Cornell University Top Questions

Professors definitely don't know anyone's name. I doubt whether they know their own TA's names. Students study the morning after partying before class, before partying in the evening, and after coming home drunk from partying at night. Students are highly competetive but somehow simultaneously unmotivated, unless the goal is medical school. Cornell does offer a fabulous array of classes and majors, but you have to get to the really obscure ones in order to get any beneficial professor-student interaction. One exception is Animal Science 100 with Professor Bruce Currie, a genuine individual concerned with each student as a person. Cornell is absolutely geared towards career goals as opposed to learning the sake of education. A good side to this is the excellent career counseling services provided to students.

Academics at Cornell are NO JOKES! Being an engineer, everything is made purposely harder for classes but the work is doable. No matter what college you enter at Cornell, you will be pushed because the tests and the classes are difficult to an extent and are meant to stimulate thought and generate results.

Professors do know my name. My favorite class was a hotelie law class, HA 387. The professor, Sherwyn, was amazing, and it turns out law is really interesting. He was funny and clever and taught us stuff that could have been really boring in an incredibly engaging way. I'm also a big fan of all the service-learning courses I've taken. Three so far, HA 497, EDUC 240 and DSOC 497. I've worked with the hungry and homeless, taught at a local middle school, and am headed to Nicaragua in three days to build houses. My least favorite class was hotelie Information Systems. It was stupid. And pointless. And my professor was just stepping in for a colleauge for the semester and didn't put any effort into getting grades back to us on time or making sure the assignments were relevant. We did some dumb shit. He used to make us bring in our laptops to class and then take the test on the class website - only the problem was, the wireless couldn't handle 60 kids logging on at the same time. What a debacle. He's such a prick. Preston Clark. I've had a lot of intellectual discussions outside of class, mostly with my English and Philosophy major friends. They like to think about stuff a lot. I love reading, but at home there's no real outlet for discussion. Plus, hotelie classes are dry and uncreative. It's great to talk to people and think about things outside of the classroom - that's when exercising your brain is actually fun. My friend took a writing seminar about porn, strippers, and prostitution. They took a field trip to an actual topless bar, funded by Cornell. That's pretty unique. Hotelies are all interlinked. We like to network. The professors are generally really involved. You see them around the Statler all the time. There are professors I had freshman year who still say hi in the hall and greet me by name, two years later. The hotel school is definitely geared toward getting a job. It's frustrating. I wish I had more time to take literature classes, stretch my brain out. Accounting kills your soul.

Professors definitely know your name, but that varies on what your major is. As an English and History major, I tended to take smaller lectures and seminars. Even in larger lectures, though, you can get them to know your names. And the big classes have sections, so you're never totally lost. Favorite class was freshman fall, a class by Nick Salvatore on dissent in American history. He taught me how to think for myself in a way I never really considered before, by challenging us a lot - without ever making us feel stupid. He held my hand through my first college term paper and was understanding when I needed an extension for health reasons. And then he graded me harshly but fairly. Least favorite was Holocaust lit with Schwarz. He's a pompous dick who quotes his own book. Seriously. Um, hi, it's an Ivy League school without serious grade inflation. So yeah, people study a lot. The most common thing is to work all day all weekend, then go out all night. And work in the evenings during the week. Students definitely do have intellectual conversations outside of class, but it depends on who you hang out with. I think I was disappointed by how many conversations I heard about Uggs. Ugh. Most unique class I took was a writing seminar about how satire has changed since 9/11. The Onion was required reading. I really enjoyed the courses I took in both the English and History departments, but I was disappointed by the lack of breadth in both departments. I tried to take a class on South African literature or 20th century South African history. I couldn't even find a professor to oversee an independent study. I did spend time with a couple of professors outside of class, a younger guy and an older professor who's that stereotypical grandfatherly old man. I see both as mentors and went to both for advice on grad school, other academic issues, even a few drinks at times.

Incoming students must realize that introductory classes have hundreds of students in them and that it is unlikely that the professor will know your name. However, it does get better, and you can always get to know the faculty within your major. I believe that the education at Cornell is geared mostly for learning for its own sake, but then if your major is AEM or something like that, theyre training you for a job. I think that students at Cornell spend a lot of time studying, and if theyre not studying, theyre thinking about all the studying they should be doing.

I think there is a huge divide between humanities/social science classes and the hard sciences/engineering. In the former, classes are very small, professors know your name, and as long as you participate in classes discussions, good grades are attainable. In the case of the sciences, classes are huge and impersonal, and you will be lucky to get a high B.

Because Cornell has so many different schools, if you really do your research, you can choose a program that is either entirely professionally or entirely academically oriented. It's all here. Similarly, classes depend. My first semester, 3 out of my four classes had no more than 22 students. My second semester, I chose more "survey" type classes. Everyone pariticpates in section. People study a lot, but they also party a lot. On any given night you can find a lot of people at the library, or a number of parties. Cornell students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. However, as a whole, the student body is not intimidatingly brainy. It's just people who are concerned with current events, life, society, etc.

- Most professors know my name - Favorite class: Multivariable Calculus, Dynamics - Least favorite class: Statistics - Students studying engineering and who are serious about it (upperclassmen especially) study most of the time, including the weekends. Students at Cornell are very competitive. Outside of class, Cornell students have intellectual conversations. You can always see/hear students debate various political or social topics with each other or even with professors. - Education at Cornell is geared toward getting general knowledge which ultimately helps to get a job.

Professors are hit or miss here. I've had some of the most brilliant professors and I feel privileged to have to opportunity to learn from them. There are others that care much less about their students and more about their research. Those classes I tend to enjoy much less. My favorite classes have been my astronomy and spacecraft engineering classes, my least have been the physics courses here. Engineers are incredibly competitive, but we also work together. My department is Mechanical Engineering. We're a bunch of nerds, but mostly everyone knows each other. There are some great Mech E professors, and the support staff is wonderful. The Mech E requirements are too rigid, but we do get a broad range of courses and we're ready to take on any job we apply for once we're finished.

None of my professors know my name because classes are so big. class participation is not really that common. Only sometimes in smaller classes. students are really competitive. one of my favorite classes was marketing. i also liked pam 230 and human bonding. I feel like my major has no purpose sometimes and will not help me in the real world.

Unfortunately, going to class is not like going to Cheers, and most people do not know my name. I learn a lot, but I struggle to learn even more sometimes.

I don't know many of my professors personally. As a sophomore, I haven't had the opportunity to take too many small classes. Most of my classes have been midsized or large lectures. However, all professors are available for office hours, and most are willing to meet with students outside of office hours if they schedule an appointment. While I haven't found the need to take advantage of office hours, I know other students who see their professors weekly to discuss lectures and homework. It's up to you as to whether or not you want to get to know your professors on a personal level. I loved a class called "Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds" in the Plant Pathology department. It had nothing to do with my major, but it has a great reputation on campus. Professor Hudler, who teaches the course, is absolutely passionate about fungi and it really shows in his lectures. You wouldn't think that you would normally be engrossed in a lecture about fungi, but Prof. Hudler makes it possible. I haven't experienced competitiveness from other students. All students here have the desire to do well, but most are willing to help others with classwork. You'll see lots of study groups on different parts of campus.

You must take the first step to knowing professors in big classes. In smaller, writing based or language classes there is no problem. Spanish for Dairy Production/Magical Mushrooms Mischievous Molds Gen Chem It really depends, it is a good idea to study consistently so you don't get surprised and actually learn. I really like my profs this semester because I have decided it is silly to assume anything about people before you know them. In my classes (pre-med/vet track) it is easy to criticize from afar. They are obviously all intelligent and some of them are better teachers one - on -one. You should just ask them something not related to the class if you don't have any questions in mind, and you'll probably be amazed. Requirements suck in terms of scheduling, but they are necessary and not too outrageous. I like taking gyms but I wish they were free. I'd say a mix of both

Professors are extremely well known and renowned. They are happy to get to know you and help you most of the time, as long as you make the effort. They typically won't get to know you until Junior and Senior year when you get to smaller classes. There are a few classes Freshman and Sophomore year that are small enough to get to know them, but in general it takes a while. Cornell education is what you make of it. That sounds cliche, but it's very true. With a Cornell resume you can go ANYWHERE. You can gear toward research or you can head straight to industry.

Do profs know name- a lot depends on your major. If you're a psych major, plan on taking courses with at least 100 people. Other departments make sure they cap classes for discussion purposes (English for example). But even if you are in a big class, you can always get to know profs in office hours or by doing research for them. Sometimes you just have to make the extra effort Favorite class-Psych 101 is great. It's more like going to a show three times a week than going to class. Very entertaining and not too challenging. A great course for new students though it may make you want to be a psych major. Social Psych is another great course, though a bit more challenging. Class participation- students tend to be eager to contribute. Some will keep asking questions even when class is technically over Intellectual convos outside of class- I've overheard a fair share of painfully philosophical discussions while out for pizza in Collegetown...and just as many inane ones. The worst of both extremes seem to surface when substances are involved. My major- Human Development. A mix of Psych and Sociology (and possibly Bio depending on your focus) that provides a great foundation for law school, med school, clinical psych, and other grad programs. Opportunities after undergrad are not as good as other majors, unless you have supplemented your HD curriculum with classes from other departments to give you a more distinct focus (for example, HD plus communications courses would help if you wanted to do something in PR). Only 30 credits required for major (10 courses), so there is plenty of room to explore other majors. Spend time with teachers outside of class-- no, but some seem cool enough if the opportunity presented itself. Especially writing professors Requirements-- distribution requirements vary depending on your college/school. I haven't heard any complaints from anyone, regardless of their college. Job or learning-- depends on your major, but some departments do a good job of balancing the two. Personally I think the Hotel School does the best job of preparing students for work right out of school. Tons of hands of experiences and projects, yet you still learn theory.

The thing I love best about Cornell is the ability to take classes that you would normally never be allowed to take. Cornell allows you to take classes in all of its seven undergraduate colleges and even some of its graduate schools as an undergraduate. These classes range from the weird, to the most interesting. For example: Introduction to Wines Introduction to Wood Construction Sheep Weed Biology and Management Wines and Vines Anheuser Busch Seminar in Quality Brewing and Fine Beer

Cornell students party hard and study hard. You see the little heads crowing down in the common study area right before the big prelims. Most intro classes are very big with the professor standing in the front of the hall. If you want to know them personally, you have to take the initiative of approaching them during their office hours.(trust me, it will pay off in the long run). I have actually become friends with one of my professors and we still keep in touch after I finished his class.Also, remember to make friends with TA's though most TA's at Cornell don’t really speak English that well. Be nice and polite to your TA's since they are the ones grading your paper and assignments. For upper-level classes, the classes are much smaller and there is a more dynamic interaction between the students and the professor. The workload really depends on your major, expectation and efficiency. I have engineer friends who sleep 5 hours a night and study in the library all the time. On the other extreme end, one of my floormates who is also an engineer plays Guitar Hero almost non-stop in his room.I have never seen him flipping through his book. In general, the students in artsy majors tend to lead a less stressful life than the ones in hard-core science majors. The students are very competitve here since most of them graduated as the top 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} from their highschools. Also, the grades are often belt-curved so you just need to do better than everyone else to get a good grade. Surprisingly enough, I have actually found the workload here lighter than my highschool workload. THere are not too many projects and you just need to ace the prelims. I have heard the friends from math department say that in general, education at Cornell is geared more toward theoretical studies instead of real life application. One thing I would argue though is the classes in AEM ( the special undergraduate business program) is all about developing a business mind-set. The two classes you must take here is Professor Moss’s Psych 101 and the wine-tasting class.Professor Moss is one of those ancient wisards who have been teaching at Cornell forever. His class at Bailey Hall is always full and he always tells everyone that he would retire the next year. The wine-tasting class isn't a piece of cake, from what I have heard. You actually have to distinguish the differences between the grapes from different origins. And the most "interesting" class is this class devoted to pornography. I have no idea what they do in that class.