Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Top Questions

I do not hold in high regard the academics here. I have seen students in their senior years asking me how can I expect them to be able to divide 100 by 8 without a calculator and that says it all. I do think that the school has some competitive departments, but a lot of them are just a poor excuse for education. Ask outside Louisiana... LSU is about football, not about school. In the same time I am scared thinking about the quality of the school I would end up teaching at since I will be graduating from LSU. I have seen a lot of good students too and I have encouraged them to pursue PhD programs anywhere but here. It's sad, but it's true. Some students are competitive, but most of the time there is a poor understanding of competition. They are used to get high grades for nothing, receive a huge curve for under performing. There are classes where they get the B for just attending the lectures and when they come across one when that does not happen, it's hell on earth and it's never their fault! Some great classes with some high quality professors: Econometrics and Statistical Theory I and II. My department (Economics) is a small one but with some high quality faculty and grad students. Unfortunately we have to lower the standards too many times to accommodate the students coming from other departments to take classes in our department. The research is limited by the low funds that exist and the teaching assignments. In other schools, the assistantship that we are getting is paid for half of our teaching load. plus, the responsibility is enormous. Luckily we get support from the senior faculty. Otherwise it would be just ridiculous.

In my curriculum which is Animal Science, many of the professors do know the students. However in larger classes such as electives and science classes, we are just another face among the fellow 200 to 300 students. My favorite class would have to be a meat science class that I took in the fall of my junior year. My least favorite would have to be the Organic Chemistry classes. Students study various quantities depending on the class at hand. If studying the night before for an hour or two will land a B then it's often acceptable. Others that are striving for 4.0 GPAs can be found in the library when not in class. Class participation varies depending on the class size. Although there are usually a handful of people that participate in any discussion available. Intellectual conversations are found many places around campus. For example Students meet with professors on and off campus to discuss various issues. Some students that are interested in attending some sort of graduate program seem to be the most competitive. Failure to be competitive can lead to failure to get into med school, vet school, or other graduate programs. The most unique class I have ever taken would be Pistol and Rifle Marksmanship. One wouldn't expect a class like this to be offered on a GUN FREE campus. However I enjoyed the class and think more like them should be available. Yes I do spend time with some professors outside of class. Just yesterday I stopped by a professor's house that manage's one of the numerous farms off campus. The academic requirements for admission are increasing steadily. The admissions numbers have not dropped which means brighter students are getting accepted. The education at LSU would vary depending on the type of studies done here.

Most of my professors know my name and even take role. There are a few exceptions, like general classes, that are simply too large to know names. My favorite class right now is English 2000: Finding argument in essay. I have a really spectacular teacher. LSU's academic research requirements seem to be working well, so I have no complaints.

The academics here took me by surprise, especially in the sciences. I expected the school to have mediocre professors with no care for the students, and I couldn't have been farther from the truth. Many of the professors here hold degrees from VERY prestigious universities, like MIT, Yale, Princeton, etc., and just as many are open to the students for help, advice, or just talk in general. The music program, of course, is amazing. Besides having one of the most renowned bands in the nation, their vocal program is stellar, as is their composition program. The only problem with the School of Music is that they can be a bit elitist. That is to say, getting in is difficult (especially if you are already a student in another field), and classes taken mostly by majors are restricted to majors or the extremely talented.

Very few professors know my name. My favorite class is philospohy, least favorite is anatomy. Students vary in studying, depending on their ability to retain information and their drive to maintain good academic standing. Most students probably study about 4 hours per week. Class participation is very common and students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique class I've taken is music appreciation. LSU's academic requirements are tough, but attainable, you must be willing to work. LSU's education is geared toward what type of learning the student is seeking.

Class size is typically large, at least for the general eds. Professors rarely know your name and class participation is lacking from what i've observed. Almost every student brings a laptop to class, and LSU has an EXCELLENT wireless connection no matter where you go on campus.... therefore, you guessed it, most students play on facebook during class. Some teachers have cracked down about this while others simply don't care. Most professors, however, are available outside of class to help students during their office hours. The most unique class I've taken was Acting Improvisation because it was an elective similar to the show "Who's Line is it Anyway". We pretty much just improvised and ran around the class every meeting doing skits off of the tops of our heads. The education from LSU however is very good, probably a little above the standard bar. Students from all majors tend to get favorable entry-level jobs with degrees from LSU. Academically, it's a strong school.

Some professors and teachers know my name, but in the larger classes they usually do not. I loved Rick Blackwood's Sex & Violence Film/English class. Sadly, Rick works in California now. I hate Algebra. It is sad that LSU forces its students to take math classes in a computer lab. I saw my teacher for forty minutes each week and had to spend three to five hours in the lab. If someone is sick and uses a computer, then everyone gets sick. I miss the old-fashioned days of pencil and paper math classes. Most people do not participate in class, although sometimes a lot of people do. It depends on the subject and who is taking the class any given semester. I overhear some intellectual conversations outside of class. Sometimes I engage in discussions with other students or teachers. A few students are competitive. Most people are not. I loved Femi Euba's Drama Writing class. The students and Euba were a blast. I am a English Creative Writing major and am getting a Film and Media minor. I like a lot of the English teachers. However, the Film and Media department is useless. Patricia Suchy never returned any of e-mails, even though I have actually created my own TV show and films, and I have worked in Hollywood. She is not helpful at all, and I am confused as to why that is. LSU is geared to getting a piece of paper, at least for what I am studying. I hear that other departments are more useful.

Most classes are big your freshman year. It is possible to get to know your professor though. Sit in the front, talk to them after class, use their office hours. Just drop by and let them know you're in their class and wanted to introduce yourself. It helps a LOT. When scheduling your classes, DEFINITELY check out , it will save your life!

My professors definitely do not know my name. My smallest class is about 50 and my largest class is 1,007 (seriously). My favorite class is probably Religion: Faith and Doubt because it's an open forum and almost every session there is a good conversation among students. My least favorite class is Microbiology. It's ridiculously tedious. Class participation is common depending on the type of course. I'm a communications major, so there is definitely an amount of participation neccesary to succeed in the course.

one of them does italian-favorite. econ- least favorite a lot study a lot, and a lot study not at all and do fine yes we do dpends on the subject italian accounting nope high enough, very reasonable yet competitive getting a job