study everyday. Because we are on terms it is very important that you do not get behind as the terms go by very fast and it is hard when one falls behind. But, you still have plenty of time to have fun with friends! I think that classes get much better the older you get at the University because eventually you are taking classes for your major and the majority of people in your classes are very serious about the topics. The classes also get smaller the higher level your classes are. I am a history major. My classes right now are around 30-35 people. Next term I take my last history class, the 407 seminar, where we sign up for a class (mine is the USSR in Wartime) and then we write a paper on a specific topic of that subject. The class only consists of about 12 people and we spend the term researching for our paper. This class focuses our studies on one specific time period and subject and helps up figure out how to write a research paper that could potentially turn into a thesis. The professors at the University of Oregon are very friendly and are willing to help their students if need be. They all are required to have office hours where students can visit and ask questions but if you are not able to meet at that time they are usually flexible to scheduling an appointment when you are available. Their job is to help you learn. The University's academic requirements are tough but if you are studying a subject that you love then they are really stimulating. The University also offers a career center that helps students make resumes, plan interviews and find internships. But the classes are mainly focused on furthering your education in your particular field.

Amaretta

In larger classes (100+ students) it's kinda impractical for professors to learn everyone's name, so most of the larger classes are broken up into either lab or discussion sections (about 30 students) that meet up once a week. I absolutely love going to my discussion groups, it gives you time to better understand concepts that were taught in class, you actually get to participate in an intellectual discussion, they make great study review sessions, and it actually allows you to meet people in the class. My major is Anthropology, the main building is fairly small and outdated but the department is huge! In my first year, I met so many people through classes, going to department meetings and functions. The professors are great and always willing to talk and help you out. A clear theme that they do make clear is that as students we need to do more during our academic years than just sitting in class and getting A's. It's very important to get involved in the department or even around school. The receptionist (?) of the department, Betina, always sends out information every week about upcoming events, possible field schools, and just general information about whats going on.

Anastasia

The U of O has an outstanding psychology department with brilliant professors.

Sian

The academics here are wonderful. For a medium sized school, the fairly large lectures can be a pain, but the classes with intimate settings allow for greater understanding of subject matter and give students a real opportunity to thrive. In a lot of the larger "lecture" style classes, many students tend to be shy to speak out, however many students at the University of Oregon manage to participate regularly in class with stimulating class discussion. The studying environment at the UO is a balanced one - the students are dedicated to studying, however it is not the sole purpose of being a student at the UO.

Catherine

The academics at the University of Oregon (UO) are top notch. I am pre-med, and so I see a very unique crowd at the UO. The courses required for us are some of the hardest courses available at a university, and my classmates and I study diligently--we have to in order to pass. The science library is often full of students, bent over books, or sitting in front of computers. The library is able to check out not only books, but also laptops, and calculators. Taking organic chemistry was not my favorite (is it anyone's favorite?) but I loved taking biology. I loved it so much in fact that I got a job working in an evolutionary genetics biology lab (lots of science students end up conducting research themselves). One of the most important tools I learned for studying science is to study in groups. Every semester, we would organize study groups for problem sets, homework, and tests. The library not only provides room for quiet study, but also rooms and white boards for those of us who prefer to study in groups, and be loud. I also got to know my professors by attending office hours regularly. Participation in the smaller classes is quite common, but in the large lecture hall, it is not so common. The UO is competitive to get into, and it remains competitive throughout your time there. Especially the science classes! To be honest, I have never worked so hard in my life. But I enjoy the work, and the professors and teaching assistants (TA's) bend over backwards to help students. I am actually quite good friends with several of my TA's, and a few professors even accept phone calls to their homes if you need help. I have not been in any other area of the university, but judging by the time I have spent both in the science library, and the larger Knight Library, these students are doing their homework!

Jessica

The academics at University of Oregon are great. I am in the School of Journalism and Communication, and the classes that I have taken are great at staying up to date with current social media outlets, events, teaching methods, and more. Some of the entry level classes can be quite large (I took an Anthropology class that was about 200 people), however the classes become smaller and more personal as you get to the higher divisions. I have found that the professors make good use of their office hours, and if a student feels they are not doing things fairly there is a good Student Services office that can assist with that. Class participation is common if the class takes attendance, and if not it starts to become less by the end of the term. The most unique class that I've taken was an Anthropology class called "Monkeys and Apes." We studied the different species of monkeys and it was quite astonishing to see the similarities between humans and monkeys. The schools academic requirements can be challenging, but whatever a student is willing to put into it they will get out of it. I believe the lower division classes are more aimed at learning for the sake of learning, and when graduation gets closer students learn more about how to enter into the job market.

Ane

I am completely smitten with the University of Oregon. There is so much life on campus no matter what the weather may be like, or how stressed the students are with their finals. One of the greatest things about this university is its accessibility to any class or activity you may want to try. There are no restrictions based on what your major is, all classes are free game. Because most classes are open to any student, you have the chance to meet more people and interact with those you otherwise might not have a chance. The only thing I would change about the school is the location. It's not that Eugene isn't great, it is - gorgeous campus year round - but the weather can be discerning at times. However, the campus health center came prepared for students like myself and the numerous others, who thrive on sunshine, with a room equipped especially to help rejuvenate your body with Vitamin D. The school is the perfect size. There are enough people so you have the option of meeting someone new every day, but it's small enough that you can walk around campus at any given time and see a familiar place. The class sizes aren't too huge, with the exception of some of the lecture classes, but the professors of the larger classes make a valid effort in getting to know each student personally. You can usually find me somewhere on campus, whether it’s in class, at the library, in my dorm room, or just being outside with friends. Eugene is the definition of a college town. Even in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the school, everyone is boasting their school pride. Many of the local restaurants are aimed to please the students, their stomachs, and their wallets. It's a win win every time. The administration at the school works very hard to keep campus life moving smoothly. They make the effort to help students transition from life at home to life on their own. The most recent controversy on campus dealt with the firing of President Richard Lariviere. Throughout this controversy, the school's gigantic amount of school pride nearly tripled, to show our support to our president and to each other during such a strange transition of powers. On an everyday basis, you will see more than a fair share of students wearing their duck gear. My entire first year experience has been great. There isn't one moment that I can pick out to be my favorite because they've all been so fantastic. The only complaint I've heard among my peers has been the sizes of the dorm rooms being too small, but I find them cozy.

Mackenzie

The academics at the University of Oregon are very well rounded. Lecture classes consist of around 300 students, while regular classes consist of 20 to 30 students. It is very easy to gain a close relationship with your professors. All of the professors I have had so far have been very intelligent and very well educated in their fields. They are all very enthusiastic and passionate about their teachings as well which makes class more interesting and engages students. Students in classes are very engaged during class as well as outside of class. Making appointments with teachers outside of class is very easy, and professors have certain hours required to open their office doors for students to visit with questions or concerns. The professors at the University of Oregon are very invested in the success of their students.

M

As I said before, I'd like to see more of an emphasis placed on academics. However, my time spent at Oregon thus far has been rigorous yet enjoyable. Class sizes vary dramatically. For example, the lagest class I've taken had 220 students, while the smallest had just 26. The nice thing about UO is that you can find plenty of people with different study habits. As a computer science major, I find myself studying in the library on a Friday night quite often - and I'm definitely not alone. On the other hand, some students choose to place a minimum amount of effort into their studies. But remember, you're paying at least $30k go to college and your hard work will most definitely pay off. The most interesting class I've taken is the History of Rock Music, 1950-70 as one of my freshman multicultural requirements. The professor's passion and generous use of different multimedia formats really made the class enjoyable yet made me reassess my views of the past.

M

As I said before, I'd like to see more of an emphasis places on academics. However, my time spent at Oregon thus far has been rigorous yet enjoyable. Class sizes vary dramatically. For example, the lagest class I've taken had 220 students, while the smallest had just 26. The nice thing about UO is that you can find plenty of people with different study habits. As a computer science major, I find myself studying in the library on a Friday night quite often - and I'm definitely not alone. On the other hand, some students choose to place a minimum amount of effort into their studies. But remember, you're paying at least $30k go to college and your hard work will most definitely pay off. The most interesting class I've taken is the History of Rock Music, 1950-70 as one of my freshman multicultural requirements. The professor's passion and generous use of different multimedia formats really made the class enjoyable yet made me reassess my views of the past.

Ryan

As for the academic side of the University of Oregon, I am very pleased with what I have experienced thus far; the professors have gotten to know me on a first-name basis, there is a lot of class participation and student interaction, and the facilities are great for studying.

Brooklyn

As a music student, I have yet to be in a music class that exceeds 50 people. My experience in the music school has been especially great, not only because the class sizes are small, but because my relationships with the professors are personable and interactive. I get the sense that each one of my professors is dedicated in helping me succeed throughout my college career. Being a music major can be tough. We are required to take the core classes such as theory, aural skills, keyboarding and music history, all within our first and second years of undergrad. I remember thinking to myself, is this possible? Am I going to fail miserably? Will I still enjoy music as much as I did in high school? It took some getting used to during my first couple of week, but as the term progressed I was able to get to know my professors, who helped me immensely every step of the way. By the end of the year I was getting A's and B's in all of my music classes, solely because I was committed to my passion in music and because my professors were committed in me.

Ellen

The professors in the Dept of Dance pick their favorites, the students that will hopefully make their choreography digestible. Nobody is taken seriously if they have any sort of degree in dance from the U of O. Seriously. YouTube any of their productions. They are... embarrassing. Even the Assistant Professors works suck, and they are considered contemporary. There is nothing contemporary about the U of O. The town and department both have arrested development.

Bob

Professors are nice. Good for them. Stupid hippies

Ryan

My professors know my name since the classes are not too huge (like freshmen classes). Here at the UO students study since week one. I can see that the library is always busy. The most unique class that I have taken is MGMT 321 which is Operations Management because the teacher is very good at explaining the material. Sometimes I do go to the teacher's office hours.

Reese

Professors can honestly make you like or hate the subject. I recommend asking others who have taken the class what they liked and didn't like about the professor's teaching style and possibly read some reviews online about them. There are a lot of general education requirements. Definitely try to get classes that overlap multiple requirements (likes "arts and letters" and "multicultural" are both satisfied for the same class). This way, you have more space in your schedule to take the classes you want, and a better chance to graduate on-time, although an increasing number of students stay for a fifth year, and that's ok to do too.

Katie

In WGS and Spanish and the Honors College most of my profs know my name, but regular UO classes that have upwards of 100 kids wouldn't if I didn't go to office hours and harrass them into knowing me :).

Jasmine

Classes are good. Registering is frustrating, you really have to lobby for your education and not give up if they tell you "you don't have the right prereqs, the class is full..etc etc." Urban Farm is probably the best fun class you can take.

Andy

Most of my profs dont know my name. Favorite class: wilderness survival, awesome. I dont feel prepared to go get a job after this.least favorite: Humanities 103. Students are not competitive. The Bio department is awesome. They have a strong core of profs and good GTFs and BPTs. The academic requirements seem reasonable.

Ali

Once you are in the upper division classes, teachers actually get to know you as long as you make an effort. Almost all of them are extremely approachable and easy to have a real conversation with.

Jessica

If it wasn't for the honors college, I would have been frustrated with my academic experience here. My advice would be to choose a major that the school is strong in, and not just something that interests you, because there are definite differences in program strength here. My honors classes made up all of my undergraduate requirements and never have more than 25 people in them, are discussion based, and can sometimes result in an end-of-term dinner at the professor's house. Students are largely non-competitive which is WONDERFUL (I wanted to go to an East Coast school and can't tell you now how glad I am that I didn't) and everyone takes their academics pretty seriously. The most unique class I've taken was 19th Century German Poetry and Song: it was taught by two professors, and had 7 kids in the class. I learned so much random stuff but was exposed to a whole new kind of learning experience. I won't ever forget that class. In addition to twice a week meetings, we had to attend a concert, and then had a dinner party at one professor's house where we talked about our final papers. We actually didn't talk about our papers at all and just enjoyed our professor's culinary skills and each other's company.

Cameron

Academics? Oh that's right, the OTHER reason I'm at UO! I came here to run track and escape the death grip of my parents, I didn't look much into academics. However, I did apply for the Architecture school and got in as an incoming frosh. The program was a HUGE dissapointment to me. My professor SUCKED! And mandatory studio was a nightmare. The main problem is that I was looking for Landscape Arch, and all students must take General architucture the first year, before going into specific categories. This was my downfall, as I could care less about building offices. So, I transitioned to business, and so far it has been phenominal. The UO school of Business is amazing, really top notch professors... a great place to earn a business degree, or even minor. Requirements are very fair, tons of class variation for different requirements. Online classes are also set up very well, and run smoothly. I LOVE the quarter system, if you have a crappy class, you only have to deal with it for 10 weeks!

Alex

Being from the business school, yes students are competitive, trying to keep ahead of the class average is definitely part of the fun. All of our classes encourage communication within the class, but I think my personal favorite class would be Management 335- Launching New Ventures with Sam Holloway. This class, is awesome, great atmosphere and you are guaranteed to learn a ton!

Jesse

Like any larger university, lower division classes are usually larger because students need to take general education classes. But once you begin your major upper division classes the sizes are great. My classes are largest at 40 students, but mostly less. Even the most popular majors have classes smaller then 60 students in the upper division courses. Professors are great most of the time!

Whitney

I have actually been engaged by my classes. The feeling of excitement to learn is new to me. My classes have actually turned me onto much more than I ever expected.

Toby

I think it depends on the size of the class (under 30, yes...otherwise only if you are that annoying bitch who asks the dumbest question of the day every day). Honestly, yes and quite a lot. Not really. Butterfly catching. I'm an undeclared junior (hells yeah). Once, awkward... They're tight by me. learning for learning's sake.

Jeff

The faculty in my program is amazing and I feel grateful for all the awesome and student-focused professors I have had. It's difficult to pinpoint a favorite class because I always love the class that I most recently took. Class participation is very common, especially in my upper level classes which tend to be smaller. Student's are competitive, but we all help each other out as well. You won't find someone trying to sabotage another's grade by giving them the wrong notes or something. My chief complaint is my advising department. I feel like the amount of time that I have spent figuring out how to complete my major with the emphasis and the minors that I want has been totally in my hands, and I have received no useful help from my advising department. In fact, I've never even seen my department academic adviser before. Overall, this major is great and the classes and professors are top notch, but I would like to see improvement in the advising department.

Josey

3 out of my 5 professors this term know my name. I love my oceanography, we get to watch deep blue. My journalism class is really hard...you get an automatic F for any spelling commas, or fact errors on any assignment. I study about 2 hours a night. Class participation is common depending on the class... more class participation in a literature class.... very little in a huge lecture. Yea we have intellectual conversations outside of class. My roommate took a tree identification class.

Lee

One thing I would change is the class sizes. Lectures are huge, it's very intimidating to ask a question when the entire class groans at you. It's also very intimidating to go to office hours half way through the term with a question if the professor doesn't even recognize your face. When you do though, they are very happy to see you so that feeling disappears within a few seconds. If you're not very outgoing it can be difficult to make friends and do well in class. My favorite class and most unique class was the Philosophy of Love and Sex. The professor was very engaging and presented many arguments about topics I'd never even thought of.

Elizabeth

Some of my professors know my name. I think once you get into upper division work you know your professors pretty well, but in huge introductory lecture classes you are pretty anonymous. My favorite class is Biblical Hebrew. My least favorite classes were anything to do with business.

Jack

If you can get into it, take the American Sign Language sequence for your two years of foreign language credit. It's an eye-opening, inspiring experience with a teacher who feels passion about her subject and genuine care for her students. I learned about a brand new culture I didn't even knew existed before I took the class and you get to learn about issues that are going on here and now. You may not be able to get into ASL101 your first fall term here, but wait around. It'll be worth it.

Taylor

The academics are pretty rigorous. But I am sure they are at most colleges. No the professors don't know your name unless you make an effort to attend their office hours numerous times and talk to them on your own. The teaching assistants and the GTF's though, are encouraged to learn your names and it isn't hard to get one on one help with your classes. I think a lot of the classes I take seem unneccesary to complete my major, but I think that they want students to really have a variety.

Michele

There is quite a mix of students at UO in terms of their study habits. I know a lot of people from the Honors College who make academics their top priority, but there are also some Honors students who party a lot. The same mix exists for "normal" UO students, but people generally get their work done. Personally, I like to space out my work so I don't have to cram, so I'm not the type to pull all-nighters. I spend around six hours total on each of my English essays, though, so the hours still add up when there are exams and homework assignments breathing down your neck as well. People at UO get to take classes from a lot of departments to fulfill their general requirements, so everyone has the chance to explore different subjects and learn what they really like. As a double major, I still get to do a wide array of assignments for my classes, so it gets interesting. Just last week, I was taking notes on human resources recruiting practices one night and writing a paper about Shakespeare's critique of Petrarchism the very next. It's a lot of work, but it's fun because I'm never bored with my classes for long. I like the English major because I have a lot of freedom to choose classes I want to take. There are certain categories to fulfill based on the time period of the literature being studied. For example, I have to take one upper division class dealing with Pre-1500s literature, so I could take a class about Old English or study Chaucer extensively (among other options). The only classes I can't get out of are in the yearlong introductory sequence. They're lower division, but they're actually much harder than most of the upper division courses I've completed. I'm taking one of the classes right now, and I'm putting in a lot of hours at the library just to get Bs on my essays. I would enjoy the classes a lot more if I could just go to lecture and listen. The Business Administration major is a lot more organized in terms of the curriculum. UO has its own business school on campus, so not everyone can graduate with a Business or Accounting degree. There are five pre-Business classes to take: one introductory business course, two accounting courses, and two economics courses. When I got into the business school, the minimum GPA requirement for these five classes was a 2.75 (a little better than C+ average), and I know a few people who didn't get high enough grades and had to retake classes. Once you're in, most people pick a concentration like Marketing or Finance, but some people don't. I currently don't have a concentration, but I still have time to decide. Both the English and Business departments try to get students prepared for life after college, but sometimes I don't feel like it's enough. Some English classes include a part-time internship; I'm a Writing Associate for a lower division English class and get to help students with their papers. The business school has their own career center, which is very helpful, but people have to go in on their own time. I think it would be more beneficial if we had to do an internship as part of our graduation requirements, because some students get left behind.