Stony Brook University Top Questions

The academics at Stony Brook are rather demanding. However they are also reasonable, and are definitely manageable with the right application.

The academics at Stony Brook are rather demanding. However they are also reasonable, and are definitely manageable with the right application.

In many humanities classes, the professors learn your name by the second week. In science classes you will be in a room of 100-1000 students so it's hard for them to learn your name, and sometimes they won't know who you are at all....so go attend their office hours! Class participation is often important in the humanities department and is one of the deciding factors of your final grade. Many students are very competitive, especially those who are pre-med. My department is very small and has about 5 undergraduate students and about 20 graduate students. It's very disappointing, but then again Literature is not a major field at Stony Brook.

I think the academics are fabulous. As an English major, the Humanities department is incredibly helpful. The student to faculty ratio is great, and most of the professors I've had still know me by my name. The learning doesn't stop once class ends. It continues whenever an interesting topic is brought up. I believe that the Career center is well equipped to help students figure out where they want to go with their majors, and how. I think we have plenty of job fairs and opportunities to be exposed to the options we will have in the future.

As nerdy as this may sound I actually enjoy studying for my classes. Part of the beauty of college is that you are allowed to pretty much take the majority of your classes in a subject that you love! Asides from some non-science general education classes I have pretty much only taken science classes. Unlike in high school where I had to sit through world history and american history waiting for the period to end, I can’t wait to get to some of my classes in the morning. My favorite class that I have taken at Stony Brook is my BIO 315 Microbiology (micro for short) class! After completing my introductory level biology classes this was my first upper division biology class that I took. To be completely honest, I was terrified the first day of class. Upper division biology classes are traditionally taken by juniors or seniors – but I was a sophomore venturing into this unknown territory. To my surprise, micro turned out to be incredibly interesting and enjoyable! After I took the class, I actually recognized some of the diseases mentioned in House and Grey’s Anatomy. Even though the class was held in Javits 100 (our largest lecture hall that seats 500+ students), our professor made the class very personable and interactive. Our professor was always asking questions, making jokes and encouraging the students to participate. Weekly office hours held by the undergraduate teachers’ assistants made the class even more personable! A TA is an undergraduate student who did very well in the class in a previous semester and is now serving as a “tutor” for current students. Micro is a unique class in that the TAs also give out extra credit quizzes every week. Not only do these quizzes help your grade at the end of the semester but they also serve as a great way to keep up with the material during the semester. I loved this class so much that I actually TAed BIO 315 my spring semester junior year! Even though I pretty much live and breathe science I still wanted to venture out and explore some humanities classes. Some of my other favorite classes that I took at Stony Brook include a political science class as well as several sociology classes, Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take a class just because it sounds interesting!

It depends on the size of the class. A lot of professors know my name because I'm in smaller classes. If you go to the professor's office hours they'll get to know you on a first-name basis. My favorite classes are sociology classes. Least favorite are math related classes, only because it isn't my strongest subject. Some students barely study and their grades reflect that. I study hard for my grades. The conversations you have with people outside of class depend on the type of people you surround yourself with. Students can be competitive. The requirements are okay, they require you to get a rounded education which is good. Most of the classes that I have taken to fulfill the requirements have been interesting and I enjoyed them. The education is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake.

Most professors want to know your name and are very helpful. Learn a lot more than you'd expect.

The academics are fabulous here at SB. I am enrolled in the Theater Department and its the best experience I have ever had. The teachers all know my name, and not only that, they are genuinely interested in my success as a student. My favorite class I have taken is Acting 1. It gives students the chance to experience what its like to speak in front of large groups and explore the area of theater if you know nothing about it. Another cool class was Italian 1. My professor was so interesting. He was one of the many professors I'd just go and have coffee with and discuss things we both loved, such as Italian foods and learning languages. The only disappointing part of SB's academia is the absurd amount of general requirements. We call them DEC's and we have around 15 of them. The only redeeming thing is that many of your major requirements can also be used as DEC's.

I'm a psychology major and I'd have to say the reason I got any of the experiences that I did was simply because of good grades and talking to people in charge. If you're a poor student, be careful because you will be looked down upon. And talk! Ask a question, give your opinion to the professor after class, it will be a bonus (make sure they're approachable first, you don't want to insult them). Classes under 40 students exist only in the arts or special seminar classes which is generally 400 + level. I have yet to have a small class. Class participation happens only when it's not a easy class that you can sleep through and never study for. Group work is done only when assigned and study groups are made up of friends so make friends with your classmates. A lot of professors like to give a massive amount of notes so bring a notebook. Sometimes a laptop isn't worth it. Only the back rows tend to have outlets and wireless doesn't exist in the lecture hall. For science courses, studying will be your life. You simply won't have a social life. Otherwise, plan your time accordingly (and you will need to have time management skills if you want a GPA above a 3.0) Art courses FYI, sound easy, but 6 hrs a week for 3 credits plus outside work is needed too, and can get expensive.

I have to say that professors are always willing to sit down and talk with a student. Sometimes if it's a big class, you may have to make an appointment but other wise, you can just stop by granted that you held onto the syllabus that says the room number of the office. In my smaller classes, I've noticed that all of my teachers recognize me and will greet me in passing, sometimes even before I see them. Stonybrook is the top 2{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the world and it is easy to see why. The professors are challenging and don't settle for anything less than what they know your potential is.