George Mason University Top Questions

All professors have a lot of knowledge and experience in their subject area. Some are friendlier than others, some are better educators than others, some are easier than others. They all have experience though.

Depending on the class size, your professor will know your name, which makes it nice because if you want to know in for help or you just have a question, they know who you are. I'm a communications major and Japanese language-studies minor, and I can honestly say that all of the professors that I've had have been more than willing to help a student. Academic-wise, hardness or easiness depends on the courses you take, and with which professor.

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The great majority of my professors are knowledgeable in their subject area, and they do their best to help us suceed. The students are competitive because classes are challenging, and you need to spend time doing homework and preparing for the exams. Class participation is common in most classes because it helps students to better understand the material. My major is Accounting, which is a part of the School of Management. The curriculum before you declare a major is rigorous, but the classes help you build a foundation that will help you advance in your major. The education this school provides equips you with knowledge, which in turn helps you get a job.

George Mason University is an incredible school. At first I was intimidated by the size of the student population, but it's not like you'll be on the sidewalk with 30,000 people at one time. One thing that I've been truly impressed by is the amount of school pride everyone has here. No matter where I go, there is always someone wearing a GMU hoodie or tee shirt, or talking about last night's game or a lecture they went to for a class. People are proud to be students here. Coming here, I was thrown into a diverse group of people, and I'm a better person for it. You become so other-oriented and really learn to appreciate all the different views in this world. I have George Mason University to thank for that.

Depending on the class size, some professors will know your name. My western civilization professor knew all of our names in a class of about 40 students which I thought was incredible. I don't think I could do that! And obviously the professors of your larger classes won't know everyone's name. But if you take initiative and speak with a professor during office hours occassionally, they'll get to know your name. My favorite class so far has been my English 101 class. We got to write a lot and the topics were our choice. We were able to argue for a topic that we stood for and it was definitely easier to write about then a lot of topics I have been given in the past. George Mason definitely challenges it's students and gets them ready for the "real world". It's great that they have a career center, with people who are always more than willing to help you find your path.

Being a Biology Major student, the type of attention I receive from professors really depends on which class type I am in. A lecture at GMU typically ranges in size from around 50-150 students. In these classes, it is unlikely that the professor will know you by name, but a relationship may always be established by approaching the professor with any questions or simply to say hello at the end of class. Contrastingly, in my recitation and lab courses, there are never more than 25 students. Lab instructors are more likely to know you by name.

* Do professors know your name? A few of the professors know me by name. I am in the Honors Program which has smaller class sizes and allows me to interact with the professors on a more personal level. A few of my lecture hall professors also know me by name because I have approached them with questions before. * Tell us about your favorite class. Least favorite? My favorite classes are my biology classes with a lab section. The most recent was ecology which involved a lot of hands on field work. My least favorite class is organic chemistry. I am not a chemistry student so I find it very difficult and the teacher is not approachable. * How often do students study? Depends on the students themselves and the work load. Some never study. Some do nothing but study. The key is to find a healthy balance between the two so you don't drive yourself insane or fail your classes. * Is class participation common? Depending on the class. Labs are mandatory participation. Small honors classes and some small upper level classes do encourage student participation and hands on projects. * Do the students have intellectual conversations outside of class? Again it depends on the students, I enjoy talking to fellow biology majors about different recent events and books on various topics. I also talk to students of other majors but not about specific topics but a wide variety. * Are students competitive? Yes. Especially when trying to get into a specific program (ie Nursing, Arts, Accelerated Masers ect) * What's the most unique class you've taken? Genetics. That class was very time consuming and the lab portion was a hands-on means of plotting specific genes in flies. We had to breed and cross breed flies to follow the exchange of genes. It was very interesting and very difficult. * Tell us about your major / department. The biology department has a vast range of classes for students to take. There are some math requirements but mainly it is science classes and labs. The biology classes that are required range from ecology, to genetics, to cell biology, to biological diversity. * Do you spend time with professors outside of class? Only if I need assistance with something regarding the class, or future career options. * How do you feel about this school's academic requirements? As a biology major I believe the requirements are very suitable and introduces students to a range of topics that may spark their interest. There is also enough elective space available for students to pursue other biology classes that interest them, or they are able to have a concentration in. * Is the education at this school geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake? Mason is geared towards getting a job with internships available and plenty of hands on interactive courses to encourage students to take an active role in their future.

The academics are varied from department to department. The economics department which I am in is nationally recognized. My favorite classes have been economics and history. Students study quite often the libraries always have people studying in them throughout the semester. Class participation is very common there are always 3-5 students that carry the class. Students are competitive and often go to the teachers outside of class. The most unique class I have taken was The History of South Africa the teacher had learned several of the languages. I am an economics and global affairs major. I do not spend time with professors outside of class. The school has good academics requirements. My major is a bachelor of science and I have taken two statistics and two math classes. The education is geared towards getting a job.

The academics are varied from department to department. The economics department which I am in is nationally recognized. My favorite classes have been economics and history. Students study quite often the libraries always have people studying in them throughout the semester. Class participation is very common there are always 3-5 students that carry the class. Students are competitive and often go to the teachers outside of class. The most unique class I have taken was The History of South Africa the teacher had learned several of the languages. I am an economics and global affairs major. I do not spend time with professors outside of class. The school has good academics requirements. My major is a bachelor of science and I have taken two statistics and two math classes. The education is geared to getting a job.

I have largely had a great experience with my classes at George Mason. My class sizes are small which makes my professors very accessible. Because of this, my GPA is very high and I feel that it has allowed for a much greater educational experience. You will experience larger classes when completing general requirements, but once you begin classes in your major the student-teacher ratio is much better. I can honestly say that I have had a very positive relationship with all of my professors, several of whom I know I can count on for recommendations in the future. I wasn't simply a number, but a student that my teachers knew and talked to regularly. My academic experience here has probably been the high point of my experience at this school. I definitely feel prepared to go out into the workforce following graduation because of my preparation here.

Academics are very strong at George Mason! In general education classes, professors know the students who put themselves out there and professors really start getting to know as you get into the upper level courses. There are also tons of different options for your major.

George Mason offers an academic environment well tailored toward jobs. Quite a few departments offer the option of internships & co-op opportunities for academic credit. This allows students to gain work experience and complete their degrees simultaneously. Also, this school offers the Conflict Resolution major so far is the only school to offer it. The most popular majors at George Mason are Communications, Business, psychology, and government. The academic opportunities here truly succeeds at preparing students for life after Mason. Still, the school offers plenty of intellectual opportunities. There are several Islamic studies, Vision series, humanities and other kinds of lectures offered throughout the year. I attended 8 to 10 lectures during freshman year, and I attended 2 of them during sophomore year Fall 2011. Then the Fall for the Book festivals run every year. I especially enjoyed the 2011 one, because I got to speak with a famous scholar and meet Stephen King for free. It never costs anything for students to attend events, except for the concerts. I enjoy these events, as I get to see what scholars in academic fields are studying. I'm a Communications and History double major. I have the advantage of a large department, which allows me the flexibility of completing major requirements. Also, I like how the Communications department now offers several online classes a semester. This allows students to test out those classes and see how they enjoy it. Also, the synthesis classes and internship sections are offered during the summer as well. The history department offers a fairly lenient class load, so the 300-400 level classes aren't too different from each other except the synthesis classes. Overall, the academics aren't overtly intellectual, though these opportunities remain available. Students engage in political discussions involving presidential candidates, government, and elections. Most the academic learning happens at career events, internship and campus job opportunities, and political events. Certainly, this school proves most the learning occurs outside the classroom.

I'm now at the end of my first semester of my sophomore year at GMU, and overall can say that I've been very impressed with my professors. I recently declared as a Communication major with a minor in Electronic Journalism. A couple of my general education classes were large classrooms with upwards of 100 students, but most of my classes are more in the range of 20-50. Even in the large classrooms, I've never had trouble contacting a professor or TA with questions or help. This semester, every single one of my professors knows my name, and those in my major have encouraged me to stay in touch so they can advise me throughout the rest of my time at school. The intensity of the workload and difficulty of classes at Mason doesn't seem too strenuous, though everyone works at their own pace and work varies from major to major. In my major, and as far as I know, across the school, a huge emphasis is placed on finding a career after graduating. I'm enrolled in a new class next semester that grants class credit for working an internship over the course of the semester. Professors often bring in guest speakers and encourage students to network and start getting our foot in the door now, to ensure a job as soon as we have a degree, or even before.

I am a Communications major and have found that the communications department at Mason is excellent. They are always willing to help out and are great resources for finding internships. I have become very close with some of the communication's professors especially since the classes are fairly small. These professor's are always encouraging students to participate and think outside the box which is unique.

Professors are very encouraging and helpful and they certainly know you by your name and my favorite course was Advertising in communication and least favorite was American History. Class participations are highly appreciated and encouraged and most students do participate in class alot.

The academics at this school are great. Even in a large class of 200, my teacher knew my name. I'm a double major with English and Communication but the work load is manageable and interesting enough to keep from being boring.

Freshmen classes are big but once you take upperlevel courses it gets more personal

I am a part of a major that includes roughly only 100 students per class, there for I know each of my professors. My favorite class is probalyl my community health nursing class because the instructor is so entertaining and engaging you never want to miss a class. My least favorite would probalyl be a leadership class because it is unusually challenging. The concepts seem so easy to grasp, but when it comes to the examinations, I never seem to get the results I want. The students in my program are very competitive and I feel I always have to be on my game and study as much as I can. (My competitive side is released because of swimming) The most unique class I have taken is probally my clinical rotations because I am hands on learning 12 hours every week and getting exposed to some very random things. The nursing corse load is demanding, and requires a lot of time, however will be worth it becuase nursing is a very marketable career and health care is a place where jobs will always be needed.

This may be biased because I am in the Honors College, but the Honors classes are the only classes that have ever really challenged me academically. They are unique in that they are smaller classes and you get to know your professor better. I have not liked the large lecture classes that I have taken outside of Honors. If I weren't in Honors, I probably would have transferred or not gone here.