Carnegie Mellon University Top Questions

Academics at CMU is is material focused. The material is clearly outlined, there is a large amount of it, and you are going to learn it quickly or struggle at CMU.

The class sizes here are actually pretty small, so it's easy to get to know professors and find them outside of class to talk or ask about homework or whatever. My favorite class was a freshman Physics seminar called "Science and Science Fiction." We would watch movies for 2 hours, and then the professor handed out a small packet and we would write one page for next week. At the end of the half-semester (it was only that long, sadly), we wrote a final 5-page paper. I think everyone in the class of about 10 got an A for just showing up and doing the work. It was only 3 units though. CMUs unit system is kind of weird. The class's unit values are about 3 times as high as at any other school, so instead of taking, say 17 units elsewhere, you have 50-53 units for the same classes. Every freshman has to take a writing class either first or second semester. Most of them suck, but you might luck out and get the professor I had. The first half of the class was based on The Simpsons. I got an A.

Professors totally know my name here. Favorite class was probably Phonetics and Phonology--the professor is the best in the whole world. Least favorite was freshman Analysis: never take freshman analysis unless you love abstract algebra taught in the most boring and unimaginative way ever! Intellectual conversations will most likely be had with drama and art majors over psychotropics like beer and sun and paint fumes... Unique classes, eh?--a century of soviet film. My major is brand new...maybe a future student will have more solid info. CMU has one downfall--education is way too focused on getting a job.

I'm in CFA (the College of Fine Arts), so we're pretty exclusive, I'd say. I have very small classes... probably an average of ten students in each. The professors know us extremely well, and they're all brilliant so it's a good resource. I love the sizes of the classes because the amount of attention you get is amazing. At the same time, you're not suffocated. It's not like you're being watched constantly, but everyone knows what's going on on the faculty. They talk. We talk. There aren't many secrets. But, every undergraduate is kind of part of a big family, especially with the voice majors. It's a very special type of bond we have. Everyone is competitive, classes are extremely difficult and demanding. We are constantly working, and when we don't have work to do, we find something else to work on. It's a constant work environment because the music business does not slow down. They're preparing us for the real world in a respectful way. One problem with this set-up is the fact that each "college" within the university... for example, I'm a voice major, so I'm ALWAYS at CFA, the business students are ALWAYS at their school, Computer Science majors are ALWAYS in their building, etc. So, that is a bit of a set back because it's harder to get to know people outside of your field. But, then, we are very exquisite in every area that we teach at CMU... so there are many pros and cons.

I'm a music major so my classes are very different then most students at CMU. The music classes are small and each student gets a lot of personal attention, the best training possible, and a lot of career and personal guidance. I have made great connections with my professors and I think of them as friends as well as teachers. I have many friends outside of my major. I don't know how their classes are, but I do know that all of them are very intelligent. They explain what they are learning to me and I am in awe. Everyone is so smart, and while we do have intellectual conversations we know how to have fun too.

Every course is work, and work you will. Typical students take 36-45 units of classes (4-5 courses) per semester, where each unit is roughly equivalent to an hour of dedication per week (i.e. a 9-unit course expects total class time and weekly homework/study investment to be 9 hours). Professors are accessible and understanding, as long as you make an effort. Class participation reveals that not a lot of students make an effort in a lot of their classes. Ever had a moment where the teacher asks a question and the entire class stays stony silent because nobody did the reading? If you're one of the two-to-ten people who can regularly break that silence, you will not only do well in class, you'll be learning a ton. Outside of class, students regularly have intellectual conversations, but they are not often on topics they are taking classes on.

The amount of people on campus is just right and the class sizes are great. I love the art department because it nurtures ideas and supports different approaches to problem solving.

It's really hard in a large lecture for professors to know your name so I suggest, as most websites and advisors tell you, to think of a question or two in the first couple of lectures and ask the professor after class. There may be a long line of students waiting in front of you to ask, but it's worth it. Favorite class is Social Psychology because it was really easy, not a lot of work, and interesting subject. Least favorite was Calculus (all of them) because I'm really bad at math. Students study a lot on average. Again, a lot of all-nighters, but I don't believe that is always necessary. If you plan ahead with your work, know when your deadlines and tests are, you won't need to be up late everynight. I haven't pulled an all-nighter in all 3 years I've been here. Students aren't competitive even though they might seem to be. If you want help or want to take the initiative to set up a study group with your class, you can access the whole class roster, e-mail everyone and set up times to review the material. It might be really helpful if you're struggling. Unique class was Roots of Rock and Roll. Highly recommended!! I didn't spend time with professors until my second or third year, once you start doing independent research with them, and even then it was still in a school environment. A lot of the General Education requirements are very annoying. Like having to take a "creating" course meant I had to sit through a boring poetry class, and I don't think a lot of the H&SS classes were necessary.

Classes are relatively small and professors are always approachable. The Bio department seniors are known to spend Friday nights of their final year playing flip cup and sharing drinks with our faculty and advisors at Phi Bar, the grungey bar a block from campus. There are so many resources for help in classes, especially with bigger courses such as those in the sciences. We have Supplemental Instruction, Study Groups, Walk in tutoring, and free private one-on-one tutoring sessions at our disposal. The only limiting factor is the time you have to do all these things when theres always too much work to get done. The education is very focused. You're pretty much expected to know what direction youre going with your life (and ideally exactly what profession you want) when you enter. As a student in the college of science (MCS), I've had to take so many sience requirements that I've only been able to take about one elective a semester. Its virtually impossible to double major, and difficult to minor in something unless you want to use all you relectives towards the same field.

As far as academics go, CMU is truly a powerhouse. The classes at CMU are challenging, but in a good way. They push students to truly reach their full potentials, through a variety of ways. Engineering classes often have everything from homeworks, exams, midterms and finals, to lab work and lab reports. While professors vary, overall CMU professors seem to have a knack at getting students to participate during lectures (maybe to keep us awake, but either way it seems to work). And most make a point to learn every one of their student's names...even some of the larger lecturing professors (but those are fewer and farther between). Outside of class, students are known to be working on projects that can span across disciplines. However, it is far from uncommon to see students studying on campus -- both in- and outdoors. Students are even able to see meet with their professors outside of the classroom, although typically that depends on both the individual student and the individual professor. Overall, I'd say CMU is definitely a great academic school that prepares you for the "real world." It challenges you, but the rewards that you are able to reap because of the challenges CMU presents are able to be seen even before graduating.