All of the professors within my own department know my name, but my other classes are either too large or too short for them to remember my name.
My favorite class at the moment is "Women and the Bible" which I am taking for my minor. It meets once a week for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Though this is a long time, it's only once a week and it's interesting enough to keep my attention. I'm also used to long classes, since all of my art classes are at least two hours in length and occur twice a week. This class has about 25 students in it, so it doesn't feel too big. My least favorite class is "Video 2". This is a class I have to take for my major, Kinetic Imaging. I'm in KI, because I wanted to learn how to animate and do 3D modeling, which is only one third of the department. The other two thirds are video and sound. I have no interest in video or sound, but I am required to take these classes, because VCU does not offer a separate department for animation within its art school. Not only am I forced to take these classes, but they require that we take one more semester of video than animation, which makes no sense to me. I like the teacher of this class, but the subject just interesting enough for me to keep my attention.
Since I am an art student, I don't really take a lot of academic classes, so I can't really say how often students study.
Class participation is fundamental to art students, but I don't think it's that important in a lot of academic classes.
I think some students have intellectual conversations outside of class. I know I have, but I can't really say for others.
I think there are competitive students, but I also think there are students who aren't.
The most unique class I think I've taken was probably Intro to Sound Communications. We learned about sound editing and how to create abstract sound for art.
My major is a part of the school of the arts called Kinetic Imaging. It has three parts: video, animation, and sound. Most students come into the department because they either want to do 3D animation, work on video games, or work on movies. However, this department is very focused on non-commercial and gallery art. They teach us about abstract ways to use these mediums. Unfortunately for me, and most of my peers, we came here to learn how to obtain commercial art jobs. I've been told that a non-commercial focus is a plus to people in the industry, because it allows people to think more creatively. I'm praying that this is true, because I have absolutely no interest in doing gallery art. The only reason I'm at VCU is because it is the only public school in Virginia that teaches 3D animation. I cannot afford to attend out of state.
I have seen my teachers around, but I haven't really spent time with them outside of class.
I think VCU's academic requirements are fair.
I think the education at VCU (at least in my department) is geared towards learning for its own sake. I feel like most of the teachers in my department want to see us become gallery artists.