University of California-Davis Top Questions

Academics are difficult, but finding the right balance between a social life and academics makes focusing on school a lot easier. Knowing when to party and when to study is the biggest challenge academically.

You're at a UC school, case and point, academics are super competitive. They aren't nearly as hard here then at some other schools but it's still competing on a whole new level and getting a B or C for the first time is definitely not unheard of. My favorite classes are computer science classes, but it's really whatever your into, your major definitely has to be your passion hands down. Students study for a little bit everyday until it comes to midterm and finals crunch time, at that point you're shutting yourself in room and gluing yourself to the computer screen. You don't really get a chance to meet professors too much in your lower division classes your first two years except in internships and job opportunities, but a lot of upper division classes really help make those connections. This school is excellent for both Engineers and anyone that wants to go into Agriculture and the school is definitely pointed towards helping those students get the best jump on their careers but it's hard work.

UC Davis faculty staff members take education seriously. Students take education seriously. Does that sum it up? All jokes aside, the university offers a wide range of classes from beer brewing, human sexuality, to Native American studies, animal science, etc. Some classes are big classes ranging from 200-400 students in a lecture hall. Some classes contain smaller numbers with about 25 students. Depending on the classes you take, you will be able to interact with your professors personally as a friend and as a tutor. Some professors encourage themselves to get to know each and every one of us by the end of each quarter. I've only seen a few handful of the professors remember students. If you engage with the professor a lot in and out of classes, he or she will definitely take their time to get to know you better and help you throughout your years at UC Davis. That is why participating in class is very important. The professors want you to do well in their classes, so they encourage you to come to their office hours or talk to their TAs (Teaching Assistants). Don't throw away your opportunity, find time to get to know your professors! The most unique class I have taken is HDE12, Human Sexuality. Most of the college students tend to believe that they know everything that there is to sex life. That is not true. This class isn't about having sex the right way, it is about knowing the risks and safe methods of sex and how our organs function. You also get to know different cultural views on sex, the diseases, how sex is used in society (i.e. human trafficking) and many other interesting topics. It's definitely a class worth of taking. Remember! This class isn't about just sex. It's about the human body in relation to sex. The academics here are often challenging. Because UC Davis runs on a trimester system, each quarter (3) consists of 10 weeks of lecture. That's not a lot of time. If you do not keep up with your work, midterms will hit you like a bug getting smacked into a windshield of a car. Midterms and final exams come by fast and so you have to keep your stuff together in order to do well. But professors also know that you want to have fun and experience the college life, so they don't push you with stacks of homework. They'll give you a good amount of homework everyday with a lot of time for you to enjoy the freedom. It's just the choices you make that will determine your progress in school. UC Davis is a university that points all students to a successful life after graduating. Many of the students at UC Davis have prominent careers such as working with Apple or Google. I am planning to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in the Community and Regional Development as potentially a city planner or even a manager of an organization.

The academics at UC Davis are outstanding. If you do your research on professors RateMyProfessor.com (a great website with ratings of each professor which I have found to be very accurate), you should have no problem with getting great professors. I am an economics and sociology double major so my favorite classes have been ECN 135 Money and Banking with Athanasios Geromichalos and SOC 138 Economics of Sociology with Lucas Kirkpatrick. Another great professor is Emanuel Frankel. He has real experience in the private sector as the VP of a department for Bank of America. He applies his experiences to the concepts we are learning in class so the ideas become more tangible for those new to the concepts he is teaching. Unless you are in a smaller class, especially an English class, classes don't usually require a significant amount of participation. If they do, the majority of it is just showing up to discussions. At UC Davis, a lot of classes geared toward math and science are graded on a curve. This makes the students pretty competitive with each other. Students are willing to help each other, but there is always an underlying notion that we are all competing against each other. For the most part, the education at UC Davis is geared toward learning for the sake of learning as opposed to being geared toward getting a job. The Internship and Career Center does a good job of offering workshops to prepare your resume and cover letter to apply for jobs, but the classes are mostly aimed at teaching concepts and theories.

Although UC Davis is a large research university, I find it easy to interact with professors on a personal level. Many professors care just as much about teaching as they do their research. Student participation is very high, even in large lecture halls, and professors often make an effort to get to know students who ask questions and go to office hours.

The academics at Davis is pretty good. I think Davis offers a lot of academic opportunities and it's up to you to make the most out of it. Lectures tend to be filled, so professors do not know you personally. You can, however, attend office hours where you can talk to your professor and receive additional help or have questions answered. The professors I've had so far have provided me with lots of assistance at office hours. If you can't make their designated office hours, you can always set up an appointment. There are also discussions for some courses where there are opportunities for participation and conversation between other students and the TA.

It seems pretty easy to get to know professors once I make an effort (going to office hours, asking questions...) to do so. Professors were generally helpful in answering questions when asked. Students are definitely competitive and workload can be overwhelming, but it all depends on the class; some classes are obviously much easier than others. I also appreciate that there are a whole lot of classes I can explore!

It seems pretty easy to get to know professors once I make an effort (going to office hours, asking questions...) to do so. Professors were generally helpful in answering questions when asked. Students are definitely competitive and workload can be overwhelming, but it all depends on the class; some classes are obviously much easier than others. I also appreciate that there are a whole lot of classes I can explore!

The professors just know you know your name from just attending lectures, if you take the time to go their office hours and make an effort to get to know them, they will welcome you with smile. They love to see students interested in their classes. My favorite class right now is the programming class I am currently taking. The teacher is very humorous and also very knowledgeable about the information she teaches in class that it makes me more interested in the subject. The amount of students study is not too bad. It is not required that you will be studying all day, but you should spend a good amount of time studying for each class to keep up with the teacher. Class participation is very common in classes. It might be a little intimidating to speak in lecture hall with around a hundred people, but you get used to it and seeing that many do participate and ask questions, you are encouraged to ask questions as well. Students have various kinds of conversations everywhere, intellectual, entertainment related, and other kinds as well. Student are cautious of their grades and are competitive when they need to be. The education provided here is for learning purposes and also to train us to be able to get a job in the major we are in.

The academic environment at UC Davis is bar none. Students inside and outside the classroom strive for academic excellence and are supported at every step of the way. Teachers are very helpful and often provide the support of Teaching Assistants to further aid students. Another attribute is the success UCD has had in balancing work related education with education for intellectual improvement. Here you will not only grow as an individual but as a professional.

Some of my professors know my name because I have some small clases. My favorite class so far is my spanish class and my least favorite is my psychology class. Students study pretty often at davis and class participation is common in most classes. Some students choose to have intellectual conversations after class pertaining to class material. A lot of high achievers are competitive with their peers. The most unique class I've taken so far is my writing class. I'm a communications major and I want to become a teacher after I graduate. I spend some time with professors outside of class going to office hours. I feel that the academic requirements are fair. The education at this school, I believe, is geared toward getting a job and also learning at the same time.

The academics at UC Davis are challenging - but that is what the school prides itself for. There are numerous majors to fit to numerous interests, and guaranteed there will be a suitable class for every curious inquiry. Professors are very professional in their field and it is evident that they are very experienced with what they do. As a communication major, I remember that I absolutely enjoyed a communication class in where I learned about the structures of an organization, and how I would do a corporate setting. I still remember all the information to this day, and it has been very helpful since.

There are several aspects of learning here at UC Davis that are quite similar to those of high school. Most professors utilize PowerPoint to teach their students. Additionally, the lessons are not too difficult to understand and professors are open to answer any question their students might have. But there are also aspects of learning that aren't so typically "high school". Professors don't know their students' names. Unless he or she is leading a seminar, the professor typically makes no effort to learn the names of their students. Class participation is common, though in the larger lectures students are less likely to contribute to the discussion.

As an amazing research institute, UC Davis offers educational opportunities that other colleges simply can't. Wether you are interested in Agriculture, Engineering, Psychology or Biology, UC Davis has invested millions of dollars into departments for research in these areas. UC Davis students are highly involved and competitive when it comes to classes and I have met incredibly dedicated people attending this University. These students are both intimidating and inspiring. The professors are a unique and eclectic bunch however I cannot deny that most are amazingly accomplished and dedicated to their students. I am a Senior at UCD and I am double majoring in Psychology and Communication. I have enjoyed most of my classes for these majors a lot. As far as student beliefs, these are the easier majors that you can choose. That's probably why I decided to do two. No matter what though, getting a degree from UC Davis looks great and is definitely a personal accomplishment.

Like many other UCs, UC Davis runs on the quarter system. Basically, there are three quarters within each school year and each quarter is only 10 weeks long. On our campus, we are expected to learn the same amount of material as students who are in the semester system who have, on average, 15 weeks for each semester. We need to be fast pace learners and manage our academics on our own. Homework is rare in classes because there is, on average, about 100 or more students in each class and the professors cannot grade homework for each student. Our course grades are usually made up of midterms and a final. It is up to the individual student to manage their studying. Since homework is not assigned, we are expected to use the time we would be spending on homework on studying. We are viewed as adults who do not need to be supervised and forced to do work. The students themselves should be in charge of their own education and the academics here encourages it.

The academics are definitely challenging and so are fulfilling G.E. requirements. You do have to stay focused when scheduling classes if you want to graduate on time and sometimes getting the classes you want/need can be hard. Having said that, the scheduling struggles are well worth it. All of the professors I've had so far have been really enthusiastic about the material they teach. Also professors are extremely helpful and it is easy to get a hold of they if you need to talk to them for any reason. Classes are a lot of work, but really interesting. UC learning isn't hands on, it is very conceptual. Davis is the perfect place to get an education if you want to explore different subjects and majors because all majors are very strong and it is easy to switch around. Overall Davis is a really great education that both challenges and interests it's students.

Here's the thing about academics at Davis. They vary so hugely based on major it is hard to give an accurate picture of the whole school. My major is Communications, which is a part of the College of Letters and Sciences. My classes are generally lectures, containing about 100 students. Professors are not difficult to get to know, however. They make time in their office hours and after class to meet students and help however they can. I am currently enrolled in a Public Speaking class where we have separate discussion sections led by a Teacher's Assistant. I love public speaking, so this class has been incredible rewarding. In lecture, I learn the basic components of public speaking, and in discussion I get to actually create and deliver speeches that I am then given direct critique on so I can improve. It is one of the best classes I've taken so far in college. Students at Davis are known as hard working. Davis is a research university, so many of my friends and classmates have had internships working with professors. The library is always filled with students, studying individually and in groups. The quarter system is either loved or hated by students. The way I see it: if you dislike a class, it's over in 10 weeks. And I love that I can take three sets of classes every year while my friends on the semester system can only take two.

The reason I chose Davis over Berkeley was because as a student going into the medical field, I wanted a school with peers that support one another. We are ranked as one of the top public schools in the nation but without the extreme cutthroat nature.

In smaller classes like my University Writing Program class, the professors know your name and whether you came to class the other day. However, in larger classrooms, you may have to speak up more in order to be noticed by your professor. The students in my major, Communication, are usually not very competitive. My Communication classes consist of a friendly environment where we are all very willing to help each other. The professors I have had over the years always encourage us to visit them at office hours if we have any questions or concerns. Office hours are held twice a week, so the professors are usually very accessible. Their academic requirements are pretty standard and consistent with other Universities.

Often times, classes are rather large. This holds especially true in lower division (introduction) course. Because of this, professors have a hard time knowing their student's names. To solve this problem, professors have office hours. I personally really enjoy attending office hours because it allows for one on one time with the professor. Sometimes this leads to friendships with professors that can last even once the class has ended. During my freshman year, I had an English professor who was very helpful. After attending his office hours on an almost weekly basis I now feel like I have established a relationship with him. This proved to be true when I emailed him about writing a letter of recommendation for me. Despite the fact that he was teaching at another university now, he was still more than willing to help he. I am a communication and psychology major, english minor. I find that this combination of topics allows me to expand my depth of understanding in a variety of areas which will further prepare me for a career in journalism. Because of the requirements for these areas and for the university as a whole, I have the opportunity to take a plethora of courses that broaden my understanding of the society as a whole. Every class I have taken, rather it be in my majors or simply a general requirement, has only served to benefit me and mold me into a more intellectual person.