Rice University Top Questions

The largest class I've had so far at Rice has had about 50 people, and the smallest had only 6. All of my professors knew my name and were more than willing to help out during office hours and with review sessions before big tests. The distribution classes requirement is good because it forces people out of their comfort zone. Actually, some of the best classes I've taken have been for distribution. The education at Rice is definitely geared toward learning for the sake of learning. The great education I'm getting is my favorite thing about Rice! Outside of class, I feel like the majority of student conversations are not really intellectual, which is frustrating because it's obvious that everyone here is so smart. They mostly talk about parties.

Rice is hard. Plain and simple. But someone who is looking at a school like Rice wouldn't be deterred by that, because let's face it, smart kids look at Rice. Many of the classes at Rice challenge you intellectually, and really make you work hard for a good grade. Just like any university, there are relatively slack classes, and while it's nice to have them every once in a while, the challenging courses are a bit better, because they really push you to better yourself.

"Do Rice students have intellectual conversations outside of class?" Actually, there is a huge effort by students to encourage deep conversations at the casual level. For the past couple years it was mostly spearheaded by various religious groups on campus, but last year a few students started a project called "Big Talk" with the sole purpose of getting people talking more deeply. I think it's a pretty cool deal (betweenaduck.com) and I'm proud that it came out of my school.

Once you finish the big freshmen lecture classes, the class size tends to drop off rapidly and I know most of my professors personally. Most Rice students are busy *all* the time. Most of that might be spent studying, but people are also heavily involved in extracurriculars. People are much more collaborative than competitive, probably because you get to be friends with your potential "competition". I'll usually meet different professors socially outside the university setting (at the house, for dinner, etc.) a few times a semester. Almost all classes are taught by tenure-track professors and most really enjoy it (the few who don't usually find some bureaucratic loophole to get out of it). I engage in intellectual conversations outside class all the time. Every party I've attended has involved discussion about recent advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology, or philosophical questions.

Every school has their introductory classes where there are about 200 kids in the lecture hall. As you take more classes towards your major, the classes get smaller and there is more interaction. I love the language classes which are usually around 20 students, and Rice has great language softwares. Being a biochemistry major, I spend alot of time in my individual research lab. We have alot of these opportunities to work closely with a research mentor and sepnd alot of time with them discussing about our research. I feel that they are geniunely interested in helping you learn more about your subject.

Education at Rice is what you want it to be. If you want small seminar classes where you go to the professor's house for dinner, you can find that- you'll just have to deal with fewer options than a larger school might have. Getting into the classes you want to register for is never a problem; I have never heard of anyone that did not get to take a class they wanted to take. The way that I've seen most classes operate, if you do all the work, you get an A, but there's a lot of work to do, so not everyone chooses to do it all. There are obviously some exceptions to this, but I find that graders are pretty understanding, and completion of assignments may matter more than getting every question right.

The academics at Rice are amazing. I love my classes and how small they are. The professors care a lot about how much you learn and encourage participation all the time. I've learned a lot from my peers, and feel that the curriculum is preparing me well for the outside world without limiting my educational experience by forcing me to study a certain field or major too closely.

Your first year will mostly be intro classes, which (in the sciences anyways) are about 80 people. These numbers go down as you go to higher levels of science, or if you take an liberal arts class (which are hardly ever bigger than 50 students). Professors in these smaller classes often get to know your name, especially if you speak in class (which is often encouraged). The best thing about the professors is your ability to communicate with them outside of class. Many of them are what we call "associates", which belong to one of the 9 residential colleges on campus. They will be seen eating meals with you in your servery, and will always be there to offer advice. I got to know this physics professor really well this year, despite hating Physics and never having him- he just was an interesting character at the dinner table. Academically, Rice is very challenging. It's not in the Top 20 for nothing, and it doesn't inflate its grades like most upper-tier colleges do. Be prepared to work, and be prepared NOT to get straight A's. You study every day (except possibly Friday), and you work hard, play hard. At Rice, most education is geared towards increasing creativity and interest in a subject; many of the students go on to some post-grad work, and besides the motto of Rice is to increase intellectual curiosity.

Rice has the one of the best if not the best undergraduate program in the country. Class sizes are small and research opportunites for undergraduates are ample.

Academics are probably the most well-known aspect of Rice. Rice has rigorous classes but also has some that are not as hard. Students tend to study a good deal; many are found in the library. I would say that students are competitive. I'm double majoring in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Psychology. For biochemistry, the upper-level science classes are difficult, and for psychology they aren't as bad.

Professors are generally incredibly helpful and truly want students to learn. It is easy to get extensions and you can always get guidance on assignments. Rice's academics are pretty personal and if you make any effort at all, you will get personal attention. The history department is underrated! I had no expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. I've liked every professor I've had (except for one, who was a special case). The classes are challenging and interesting, and the professors have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, because Rice isn't that big, there isn't as much variety as I'd like in class options.

Academics at Rice are insanely hard. It is quite the difference from highschool. Most students were the best in their high school, however once they get to Rice, they become the mediocre students. However, every professor is willing to put forth the effort to help you learn the most possible. While tests are very hard, you are getting the best possible and individualized education possible.

Most professors know my name, even in larger lecture classes and even if I don't really participate. Some classes are hard, and some are just like high school. I don't feel that Rice is really that hard, but it might be harder than some public schools. We get to see certain professors around all of the time, and we can talk to them, say hi, etc. Sometimes, I even forget that they might be famous professors because they are so down-to-earth. The most unique class I will take is neurology and its applications to law. The professor is not super easy but really great. In the psychology department, all of the teachers are really excited about what they do and are all really great people to talk to. Rice students are intellectual and we can have intellectual conversations, but we work hard and play hard.

hard, but not impossible.

Rice is academically very selective, making the classwork at times very demanding. I came to Rice as the academic darling of my high school, only to realize that virtually everyone here was one of their high school's top students. At first the coursework can be very challenging; in an environment full of intelligent students, the only way to get ahead is to study a LOT, and for students who were able to coast through high school, this can be difficult to adjust to. Most classes besides the introductory science and mathematics classes are fairly small; my smallest upper-level seminars have had only 5 or so people, although my introductory physics and differential equations classes probably had over one hundred. Grad student teaching is limited mainly to labs and voluntary study sessions; professors always have office hours and are generally eager to talk to students. Research opportunities for undergraduates are easy to find, and while some of them are the typical monotonous busy-work, I have friends who serve instrumental roles as leading figures in small laboratories. In terms of general education, the requirements at Rice are relatively light, and many students already have them waived from AP; the requirements for majors vary much more, with engineering majors having their schedules almost predetermined while arts and social science majors have the freedom to take on two or three majors if they want to. Rice offers only three minors at the moment, although more have been proposed; right now those offered are mainly in business-econ-related fields.

My professors not only knew my name at Rice, they knew my cell phone number. I actually became very friendly with a couple of them (in a professional way of course). As a creative writing student, I formed particularly close bonds with my workshop leaders. Even in the biggest classes, however, professors were really responsive and interested in my learning everything I needed (and wanted) to know. My favorite classes at Rice were those in the English department, while my least favorite were those classes I had to take to fulfill my math/science requirements, which were populated with jocks and other people who similarly didn't care. Students study a hell of a lot. I mean A LOT, especially engineering and architecture students. I on the other hand didn't really study all that much, considering, although I always had a lot of reading and writing to do. Although most students spend a lot of time in the library and in their rooms pulling all-nighters, there isn't a lot of constructive intellectual discussion happening outside of class. In fact, once studying is over, things get really un-intellectual REALLY fast. Students aren't really all that competitive with each other, except in special disciplines like the creative writing and the architecture departments where there's a lot of actual prize money and recognition being given out, the class sizes are small, and everyone sees everyone else's work. The classes at Rice are more or less geared toward learning for its own sake, at least in the liberal arts department. I really liked the flexibility of the distribution system as opposed to a traditional core curriculum requirement. I got to choose what I wanted to learn in a way that most of my friends at larger universities didn't.

The introductory classes are large, like any other school, but as students move toward specialization, the classes get more intimate. Students get opportunities to do research in various fields and interests. Usually harder classes are balanced by fun classes to minimize the stress of the student, depending on what if they choose to do so. Students are the ones to take initiative towards their future.

Most classes are very small, especially in the humanities and social sciences. This makes for a more intimate environment to hold discussions. Some science professors are too arrogant and obsessed with their research to give their students due time. But overall, most professors are very open to meeting with their students.

Professors are completely personable and interested. I've met with nearly all of my professors and they make an effort to not only know your name but know a lot about you. I've been over to two of my professor's homes for class barbecues or individual dinner parties and i'm on a first-name basis with some of them. Students want to do well but are not competitive among each other. Everyone is willing to help and there are many ways to get tutored or help from peers, ta's or professors. It is easy to have intellectual conversation and the graduation requirements give you direction and broad knowledge, but are easy to meet and give you a huge range of possibilities.

School is school. It's not a cake walk. It's hard, it's college. But it's not impossible. We come out in one piece. In my opinion, what you put into school is what you will get out of it. If you don't want to study and work hard, don't come to Rice. If you are willing to sacrifice some of the social time you might have at another school for academics, come. But again, many many students here balance social and school. Yes, there are your book worms, but for the most part Rice students know when to play and when to work. It's about balance and time management.