Iowa State University Top Questions

Many of the classes are larger here and unless you're one of those people who raises you hand every 2 minutes the professor usually doesn't know your name. Many of the classes i took my first year were lectures with 100+ people. I realy enjoyed my psychology, sociology, and curriculum instruction classes. My professors for these classes were very enthusiastic about the material and still loved hearing from the students opinions and ideas on the subject matter as well as our experiences. The most unique best class i have taken would definitely be my CI 204 class. I had an excellent professor (Chuck Achter), a very brilliant, bright, smiling, caring individual who loved teaching, learning, and hearing feedback from all of his students. Even in the college environment he really tried learning all of our names. We did so many fun activities in his class that also allowed us to get to know others in the class too.

It all depends on how involved you get in your classes. The more you put into your classes, the more you get out of them. The more times you go and speak with your professors, the better they will know you and the more likely they are to write you a letter of recommendation or serve as a reference for you in the future. Since I was a triple major, with Political Science being my primary, class participation was huge. Political Science students have a lot of opinions and want to share them. If you take a foreign language, participation is also huge because it's the only way to learn the language. My favorite class was Constitutional Law (POL S 420) with Dirk Deam. Not so much the material, but the professor and the use of the socratic method.

At Iowa State your academics are in your hands. How much you want to participate determines how you do in classes and what you get out of them. There are usually help sessions for further review of material in larger courses, and I've never had a professor that refused to see me not only during their office hours but any time. Not only will the professors help but I've found TA and my peers to be some of the best resources on campus.

Most lecture classes for gen. eds are relatively large, but recitations make the large classes seem smaller. By the time you're into your major, most professors recognize students in their program (especially if you're involved in extra curriculars as well).

Iowa State is geared towards helping you find a job and letting you grow as a person. Academics are a huge portion of college and it's easy to fail and it's always easy to do well. I've had classes in lecture halls with over 100 student and I've also had classes that are in classrooms. If you participate in class you'll be more prepared and the professor will be more likely to recognize you. In the smaller classes I've taken the professors have known my name and are friendly. The most interesting class I've taken is Entomology 374. I enjoy my major, Animal Ecology, because my advisor really helps me out. He helps me choose courses that are required for my major and he has also recommended some great ones as well. My advisor is always available and is easy to talk to. We also talk about other things besides classes! Iowa State also is one of the few colleges that offer Animal Ecology as a major.

ISU loves its: engineering, architecture, veterinary, and agricultural students. If you are not looking at going into any of these, while ISU is a great place to go, the rest of the programs are nothing to really get excited about at least at the undergraduate level. Business majors be prepared to be picked on (mostly good humoredly) by the engineering students as they truely do rule the school.

Students are competitive; especially in the pre-health realm. I took a philosophy class with a professor from Poland. Class was very unusual and he had the most interesting stories. Iowa State is the only university in the state that has an American Dietetic Association certified program and it is said to be one of the best in the nation. I am hoping that as I get into smaller and smaller classes I will spend time with professors outside of class. Iowa State's education is what you make it to be. Yes it is a public university where some students barely get by, but for those that want to expand their mind and challenge themselves can.

I enjoy my classes at Iowa State and the fact that you get out what you put in. Professors are all friendly and are willing to help if it is needed. I am a double degree with Apparel Merchandising in the College of Human Sciences and Management in the College of Business. I enjoy the variety of classes.

I think ISU has lots of academic opportunities like with the study abroad programs. I think the Classes here at ISU are very fun and enjoyable.

I have had a good experience with all of my professors. I can see that they make an effort to try to get to know their students.