Texas A & M University-College Station Top Questions

A&M academics are career training as well as learning. Almost all classes will outline careers and learning through the semester. There are lots of career training courses available, with opportunities to gain certifications in many fields.

People always told me that since I was going to a big school I would never have small classes or have to write papers. Well they were sorely mistaken. Although I do have classes with 350 people, I also have classes with only 20 people and both types of classes have taken attendance. And this past semester I wrote at least 4 research papers. Classes are hard, but most teachers are fair and if you work hard, you can get a good grade. I'm an allied health major and the P.A. schools in Texas are always half full of Aggies. (Which is really really good!) Also, most profs are really willing to work with you outside of class if you need help.

We're a quality school with high academic standards. This means classes can be challenging and frustrating, but they can also be rewarding. We have several programs which are ranked among the best in the nation, but it is not a liberal arts school.

A lot of freshman classes are huge - 250 students or so. But as you get further in your major, the classes become smaller and the professors learn your name. Even in the huge classes, though, if you make an effort (i.e. meet with your professor during office hours, ask intelligent questions, and work hard) the professors will bend over backwards a lot of times to help. Of course there are some professors who aren't very helpful, but the majority are teaching because they like it, and if you show an interest, they'll meet you half way. Many things vary from class to class, like: Is class participation common? Do you spend time with professors outside of class? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It really depends on the subject matter of the class and on the professor. And the same goes with individual students: Some are really competitive, others aren't. Some don't have to study much, and some spend hours each day studying. The studying also depends on what type of class you're taking. Some students have intellectual discussions outside of class, and others don't

Beginning classes are very large, but, if you make an effort to get to know a professor, they'll make the same effort towards you. In my experience, science classes are a killer. The most unique class I've taken is History of Rock Music, it was very entertaining. I feel the education requirements at Texas A&M are very reasonable and provide you to have another interest other than your major. I think the education at the university is geared toward getting a job AND learning for its own sake.

Okay so classes are big so i would suggest using pickaprof.com to find the easiest prof your first year because you dont want to be in a class that is hard...i made that mistake. academics are awesome and you feel like ur getting a very good education!!

The academics of A&M are generally amazing. However I have found that most profs that teach freshman and sophmore classes really don't care about their students education. the smaller classes I have found teachers that care more and are willing to help students more.

Academics here are fairly rigourous. I can't believe how easy I had it in highschool. But that's what you get when you come to such a prestigious school, such as this university. Professors truly care about your education, but you have to show them that you care too. Professors know your name if you take the time to get to know them on a personal level in their office hours. Students are highly competitive here. It's what makes academics such a huge deal here

I am currently a kinesiology major aiming to become a physical therapist. This particular department has been very helpful in assisting me in achieving my goals and setting a plan for my future. Core classes have been my least favorite because they are very impersonal. There are more than 300 people in most of the core science or math classes because almost everyone has to take them. In these classes, professors do not get the opportunity to meet students unless the student approaches them and maintains contact with them throughout the semester. Once you get into upper level classes that are more major specific, the classes become more interactive, and the professors are more likely to remember your name and face. My favorite class so far has been a kinesiology class required for all kinesiology majors. It was not a regular PE class as most would think. It combined every aspect of physical fitness (cardio, stength, flexibility, agility, etc), and it contained a solid lecture base as well. This class forced me to push myself to reach my goals. Getting an A in that class is very difficult because the professor wants to you work towards improvement throughout the semester. It was great reflecting on my progress at the end of the semester. I accomplished things I never thought I could do. Although I did not get an A (granted I was very close), I still felt like I had accomplished so much more than just earning a grade. It seems like most professors at A&M want you to succeed, and they want you to improve. Most of my classes have been based on improving throughout the semester. The professors want you to leave your college career feeling ready for the real world, and that is exactly what they do.

The english department is one of the smallest on campus. There are only about 600 students as english majors, but this way we all get to know each other. It is like a close knit family of sorts!

The professors in smaller classes know your name, but in the big classes, forget it. My most favorite class has been regarding historic preservation in architecture. My least favorite was chemistry where I was just a face in a crowd of several hundred. Studying depends on the course. Some are spoon-fed, while others are certainly not. Most are not. Class participation is not as common as I'd like, and I feel like there is a stupid high school mentality that ostracizes those who do participate and relegates them to nerddom. There are some intellectual conversations outside of class but they often degenerate into talk of religion or getting drunk. I don't feel a strong competitive vibe from any of my classmates, but really more of an attitude of teamwork. The most unique class I've taken was again, the one about historic preservation in architecture. My major is Construction Science in the Department of Architecture. There have only been a couple of profs who have offered their free time to their students. The academic requirements at TAMU are straight forward and obtainable. I feel that my education is an overview of what's needed to get and keep a job. The real learning doesn't start until grad school.

Name - in my upper levels they do. favorite - 2 of them, hort 201 with reed, greatest prof ever, and mgmt 466 with carr, sarcastic and awesome. least - any polisci class, so boring. study - you can never find a spot to park at wcl, so i guess a lot. participation - some students talk too much. intellectual - my friends do; talk about politics, business, stocks, classes, also video games. competitive - very.

Some do, most dont. Favorite class was American Military History. Least favorite was Finance. I rarely study, most put in good hours. Not really. Depends on who you're talking to. Most students are fairly competitive. I do not spend much time with professors outside of class, but i have before. I feel for the size school we are, the requirements are good, but they're not great. The education is geared toward getting a job, it's pushed a lot.

My major professors know my name and maybe some others depending on the size of the class. my favorite class would be in poultry class and least favorite is either stat or genetics. i study a few hours a week. class participation really depends on the professor. i would think that we are all competitive but we are always willing to help too. poultry science is the best and the profs are great. i do spend time outside of class with the profs.

Yes they know my name; I'm loud and opinionated. Sociology is great, but I don't like math because the prof can't speak english. I don't know what other studnents do because almost all I do is study until six when I go out with friends. I go to every class because I feel like if I'm not diligent now I never will be. My friends and I talk about everything from politics to sociology to what's for dinner. Its not small enough to be competitive. We don't know anyone to compete against. The most unique class I've taken was Air Force leadership lab. Business is an interesting department, but I want to switch my major because its not a marketable skill. I don't spend time with professors out of class. I have no other school to compare its academic requirement to so I cannot tell you if it is fair. That is a very good question. As a lower classmen its more for learning for the sake of learning. It depends on the class I guess.

Many of my professors did know my name. I made the effort to get to know many of them. Fave class: Theories of Persuasion (Dr. Quick) He was a fantastic guy. So easy-going and a great teacher, made it interesting. Least Fave Class: a management class I was required to take (Dr. Buenger was the prof). She was a horrible professor, picked favorites, honestly I dreaded that class. Class participation is pretty common in smaller classes (15-50) but classes that are over 300 people, its definitely harder. People still discuss things, though, and contribute. Sometimes there are intellectual conversations outside of class. Sometimes not. Most students are competitive but not to the point of rudeness. I think they just want to succeed. Most would feel great about others succeeding too. Most unique class: Bible as Literature. It was so much discussion and open-minded people. It was really great. My major: Marketing. Best major on campus. The classes were great. The professors were fantastic. My two minors were also great. English Dept and Communication Dept were great. I spent time with professors by whom I was employed. I also would see them at cultural events or university functions. One on one time was more between grad students and professors. I think the Academic Requirements are good. There is a variety in the core curriculum classes. I also like that degree plans are becoming more personal. The Aggie Network is how one gets a job. However, I think learning (in and out of the classroom) is so important. A&M is a great place to get both kinds of learning.

I think that my professors all genuinely care about the students and want to do what they can to help them.

I never really got to know my professors because the classes were fairly large.

Most of the time the classes are really large but once you get into the small classes the professors know your name. A lot of the times professors will remember you if you happen to take more than one class with them. If you miss class because you were sick, most of the time they've noticed that you were gone. My major was history and the classes that I took within the department were really interesting. There weren't any classes that I came away from and felt like I hadn't learned anything that I didn't know to start with. I even had some classes where I thought I knew everything and then I got into the class and it changed the way that I thought because there was so much that I didn't know. In some of my classes, we were learning things that you learn in high school and some of the historical concepts that they teach you in high school aren't really the truth. For me the most unique class that I took would have to I can't pick just one class there were so many that were great classes to take. It's just one of those where you look at the title and it makes you want to take the class. I've taken History of Building Technolgy, Life & Literature of the South, The Old South, History of American Seapower, there are just so many different options that you really can't take every class that you want to or you'd be here forever. I think that the academic requirements are pretty good. I think that the new emphasis on the writing requirement is great for the future.

Some professors will learn your name, while other won't even attempt; it really depends on the size of the class. Classes are generally either immensely huge (300-ish students) or relatively small (30-40 students). My favorite classes are the interactive ones, where copying notes and simply listening to boring lectures day after day isn't the norm. Students study almost every day, usually taking breaks Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights to get out and have some fun. Class participation is common, as are intellectual conversations outside of class, though the intellectual conversations are usually begun with a purpose, such as understanding subject matter for a final, or finishing homework. Students aren't agressively competitve, and it's common to see students working or discussing in groups to help each other out. The most unique classes I have taken revolve around languages, like Latin or Spanish, or random subjects, such as Herbology or Music. I have not spent time with professors outside of class, though I have heard of T.A.'s occasionally meeting with students. The academic requirements are pretty basic and they seem to reflect a student's need to procure a legitimate job post-college.