Cornell University Top Questions

Most classes are hard, but there are plenty of libraries and coffee shops to study in.

Since I don't usually go to the office hours, there is no way the professors would know my name, unless they teach small classes, like freshman writing seminars. My favorite class was NS 206-Introduction to Global Health so far, and the lease being Chem 207/208. Students almost study everyday. Class paticipation is pretty common in most of classes. Cornell students have intellectual conversations outside of classes, and yes, of course, they are VERY competitive. I am in Department of Nutritional Sciences, in Human Ecology. Cornell's requirements are pretty tight, especially when it comes to getting good grades in classes. The education at cornell is geared toward both getting as job and learning, but I think almost every students make their edcuation at cornell geared toward getting great jobs.

Some of the classes are very large, and you don't get to have a one-on-one relationship with your professor. However, the TA's are all very knowledgeable of the material. In addition, although its difficult to do well, if you work hard enough, chances are you'll recieve the grades to show it.

In larger lectures professors don't know your name and don't care. In most cases they care more about their research and you. This trend in reflected in Cornell in general (especially budget allocations). Studying takes place practically all the time, often infringing on important elements of life such as sleeping and eating.

The classe range in size, as there are some very large classes of close to 500 students in large lecture halls and then some small recitations of about twenty people. The classes are extremely challenging and require much more work than other colleges.

Being in the Animal Science major, I have found that it is easier for us to get to know professors better because we have a small class. The pre-vet students in the animal science major are very competitive compared to non pre-vet students which makes our major harder. All through high school I told my parents I want to be a marine biologist, and pretty much stuck to it until it came time to look at schools. Each year over my spring break in high school I would come visit my sister who was doing her undergrad as a pre-vet dairy science student. I feel in love with the campus and some of her professors and overall just enjoyed my experience here. I applied to Cornell as an animal science major and when it came down to picking out classes, my sister persuaded me to look into the dairy program because our family runs a milk processing plant. The moment I sat down into my first dairy science class, I immediately fell in love with the program. I can honestly say, I could not believe I ever wanted to do marine biology. Animal Science majors have room to take any classes that they have some desire to take and I think that it something really amazing. Had I gone to any other college, I would probably be hating it because the other schools I applied to were for marine biology. The decision to go to Cornell was probably the best decision in my life. The dairy program here is what hit it off for me because the people are genuine and they will be the people that I will need to call in the future for help with anything about dairy.

Cornell's academics can be extremely difficult and sometimes it seems that your professors or TAs are just doing their best to make it hard for students. It really, really depends on your school and which classes you take.

In large classes, professors don't know who you are. However, in upperclassmen seminars, professors know you on an individual basis. Students are somewhat competitive here - not with each other, but with themselves.

I often wish that I were closer with professors, because I always had small classes in high school, but TA sections certainly help with that. I really enjoy the freshman writing seminars, because I've been able to get away from the math/science engineering curriculum and been able to meet people in other schools as well. Students are pretty competitive (but what do you expect at an Ivy?) and you're always interested in how you did against the class curves. I do often feel like my education is geared at getting a job, but that just keeps me focused and helps me prepare for what's to come.

Professors know your name if you take the time to go to their office hours. My favorite class is organica chemistry I, but my least favorite class was linear algerbra. Class participation is common in smaller classes, but it's rare in the large lecture clases. Although there is comprtition, most of students cooporate with one another to finish problem sets and study for exams.

Really, really good. Professors tend to know your name, students study a lot. Class participation varies, but you'll generally be in the middle of the pack. The Cornell Government department is really good, it's nice to wikipedia your professor and discover that he's a leading theorist in his field.

Students dont go to class, then end up cramming for the exams.

Some students study a loootttt of the time... and there are those who study a lot, but also play a lot, and they write papers hours before they are due and still get a good grade. I can't do that - I try to plan ahead. I also try not to go out three days in a row. My major is natural resources, which is environemntal science. I love it - its very flexible (not a lot of requirements) so I can take a lot of interesting classes. The first few required classes for NtRes are really boring and don't really teach much, so I think people who aren't dedicated environementalists coming into it drop the major. But past the intro classes, the major is amazing. I definetely think the majority of students at Cornell are geared towards getting a job.

My favorite class at Cornell was Bio 105, an autoturtorial introductory biology course. I mostly instructed from the whole text book based on guiding questions provided for the class. The best parts were the labs, where we got hands-on opportunities to explore the topics we were learning. In particular, we dissected rats (of which I named mine Mickey). Absolutely the best hands-on experience for pre-med students. This class was also not nearly as competitive as the majority of classes at Cornell, so everyone in the class is more than happy to help you understand certain topics, as it gives them a chance to review what they know as well. Overall, and amazing class where ones personal efforts really reflect in the grades received.

There are a lot of unique classes you can take and interesting classes to take for fun. Student's aren't competitive with anyone but themselves and often spend too much time in the library. Although that is not the case for everyone. Colleges vary but for Industrial & Labor Relations, professors definitely know your name and are very accessible.

Clearly, Cornell is challenging. But it's not impossible. Your first semester will be rough. And you won't feel intelligent enough. However, you will get the hang of it. Most departments offer "00" courses which are supplemental help classes. These will really help.

Academics at Cornell are quite varying. Depending on your school, you may have close relationships with your professors, or you may never speak a single word to him or her. As a sophomore biology major, I have had very few interactions with senior professors. On the other hand, I do interact with TAs (teaching assistants who are usually graduate students) on a frequent basis. In some ways, TAs are a nice intermediate between student and professor, however, they are not always quite as knowledgeable as the professor.

Academics at cornell are ok. Professors are more concerned with their own stuff than students and don't seem to particularly care to get to know the students personally. This is not the case at all colleges, and I know this because I transferred here from somewhere where the professors would ask students to come out to lunch and talk about stuff. Here a professor would never do that. Similarly, the large classes and the general environment stifle class discussion. people seem unwilling to speak up in class or ask questions. Much of cornell seems to not care about learning, just preparing students to be bankers so they can make gifts to the corporate cornell. students study a lot and are usually stressed out.

Fabulous! The classes here are second to none!

The problem with Cornell being such a big university is that intro classes are huge, making it hard to get to know a professor until you reach upper level classes. This also discourages students to participate, unless they are bold enough to speak among a class of 500 students. I think that one of the main differences between academics at Cornell compared to other schools is the competition. Many non-Cornellians think that Cornell's academics, classes, and professors are at a more difficult level. This may be true, but I think the academic stress is mainly due to competition with your fellow peers. Especially with the curving system, you have to compete with others to be one of the few with the A. There is also more competition when it comes to finding jobs. Cornell students are all qualified candidates, making it harder for one to get a job.