University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

The professors are excellent. Courses are challenging, so you really need to keep up with your work and not fall behind. Most professors are great at helping out students with whatever they need. The majority of UVA students are very motivated and competitive (which kind of annoyed me sometimes..I tend to procrastinate). I was a psychology & biology double major. Double majoring isn't as difficult as it sounds. If you're interested in psychology, during your second year, look into becoming a research assistant in a psychology lab. You get credit for it (usually 3), and you don't have to do much (no tests, no studying, hardly any assignments.... EASY 3 credits!!).

Best Commerce school in the country! Great teachers, a lot of famous teachers and well respected professors within their industries. Class can be very competitive, but it makes you actually feel like you're in college and not high school all over again. Professors can be reached all the time and the school actually pays you to go out with them if you want! Education at UVA can be whatever you want it to be, from job oriented to artsy/out-of-this-world education.

The academics at UVA are tough and competitive, but completely manageable if you stay on top of your work. Students study hard, but also escape and enjoy Charlottesville/the greater college experience in general. I was a history major, so most of my classes were lectures with smaller discussion sections of 10-20 people. I've had only a few professors who have known my name, but the TAs are great about really getting to know and care for students and their academic needs.

Professors of smaller classes know students' names. Favorite class? Too many excellent classes for me to have a favorite. What about favorite classes: Art History: Renaissance to Modern; Greek Civilization; The Book of Job; Intro to Hebrew Bible. students study 3/4 of the time when they're not in class or partying. Class participation is often not as eager as one would hope, but it happens. I think students are afraid to speak because we all feel we have to say something impressive, innovative, deep. Intellectual conversations outside of class occur occasionally, in my experience. Students aren't so much competitive as want to do well. So, your classmate isn't going to lie to you, or cheat you, but everyone is very motivated to do well. The chemistry department at UVA is very well funded for the number of researchers there. Many professors focus their efforts on research instead of teaching, though they express an interest and joy in teaching, they often send the signal that they don't have very much time for you, and you should ask the TAs questions instead. The curriculum for a BS is challenging. The department is not very large, and if you take the honors chemistry classes from 181-282 (the first two years of chemistry) you will see the same ~90 people in your chemistry classes from first semester through fourth, and often in later classes as well. Trying to solve problems in groups is encouraged, but each person must do his/her own work. Exams are often very challenging and there is usually quite a curve. Without the curve, only a few people would pass the class with C's or better, but with the curve, grades are generally not something to worry about unless you don't do the work. My experience is that they have often poorly chosen textbooks to save students some money, at the expense of not being not very good, or worse, not very suitable for the class. TAs are generally know their stuff very well, and are generous with their time, and generally liberal with their explanations. Education at UVA, even in the science departments, is very much geared towards knowledge for knowledge's sake. Many people go on to graduate school.

Easy enough Professors accessable but won't give you back points T.A.'s can be really good

HARD. but totally worth it. i work hard. professors work hard too. students in general know how to work hard, but also how to play hard. the degree you get from the University is respected throughout the country to be really worth something. students are brilliant and competitive and smart as hell. if you are accepted to the University, you are really a force to be reckoned with. academics at UVA are for real. this isn't high school, and i'm sure your high school teachers tell you that, but you've got a whole new thing coming to you. its so worth it.

Academics at U.Va. are not as rigorous as they let on-you can take hard classes and kill yourself doing it, but you don't have to. There were a couple of times were I was breaking down under the crushing weight of work, but it was with classes that I chose to take, so there was some comeuppance to it. There's a whole range of things that can happen-you can take the easy route, the hard one, or follow somewhere in between. The same goes for professors-I did call some of them by their first name, and there were quite a few who knew me by name because I always went to their office hours (definitely a must!), but there were also some who couldn't recognize me to save their life. You make academics what you want-it's all about how much time you want to put into it.

Some professors know my name. My favorite class was a psych class. Students study very often. Everybody works really hard. Students are competitive in a healthy way in the sense that it keeps everyone striving to do their best. It's not cutthroat. I do spend time with professors outside of class. UVA's education prepares you for getting a job but is geared at learning for its own sake.

Most classes are big. I was really unimpressed. Most of the time in class I was thinking, this is supposed to be a good school?

As a student in the engineering school, my experience w/ academics is much different than other students. I usually have smaller "lecture" type classes and classes with the same people over and over again. I get to know my classmates as friends both in the classroom and outside, just because we are together so often. I've heard from College students that this is not the case at all, as you have so much more choice in classes to take in order to complete your major. I also get to know the professors because it's more likely I will have him or her again. The one thing I wish I could change about the engineering school is the ability to study abroad and get credit for classes. Also, if it were possible to have more time for HSS (elective) classes. I know that some engineering students don't really want to do that, but for those that do, I wish there was a way to get this accomplished.

As a commerce student, I have been fortunate to be in some smaller classes where class participation and student-professor interaction is strongly encouraged. While the students are competitive, they also cooperate as much as possible when it comes to studying for tests or doing projects. Overall, while everyone is still working to get the best grades possible, students also manage to balance their social lives with their studying.

Pretty competitive academically. Don't be surprised if you graduated high school with above a 4.0 and get B's or the occasional C (depending on the class and your level of commitment of course). Class sized range from the massive 300 person lectures (mostly for intro classes) to less than 10 (performing arts and higher levels).

The school work at UVA is diff a challenge. The education is diff geared towards both learning and gaining the skills needed to obtain a job after college. However, the class settings can be a bit over-extended at times. The proff. can know your name, however it is up to you whether this will happen. The prof. do not really reach out to their students as much, however they are open to help if you are seeking it. The students are very competitve esp in comm. school. Lastly, the most interesting class i have taken is arabic, the teachers are wondering and the class interaction was amazing. Worst class would have to be statistics. In general i am not a fan of graduate students teaching classes, they tend to be busy and preoccupied with their studies, as was mine. Also, when graduate students teach classes, they do not have the experience and skill needed to professionally and intellectually hold a class to its full ability, and they lack the skills needed to interact with students as best they can.

UVA has one library that is open 24hours a day during the week and there is definitely always someone in it no matter what time it is. Classes are tough but with the right attitude and when you find a subject you actually enjoy studying, you can succeed. Professors and especially t.a.'s will be very helpful if you go to them and ask for help.

Academics are very important here at the University. In order to participate in their respective sports, athletes must have good grades. There is no way around it. I have had my fair share of large lectures as well as small classes. For the large lectures, there is usually a mandatory discussion section that places one in a small class of 20 or so students to discuss the week's lectures as well as the readings. I have found that many students do have intellectual conversations outside of class but it is not all there is to talk about. Here you are free to talk about whatever you want with whomever you want.

RIGOROUS! Don't come to UVA expecting to get by with the same amount of effort you put forth in high school. The classes are intellectually stimulating but require a goodly amount of individual preparation. Expect to do several hours worth of work on a daily basis (2 hours of work outside of class for every 1 hour spent in class, at least). Classes range from huge lectures (as many as 350 people) to small discussions (15 or fewer). Professors will learn your name if you take the initiative to go to office hours. Of course, there are plenty of students who skip class and never do any work. Although such students are certainly in the minority, they are there. Still, the vast majority of uva kids are self-motivated, driven, hard-working, and eager to learn. With a UVA diploma, you can go anywhere. Don't be intimidated either, if you're considering UVA, you can handle the academic load. If you're accepted, you're deserving...and with some work, you'll thrive.

I have really enjoyed studying at UVA. My major Sociology, which is weak when looking at the job market, has still been great and I have actually found many opportunities in that field. Most people actively participate in class and many students participate in intellectual conversations outside of class on a regular basis. The students can be, at times, overly competitive. The competition displayed at UVA can mirror what would be experienced in graduate programs such as Law. Students will often times not help out others for fear of possibly raising the curve or other possible reasons. This is slightly rediculous due to the fact that most classes are not curved. Overall, UVA's academic requirements are high but fair and an education at UVA can help you get any job you want. An education at UVA can be treated as learning for its own sake or towards getting a job. Its all up to the student.

Professors of smaller classes know my name. Students study very often at UVA, which can make you feel guilty sometimes by not studying. Students are very competitive. UVA students can have very intellectual conversations outside of class, depending on one's social circel. The business school at UVA is very good: the professors all know my name and the work load is very challenging but manageable.

As far as academics are concerned, UVA has its ups and downs. Because it's such a large school, obviously many classes are going to be very large and, unless you make the effort, the professor will not know you (nor will the professor grade your work--it will be done by a TA)--that's a definite negative. Nonetheless, when you do take small classes, the professors are GREAT--it's as if they know most of your classes are large and work extra hard to make up for it. Every small class I've taken at UVA has been extremely interesting. Favorite class? A Seminar I took called 'Race in American Places'--it was really eye-opening. We studied the layout of different areas around Charlottesville, and the US in general, via Topographic Maps, etc., and discovered that many minority communities are in depressed areas--symbolically 'below' everyone else. Though everyone in the class had varied political views, it was a wonderful experience. We also took field trips to learn of racial history--particularly African-American history--in Charlottesville (i.e. Monticello, Downtown Mall). The class ended with presentations of group projects that studied the racial implications of such things as historical marker signs, UVa Grounds, and even restaurants on the Corner.

The academics here at UVA are rigorous. I and everyone else I know am constantly studying. You will learn to love the libraries here on campus (my favorite is Clark :)). For being such a large schools the classes here are remarkably small. There are those few classes that will have 400 people in them, but for the most part classes top out at about 40 and in alot of cases classes are only about 25 people. This does mean that there are TAs, but we really have some great ones. My TAs are so good that I think they are better than a professor. I am a chemistry education major and I have had some terrific lab TAs and one bad one (you will eventually get a bad one). My first semester orgo TA was amazing he held is office hours every monday night and would stay until all our questions were answered and the night before our orgo lab final he spent 3 hours with us reviewing. Then next semester when my TA wasn't all that great, I still went to his office hours. He would also help us with any questions we had just from our regular orgo class. Likewise I had an amazing Latin TA who was always there to help you when you needed it whether he had office hours or not, he just wanted you to learn the language and love it at least a quarter of how much he loved it(he loved it A LOT). As I said before I am a chemistry education major and the education professors at Curry are just amazing. Classes are small and discussion about any and everything is encouraged. I am not the most vocal of all people, but somehow in these classes I tend to talk a lot. Overall the academics at UVA are amazing, you will rarely find a class that is an easy A (im still looking for that class), but classes are definitely intellectually stimulating and like I said before be ready to study.

The professors I have had have been fantastic for the most part, very engaging and are really passionate about what they teach. When it's good - it's great, when it's not - a semester really isn't that long. I'm a procrastinator so I sometimes find it hard to keep up, especially if it's a class with lots of reading, but I've been engaged enough by the professors that my GPA hasn't been bad at all (obviously not quite as impressive as my High School GPA)! The academic factors at UVA really are great though. Top notch professors, interesting material, and the professors are ridiculously accessible outside of class. They really want to help!

Classes are as hard or as easy as you want them to be. You can choose hard classes, or easy ones. You can get As or Cs. No one is there to hold your hand and it's really up to you what you want to achieve. Professors will know your name if you introduce yourself and make an effort, and I highly recommend doing so. But nobody's there to hold your hand because you're here not just to learn but to grow up. There's really a program for every post-grad goal. Whether you want to go to grad school, work for a non-profit, go into business, or do anything else, we have a program that suits your goal.

You can't beat some of the classes here at UVA, but at the same time some of them are really horrible. Everyone dreads taking physics, especially the engineering students because rumor has it none of the physic teachers choose to teach Physics 142E, instead they are forced to teach it. Very people do well in the class and the class average on most exams is failing (like 44{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}). At the same time their are really good classes that are small enough that you get to know your professor one on one. My intro to engineering class was taught by the Dean of Undergraduate Engineering, who is a great guy. I would highly recommend his class if you are an engineering student.

Everyone wants to tell you that big classes do not allow you to establish a relationship with teachers. This is not true if one wants one can meet with anyteacher and establish a relationship and a chance to talk to and learn from teachers.

It's harder than i expected. Pretty much everyone seems to work very hard and try and get good grades.

academics are really tough and and teacherss strive to make you perform your best. teachers are very knowledgable and classes are made very interesting.

Academically UVA is one of the best. As a student the main issue is time efficiency. Are you going to stay in all day and night, kill your social life, and get an A? Or are you going to use your time wisely, and get a decent grade? It is all about what you are looking for.

Classes are big if you don't mind big classes, and small if thats the way you want it. It all depends on what you study. If you want small classes, don't do pre-med. If you introduce yourself to your professors though, they will always remember your name. Participation in class is common, students are smart and intellectual, but also have a good time. Exam time is a studying nightmare. I would say during the normal parts of the year, kids do 15-20 hours of work a week average, and get about a B average for grades.

Generally I like all of my classes. Being in the engineering school you find that a lot of professors are brought in to do research and therefore are not necessarily the greatest teachers, even though they are brilliant. This makes cooperation between students very helpful. I have never felt like we are in a competitive environment. It has always been that if someone can help you they will, because you would do the same thing for them.

Awesome History department.

"Work hard now. Play hard later." That's basically the motto everyone lives by. Participate in class, get to know your professors, and study five nights a week. Blue books are your least favorite thing in the world. The honor code enables you to take exams home to complete them sometimes - a privilege not found in many other places. It pays to be honest.

Favorite Classes: ENGR 162, ECON 201, MS 201 Favorite Professors: Lenard Mirman, Stafano Garzioli SYS Engineering is geared for real life case studies that allow for good job interviews and provide a glimpse into what work you will probably be doing at whatever firm hires you.

yes. im in the eschool, i hate all of my classes. every minute im not at the bar/walking to the bar. yes. yes. yes. STS202. dont be an engineer. office hours. challenging. both.

people work really hard here. the classes are pretty challenging. i think the classes are geared towards learning for its own sake. i'm in the a-school and the student-professor relationship is very different than the rest of the university...but we're really close. like other architecture schools, your studio is about twelve people and you work closely with your professor. our professors always have us over their house for dinner at the end of the semester and its always a lot of fun.

For the first two years, my experience is that professors don't really know your name, however most of them take a genuine interest in students. Academics are very competitive, and usually set on a curve, however it's not difficult to get at least about 2.7. The Engineering school is definitely gearing toward preparing for the professional realm.

Most of my professors know who I am. It's impossible in a lecture class, but they do a good job interacting overall. Most students are competitive--they had to be in order to get here in the first place.

Even though I'm in the nursing school, one of my favorite classes at UVA has been an architecture class. I love that I have been able to dabble in such a variety of fields before getting completely committed to nursing (whereas now, most of my classes are chosen for me).

There's something for everyone - if you want to get lost in the 500 person lecture or dominate discussion time in a 15 person seminar, both are definitely possible. And no matter what size the class is, the professors always make themselves available to you. I'm conflicted about the College's area requirements - while I think it's great to get a well-rounded education and branch outside of major requirements, I sometimes I wish I didn't have the limitations and have to fulfill certain credits.

UVA places a unique emphasis on academics that is not seen at other schools. While some may judge our lesser standards of Football or Basketball, they do not realize that athletics are purposely kept down in order that most of the funds and emphasis will go to academics which is the entire point of a University in the first place. Thomas Jefferson was one of the most well-educated Founding Fathers and firmly believed in a well-rounded liberal arts education meaning that when you come to UVA you are not in a four-year Career Preparation program but at an institution where you get an well-rounded education, while developing your mind and character.

Classes are incredibly difficult at UVA. End of story. Nothing is ever easy. Ask Jameel Sewell. (A football player who got kicked off the team for academics) Rigorous but rewarding.

Classes, no matter what they are, are extremely challenging, but you do end up learning a lot. And no matter how hard it gets, there is always someone that is around to help whether a professor, TA, or other students.

Students have been known to discuss intellectual subjects. People are smart enough that they are aroused by thinking in different ways and learning more, whether they choose to do it with their schoolwork or dabbling in whatever else interests them more. And if they choose to pursue their schoolwork seriously, they're set for whatever they choose to do later in life. Its an excellent setup.

I love the academics at UVa because there are so many classes that I look through and just think, 'Woah, that would be so interesting to take.' I am an English and Religious Studies double major, so my classes are all across the spectrum. The coolest class I took combined both my majors and was called "Religion and Modern Fiction." The professor is now my Religious Studies advisor, and I get excited for when the course directory for the upcoming semester comes out!

You can't go wrong with the academics, not here, not at most equivalent universities. Professors here and down the road at William and Mary are of the same caliber, researchers here are putting out just as much significant research as researchers are at Michigan. Most of the professors whom I know are giddy to talk about their classes and research. Frankly, it's often hard getting them to shut up. The large intro classes like econ 201 and stat 212 present a challenge for prof/student interaction; you'll be stuck interacting with TAs, and there's no way around it. BEWARE: TAs ARE NOTORIOUSLY BAD and difficult to understand. They *do* care, but just don't have the experience. My suggestion: go out of your way to meet your professors and to find TAs who speak fluent english.

There are a variety of professors here at UVa. Even in huge classes some manage to still learn your name. Most are willing to teach and ready to help us achieve. I am always amazed at how intelligent and exciting some of my lectures are. Some of my most exciting classes so far has been Personality psych and the Health of Black Folk. I could easily tell these professors were fully engaged in their topic. i can tell that the curriculum hear at UVa is geared toward self-exploration and future success.

The professors generally only know your name if you are in a small class of less than thirty or if you are very vocal in a class and participate a ton- then they learn your name pretty quickly. my favorite class... its funny my favorite classes arent necessarily because theyre intersting to me, it depends soley on the professor. My favorite class would have to be one i took in 2006 when i was a highschool senior and i got to take a class (SPAN313) here at UVa because i live in c-ville and my high school has a great relationship with UVa. that class was fun because of the both the teacher and the content, but mostly cuz of the teacher. my least favorite class would have to be my later medieval civilizations class that im taking right now- but its because my professor and i dont get along. Most students study a TON, but some how i dont really ever find myself doing much studying- it all depends on your classes. CLass participation is common in most classes except for those specifically designed as lectures. UVa students do have intellectual conversations out of class but not too often, we gossip and talk about our weekends and stuff like taht more. Students are not very competitive with eachother, but everyone really does strive for their personal best as cheesy as that sounds. the most unique class i have taken was an english writing class about antiheroes. it was unique because i got to write papers on batman, darth vader, and even snape from harry potter. i loved it. I am in the nursing school and although UVa has a really strong sense of community, the nursing school has even more. all the girls and the couple of guys are all really close because we have a ton of classes together and see eachother all the time. and the administration for the Nursing school is super cool and really helpful. i dont personally spend time with professors outside of class but there are programs and opportunities to have lunch and stuff. I like the academic requirements here, not only to get in but also to be able to be successful in class because it keeps us all on the same level and since theyre so high, it pushes us to work hard as well. Uva prepares you for a job definity.

Two professors know my name, the others have probably forgotten. My favorite class is Architecture 102, Lessons in Making, which is taught by Sanda Illescu. She's basically amazing. In that class, class participation is common. Sanda has people up on the platform in the front of the lecture acting out light rays and holding time lines of drawing. It's pretty great. All my classes are the most unique class I've taken. They're all completely different than whatever expectations I might have had walking in. And different in a good way, a way that is really thought provoking and engaging.

If you are accepted to UVA, you are probably the person in high school who excelled in academics, beat most of the curves, worked harder or was more intelligent than most of the other students. The bittersweet thing is that, at UVA, EVERYONE was that person in highschool. EVERYONE was the valedictorian, or captain of the sports team, or National Merit Scholar. It's harder to stand out-- but more satisfying when you do.

Students study all the time. people are very competitive becuase everyone comes from the top of their classes in high school so when they come here they are competiting with a bunch of people at the same intellectual level as them.

The most unique class I've taken was a Common Course (read: no specific department) called "Mind of the Artist." It was team taught by a psychology professor and composer who were married. The class explored why people feel the urge to creatively express themselves, and how they are or aren't different from others. We also talked more generally about what art is and is not--or if anyone can really make that distinction. Professors at UVA know your name and care about your academic success if you reach out to them first. No one is going to hold your hand unless you make it clear if you want it to be held. By the same token, if you actually make an effort to go to your professors' office hours and get to to know them, they will be so thrilled about it that they'll bend over backwards to help you. I have two majors at UVA, History and Foreign Affairs, which can be a little difficult to contend with. The Politics department at UVA is incredibly cutthroat--there's a lot of students who see themselves in public office that major in Politics, and boy are they stuck-up and infuriating. It's always satisfying to get better grades than them, however. I guess that reveals that some departments at UVA are very competitive. I've found that my history classes are way more laid-back: students frequently make study groups and help each other out.