Florida State University Top Questions

The academic life at FSU is typical to most instate universities. Depending on the major or class you are taking the average size of a class ranges from 15 to 230. When taking lecture classes students need less focus causing classrooms of around 200. Classes where more individual attention is needed such as writing classes or performing arts the amount of students allowed to enroll decrease to around 20 or 30. Professors are clear as to what they expect from you from the first day of class so there are no surprises. As far as studying habits go you can always find people studying in the library Strozier which has an immense amount of services offered to help you at any given time.

Classes rang in size to small 15 person work shops to huge 500 person lectures. But professors are always there to help you outside of class when you need it. My favorite class was all about media studies. So, we watched movies and reality tv and talked about twitter and websites in my class. Why they were popular or not popular. My least favorite class was Geology (rocks are hard and so is this class!). I took it to satisfy my last science requirement but ended up getting more than a bargained for. It is still the most difficult class I have taken during college. Class participation is important and encouraged. Many times professors work participation points into your final grade. The most unique class I took was a newsletter class in which students came up with an article to write then created an entire layout for the newsletter in Indesign. We also learned about Photoshop and how to market our newsletter through social media. It was a very hands on class and I learned a lot. My major is relatively new in the English Department. It is Editing, Writing, and Media and it is geared towards publishing. We learn about how to write and edit but also how to design layouts and market via the internet. It is very exciting to be in such a new major and professors are often changing coursework as the semester goes on to tailor it to the needs of the students. I think whether or not the education is geared more towards getting a job or just learning depends on the major. A lot of majors now require students to complete a 1 semester internship before graduating in order to better prepare them for the real world. My major is very focused on future jobs and careers and professors often encourage us to think about how what we are learning could be used in the future.

I graduated high school with a full academic scholarship and chose FSU out of five other out-of-state institutions that I was accepted into. One of my primary concerns was that the classroom dynamics would be impersonal and that the cirriculum would not challenge me to think. Coming in as a freshman, I had no concrete idea of what I wanted to major in, but I was interested in everything - film, literature, philosophy, religion, writing, environmental studies, ethics, language, international affairs, etc. One of the clearest indicators of Florida State's academic excellence is that during my time here I got to explore all these areas and more before settling into a niche that suits my ambitions perfectly. I will graduate next semester with a degree in Editing, Writing, and Media (the newest program in the English Department, established in 2009) with a double minor in Religion and Film Studies. The EWM Program has been a great experience for me, and exemplifies the nature of FSU's academic attitude - they are evolving with the times, making changes to their programs that will help students grow into employable, articulate, and confident thinkers. Simply put, you can get as much or as little out of the academic experience as you want - I know students whose priorities lie outside the classroom (totally reasonable, since not all learning comes from books and teachers, and not every mind learns in the same way) and who are no less successful in the system than I have been. But if your preference is to combine enriching life experiences with engaging classroom discussion (which has been my goal as a student at FSU) then the academic program will not disappoint you.

Once one makes a break from more of the larger lecture-based courses, classes decrease in size to a manageable 25-30 kids very reminiscent of a high school room. Of course there will always be classes that range from 60-100 kids, too, but FSU seems to have a good mix. My favorite class has been Fiction Technique because of how much I've grown in my story writing, especially being that we were required to participate in a workshop at the end of the class. My least favorite class has been College Algebra simply because of how large the class was and that quizzes and tests were given in a separate lab and online (which doesn't make getting good grades the easiest). The more intellectually driven students study for at least 5 hours a day, I would say, but it depends on the difficulty of the classes being taken. Class participation is common in more upper-level courses. Students have intellectual conversations outside of class, but this can be hard to come by at times. As a sophomore I haven't had as many intellectual conversations as I would like, but I still am not completely within my major's classes. Students don't seem to be competitive, at least in Liberal Arts college, but rather helpful or simply consistently independent. The most unique class I've taken so far has been Intro to Linguistics. I never knew anything about the scientific study of human language and am surprised at how vast a field it is. My major is Creative Writing, and the English Department at FSU is arguably one of the top five in the whole nation. The professors here are extremely helpful and most have at least a few books to their names. I've spent time with a few professors outside of class just talking to them about some research ideas i was interested in. So far most of my teachers have been open to talking with students after the semester is over, and even open to aiding the student in reading over their poetry or stories. I feel good about this school's academic requirements- it's very possible to do well and to even go above and beyond (for example, there is the option of making a course an Honors one even if the rest of the class is taking the Regular course). Truthfully there seems to be a bit of a split in FSU when it comes to the academic focus. There's the more intellectually-driven students who take the classes that interest them (yet some classes geared to this are being cut), and then there's the students who are focused on getting a job. At times walking around campus it seems the latter can be more abundant.

So far, the few classes I have taken at Florida State have been satisfying and I have taken a lot from the lectures and class discussions we have had. All of my professors have very flexible office hours and every time I have approached any of my professors, they have invited me into their office with the arms and ears wide open. They help tremendously in and out of the classroom setting. All my classes have set up study groups at the library for exams, and we all appreciate what we have learned throughout the semester. I spend 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my week studying, reading, and doing homework to keep up with all my classes. The graduation requirements allow students to expand their horizons and learn more about things that aren't specific to their major. It allows us to develop other skills such as writing and being knowledgable on history from ancient dance to medicine. At this school, it is not just about finding you a job, it is about enriching you with knowledge and wisdom.

The professors in non lecture classes make an effort to remember all or their students by the second week. Even the non-lecture professors will get to know you if you speak often or go to their office hours. The best thing about classes are the intelligent conversations both in and out of them. I often talk to some of my classmates even if I barely know them and often I make friends through those conversations. Much of the education is both applicable to the real world and for the sake of learning. For myself, I use many of the lessons from my psychology, history, and science classes in my writing. The academic requirements at FSU are structured but flexible for some majors but rigid for others. As an English- Creative Writing Major, I'm free to choose much of my Major classes. My friend is a Biology Major whose Major courses are chosen for her.

I am currently an English major with a concentration in editing, writing, and media. When it comes to English, the classroom setting is more intimate. At the most, your classes will have 25 students. This gives you more opportunity to work one-on-one with your professor about your work and to grasp everything better. I do know my professors by their name, just as they know my name. General study classes like sciences and math classes that are not needed for your major tend to be larger classroom settings. A lot of times when you have these classes professors know those students who interact or go to their office hours. As stated above, once you are into your major the classroom sizes begin to get smaller. I like both classroom settings. In the larger lecture class I feel it challenges you more. Here you have to interact and give feedback, and not just sit in the back of the classroom being timid. Also, the smaller classroom settings help those who are not as out going as I am. Students at my university are very competitive. I feel that this benefits the individual the most. Being that someone in your class is competitive it pushes you harder, and makes one want to strive to be the best. I feel that education here is geared toward getting a job. Many majors require internships in order to graduate. This makes students go out and get the experience needed to build their resume. Also, we have a career center. The career center is geared to helping you compose resumes, cover letters, doing mock interviews and even hosting job fairs to help students. I feel that my university go over and beyond to help individuals prepare for a better future.

I am currently a English major with a concentration in editing, writing, and media. When it comes to English, the classroom setting is more intimate. At the most, your classes will have 25 students. This gives you more opportunity to work one-on-one with your professor about your work and to grasp everything better. I do know my professors by their name, just as they know my name. General study classes like sciences and math classes that are not needed for your major tend to be larger classroom settings. A lot of times when you have these classes professors know those students who interact or go to their office hours. As stated above, once you are into your major the classroom sizes begin to get smaller. I like both classroom settings. In the larger lecture class I feel it challenges you more. Here you have to interact and give feedback, and not just sit in the back of the classroom being timid. Also, the smaller classroom settings help those who are not as out going as I am. Students at my university are very competitive. I feel that this benefits the individual the most. Being that someone in your class is competitive it pushes you harder, and makes one want to strive to be the best. I feel that education here is geared toward getting a job. Many majors require internships in order to graduate. This makes students go out and get the experience needed to build their resume. Also, we have a career center. The career center is geared to helping you compose resumes, cover letters, doing mock interviews and even hosting job fairs to help students. I feel that my university go over and beyond to help individuals prepare for a better future.

I am currently a English major with a concentration in editing, writing, and media. When it comes to English, the classroom setting is more intimate. At the most, your classes will have 25 students. This gives you more opportunity to work one-on-one with your professor about your work and to grasp everything better. I do know my professors by their name, just as they know my name. General study classes like sciences and math classes that are not needed for your major tend to be larger classroom settings. A lot of times when you have these classes professors know those students who interact or go to their office hours. As stated above, once you are into your major the classroom sizes begin to get smaller. I like both classroom settings. In the larger lecture class I feel it challenges you more. Here you have to interact and give feedback, and not just sit in the back of the classroom being timid. Also, the smaller classroom settings help those who are not as out going as I am. Students at my university are very competitive. I feel that this benefits the individual the most. Being that someone in your class is competitive it pushes you harder, and makes one want to strive to be the best. I feel that education here is geared toward getting a job. Many majors require internships in order to graduate. This makes students go out and get the experience needed to build their resume. Also, we have a career center. The career center is geared to helping you compose resumes, cover letters, doing mock interviews and even hosting job fairs to help students. I feel that my university go over and beyond to help individuals prepare for a better future.

I'm impressed by the academics at Florida State. I've always been an exceptional student: in the gifted program since the fourth grade, involved in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program throughout my entire high school career, graduating Magna Cum Laude (I did slack off a little my senior year unfortunately). However, none of that seemed to matter when I came to Florida State. I had never once studied for a test in my entire life, and here I found myself scrambling to make a passing grade on my tests. Obviously I changed my ways and learned a studying technique that works for me, but I must say, the frustration of not doing as well in school as I always had done turned into admiration for the academics here. I slacked off big time my senior year: bored with all of my classes because they just weren't challenging enough for me, I would frequently neglect my homework, knowing that I could still make a good grade in my classes from doing well on my tests. Here at Florida State, school started to kick my butt until I took control of it and became more proactive. I am everyday thankful for the change it produced in me because I don't want to go through life, forever bored with everything around me. The challenge provided by my courses has brought back my lusty zeal for not only life, but education as well. The professors are so accommodating here, yet they don't hold your hand for you so it allows for personal independence, and teaches you about the virtue of responsibility which extends from the classroom into your working life, home life, etc. You can always go to a teacher for help, they're so eager to help you in whatever way possible. Half of the time, they express sadness in the lack of students that come to them, especially when they see that there are those struggling in their course, but they have never had a one-on-one with these particular students (it is the students responsibility to see them if they are struggling-one of the ways that the courses teach responsibility). Sometimes, class participation isn't always the best early on because everyone is afraid to speak up because they're afraid of being judged by what they say (an innate fear that everyone has), however, my advice to remedy the situation: suck it up and speak in class. Start the discussions yourself. Teachers appreciate it greatly when you participate, and it shows. Participation grades tend to be a part of almost every course, and sometimes, it can make the difference between a B and an A. It also helps the teacher get to know you better. For the most part, teachers know all of their students, but creating a good relationship with a teacher by participating in class only benefits you in the end. Basic, preliminary courses (such as ENC1101, the courses all students must take before getting into their major) tend to be large classes, so it makes it doubly important to talk to your teacher as they have so many students, they can't possibly get to know them all through their own initiative. Good news though, once you are in your core classes for your major, class size decreases greatly, (currently, my core classes range from about 20 students to maybe 40) making it easier to have that student-teacher relationship. I have to say that my favorite class that I've ever taken (ever, out of all of my schooling kindergarten through now) was my Social Psychology class. The teacher was the best teacher I've ever had. He was so interactive! He would act out scenarios to demonstrate a concept (one time, he was lying face down on the floor when everyone came in, though no one checked on him to see if he was okay-in our defense we were used to these type of demonstrations by him, so we were waiting to see what the demonstration was this time. Once everyone was inside, he got up and started talking about how no one came to help him. The reason for this demonstration? To show us the bystander effect). His classes were always entertaining, I actually wanted to study for his class. I would often times procrastinate on projects and homework for other classes by studying for his class. Needless to say, there are many more teachers at Florida State that are just as involved in their teaching process. I have yet to have one negative experience with any of my teachers, let alone dislike any of my teachers. Maybe it's just because education is such an important thing to me, and I actually like to learn, but I find that the courses I take at FSU make learning fun for me.