University of California-Los Angeles Top Questions

Tough- depends on major. Social sciences can be a breeze depending on professor, math/science are in a diff part of campus.

Whenever it comes to academics, there is only one word in my mind: stressful. Every student is so smart here and you have to put all your hearts into one class if you want to get an A! However, that's not to say they are not doable, and everyone, if he work hard enough, can of course earn what he deserves! And for example, I work really hard here and my GPA now is 4.0.

I'll be honest, classes here are ridiculously large, especially the science classes. My freshman general chemistry class was 300 people. The professor doesn't know your name (how can he?), and people really don't care if you show up or not. Because we're on the quarter system, classes go by really fast. It's good if you don't like a class, because you're done with it after 10 weeks, but if you don't actually know what's going on, then you can fall behind really quickly. As a biochemistry student, I haven't taken many humanities classes, so I can't speak for them, but as far as the science classes go, they're competitive. My classmates study all the time. They go to office hours whenever they're available, and they're constantly trying to get a good grade in the class. Our classes are all lecture-based, so there's absolutely zero participation (unless you have a question to ask), but I know that in the English classes, it's all discussion-based. While all the professors are extremely accomplished, some are simply better at teaching than others, at which point, it's up to you to figure out the material. Lack of funding has cut tutoring programs on campus, making it harder to get help, but the TAs are always there if you need help.

UCLA is divided, colloquially, into 'North Campus' (the humanities majors) and 'South Campus' (the sciences majors). South Campus majors are generally understood to be more academically time-consuming, but that's not to say North Campus majors aren't challenged. You get out of your classes what you put into them - lecture attendance is rarely required, but going often, and developing a relationship with the professor in office hours, will ensure a more worthwhile use of your time and money (and a better grade). Most large lectures also have TA-taught discussion sections to better refine and explain the material.

North campus is where all the liberal arts classes are, and South campus is where all the science classes are. It really is strange how different classes are between campuses. South Campus- huge 300 people lectures. Want to get to know the professor? You need to WERK! You need to take initiative, take advantage of his office hours, ask questions! Usually, math classes SUCK and the professors are too smart for their own good and don't know how to explain theories to us normal folk. But the science classes like chem and bio are organized and students know they have to form study groups. North Campus- smaller lecutures (100-200?) and VERY intimate and helpful discussions. Discussions are the smaller division of student classes lead by a teachers assistant, and you really get to know everyone in your discussion, but each discussion heavily depends on the TA. You definitely should try asking around to see which TAs grade better or teach better- it can make or break you! I'm pre-med and switching between psychobiology or psychology major. I was considering minoring in spanish linguistics, but I realized I would need to be a super senior in that case =/. I've only recently switched from undeclared to phychobio to psych... and now I'm considering switching back to pyschobio! I've talked to the graduate counselors and they were very helpful in figuring out what classes I need to take when and what the differences were between majors.

Academics here can be tough, especially if you are a science major aka south campus major. I've taken GE classes in many north campus classes, and the majority of them have a lot of reading. So be prepared to read at least 200 pages a week. For science classes, you take the core classes with hundreds of other students, and depending on the professor, they can be your most favorite or worst nightmare. Each professor has a different style of teaching, what they want to emphasize on, how hard they want to make the exams, how much homework they assign, and show if they care about student learning or not. It really all depends on the professor. I've had some so-so and some very awesome professors; how much you like the class really depends on the professor who teaches it. Some professors will make an effort to know your name, that is, if you try to know them yourselves and go to office hours. Students who go here, worked hard in high school to get here, so they will definitely make sure they stay here and graduate. Everyone is studious, to some extent. Science classes are where you will find the most competitive students--mainly because the majority of them are pre-med, pre-dent, pre-pharm, etc. The student atmosphere also depends on which class you're taking. Some classes promote collaborative student learning while some others just end up being that you're learning on your own (if you have friends taking the same classes, then form study groups! They help a lot!).

Great professors, inspiring TAs, academics are the only thing I can say nothing negative about. I had a marvelous time here learning and it made me want to stay in academics. A small dust up has been made over USC beating UCLA in the (possibly arbitrary) USN&WR rankings for National Colleges (undergrad). This might matter to you if you did no other research into the matter. Further study into the academic programs at UCLA prove that the Science and Humanities are almost ALL top 10, and rank in direct competition with only Ivies (English, Engineering, Sociology, Psych, Anthro, History, Econ, Chemistry, Computer Science, Applied Math). Therefore, asan undergrad in say physics, you are studying under a professor from one of the greatest physics departments in the country, and your being tutored by TAs who are themselves proteges of the top programs available to their discipline. Think about that. UCLA doesn't just have great Med/Law/Business schools, its individual programs are even HIGHER ranked. So, regardless of your major, you're highly likely to be studying with the most esteemed intellectuals in that field, and under the tutelage of the most competent graduate students in the country. Check mate USC, get back on the football field where you belong and stop trying to compete academically with the greatest school in southern California.

SOME professors actually do know your name, contrary to popular belief... it's all up to you whether or not you want to make yourself memorable by taking part in class and talking to your professor during office hours. A lot of my professors have had coffee and donuts hours, and other social events to better get to know their students. I'm currently taking one class that has 7 students, and another that consists of 15, so the myth that our classes are always huge and impersonal is not true, although the big lecture halls have their advantages, too. The academic requirements cover a wide range of topics and subjects, and sometimes there are things you'd think that were totally unrelated to your field that you have to take, but then later you realize why you needed to take them (or not!). Most of the classes have given me useful knowledge for the future, but a few have been a useless waste of time.

The academics are outstanding. They are so outstanding that despite everything else I've said, the professors, classes, and material here more than make up for everything else. I am gladly going into debt to sit at the foot of the masters here. Of course to get the experience, you have to plan and prioritize it. My major is in the social sciences. If you're like me, the best way to get a good experience is to enroll in more seminars than lectures. These classes are small and discussion based, somewhat student guided, and generally culminate in a substantial paper at the end. You get to have great interaction with professors and students at a higher level than in other classes. This is important because in larger classes, students tend to desperately swarm the professors at the end of every class in the vain hope that they will differentiate themselves and receive a letter of recommendation for law or grad school.

UCLA is a very competitive school when it comes to academics. Students study very often, especially the many pre-med kids, and class participation is fairly common. Students carry on intelligent conversation outside of class, ranging from class topics to politics to philosophy. The most unique class I have taken is Art and Archeology of Ancient Greece, which was really fascinating. I loved learning about classical and bronze age Greeks, especially how the cultures developed over time. Many major-specific courses are designed towards getting a job, but the wide variety of other classes enables learning for pleasure.

Academics at UCLA are excellent. We have relatively small class sizes compared to most major universities, plus we have weekly discussion sections that have maybe 10-20 people in them, so each student gets as much attention as necessary from the professors and the TA's. The professors here often know the names of the people in their classes. The thing that impresses me the most about UCLA is how willingly students participate in class. That makes class much more interesting and creates an excellent learning environment. In fact, the learning environment extends even outside of class. There are student groups and activists all over campus that are glad to share their opinions AND hear ours. There are many unique classes here at UCLA, but one of the most unique is the Imagineering class. It's a complete course on how to do what the Disney Imagineers do. Its an incredible opportunity for any students who are interested in that field or in any engineering field in general. The students here are quite competitive, especially in the south campus majors (sciences and math). The departments are extremely helpful in getting you the information you need to know and helping you graduate in your projected window. UCLA's academic requirements are rigorous, but manageable and it is always possible to graduate in 4 years if you plan them well. The education at UCLA is amazing. It involves learning for the sake of learning in a program that takes you directly to your field of choice in the future.

GE classes at UCLA can be pretty large. Even some of the classes for your major, it if is one of the more popular ones. However, to counteract the size of the lectures, many courses have discussion sections where T.A.s help students with the material by getting them to talk about it. So, even though your professor might not know who you are, if you are active in discussions, your T.A.s will and they can be a good source for letters of recommendation if you need them. My favorite class has probably been one of the Honors Collegium courses offered. It was about modern transformations of classical story forms - specifically it was the transformation of the Cinderella story and a transformation of Robinson Crusoe. It was the first and only class where I actually liked writing my papers because I was actually coming up with my own thoughts rather than regurgitating what the professor in my class had told us. I guess that excited me that I was able to discuss my own ideas and not be penalized for going off about what I think. Competitiveness really seems to depend on the kinds of courses you are taking at UCLA. If you are in a bio or chem class that is curved, the class is pretty much cutthroat in their acquisition of grades. I have heard of "friends" denying to help each other for fear that one would do so much better than the other. However, there is really nothing like this in the social sciences. The first priority of a lot of the professors at UCLA isn't teaching, it is their research. This should be kept in mind. Although professors have office hours, it might be harder to get a hold of some of them beyond those times if you need to see them. Education at UCLA seems very much like it is geared toward a professional career of some kind. Most students here, if they know what they are going to do after graduation, seem to be on the path to become some kind of lawyer or doctor.

I'm an English major so a majority of the classes are based around heavy discussion of texts. The professor's here are very helpful, both in class and during office hours. They make it so that the studen feels free to recieve help at any given time if confusion arises. There is an immense amount of studying and analyzing involved which would equate to about 4-5 hours daily in my case. The requirements are fair and it can definetly be managed thorugh out a 4 year period. The students in my department are very knowledgable, yet they seem to always find time to lend a helping hand outside of class. My favorite class so far would be English 141A: Canterbury Tales becuase the text we read was filled with some amazing imagery and themes. I feel that going to class here is really worthwhile and gives you a sense of comfort.

Professors will know your name if you raise your hand and are a good student. My favorite classes have been the two classes I've taken that I anticipated to be the most boring: Introduction to Jewish Studies and 19th Century American History; Jewish Studies because I'm a Jew and therefore have a strong background in the information I would be learning, and History because well...come on, it's history. The truth is, I could not have been more wrong. Both professors retaught me how to think, encouraging the incorporation of viewing information as belief instead of fact and analyzing for what it can be instead of what it is. Both professors knew my name because I raised my hand often and disagreed with their views even more often. Both TAs (grad students) knew my name all through the courses and got me thinking even more than the professors did. I met the professors and TAs outside of academic purposes a few times as well. My least favorite class was Theater 20. Now hold your horses, I LOVE acting, come on. But the class was for non-majors, and the TA didn't seem to respect the students' potential very much. I attribute this to the fact that our Theater school is one of the best in the nation. All of my GE classes have been interesting and I've had great selection. I took a class on music's influence on Religion in global cultures. It was taught by a professor who was born in Macedonia, grew up in Croatia, spoke 7 languages, and had experienced and worshiped with virtually every religious tradition in existence as part of a life goal of hers. THIS CLASS WAS A GE!!! I learned a lot, despite her thick accent. Don't underestimate the power of ALL departments at UCLA. There are no weaknesses (except Geology, I've heard?). Engineering is top notch (I have friends pulling all nighters to write 30 page computer programs, so I know), humanities are well funded and attract thinkers from all over the country, sciences seem to attract a lot of professors who used to teach at MIT...weird, and the Arts are so comprehensive, I don't see how anyone could choose *cough* CAL *cough*.

Not as hard as I expected - you can bullshit your way through a lot of classes. the English department has some really great professors but the classes are pretty huge, so what you get out of it depends entirely on what you put into it. if you want to get to know your professor, take the honors sections. north campus students are not competitive in the ways south campus students are because we're not graded on a curve.

As an english major, many of my pre-req. classes are large. I personally didn't make myself known to the professors, but I'm sure it could have been possible. The large lectures are usually divided into smaller sections taught by graduate student TA's, in a sense, it was kind of upsetting to have that personal discussion time with grad. students, but you come to find out that they are just as enlightening as the professors (however, some TAs aren't so good... so its kind of a toss up). It seems that most students are on the ball with their reading assignments, while I usually left them to the last minute, but I managed to maintain B's through most of my UCLA career! Class participation is fairly common and almost everyone seems to have something intelligent to add and a new perspective to give. The professors are wonderful, each have their own personality, but their knowledge is incredible! I don't see too much competition between the students since everyone, at this point, has learned to respect the other since we all had to meet the same requirements to get here! The requirements, at the transfer level, are totally "doable". I transferred! At the high school level, I think it's ridiculous, but all colleges have gotten to that point pretty much. The english major in itself is such a great major, it seems more like learning for it's own sake but what you learn is really applicable to ANY job. The english major gains knowledge in analyzing and reading between the lines, our reading comprehension and grammar skills are exercised and we learn how to construct successful arguments based on specific evidence, all of which can be applied to almost any career choice - and it allows for the flexibility of switching careers paths while in college (as is almost inevitable for most students)!

If you want your professor to know your name, s/he will. It's difficult in the really big classes, but UCLA has been around for a long time, and so they mostly have it down when it comes to getting what you want out of your education. The academic requirements, however, can be rigid and hard to deal with, especially if you want to try and craft you own major. Then, beware!

unless u meet with a professor outside of class or you have a small discussion, it is highly unlikely that your teacher will know you by name. my favorite class so far was EDU-130, it was extremely interesting and i learned so much. i highly recommend it even if your not planning on teaching. least favorite ENGLISH 109, my teacher is all high and mighty and really mean, but the readings for the class are excellent. i'm going to say the study workload depends on the major, i study like 15 hours per week, south campus majors which are sciences and math majors probably need more since their classes are extremely competitive. students here are VERY competitive! especially in the math and sciences. the most unique class i have taken so far was The Cultural History of Rap. it wasn't something i was very interested in, but i learned a lot about black arts movement, i know a lot of random facts that surprise the people who are interested in hip hop. it was pretty fun. my major is not super competitive but its not, not competitive either. it is very difficult and i don't think english majors get enough credit. its all critical thinking and its the hardest thing i have ever had to do. the Academic requirements are fair, its a tough school, they need to know that you can hang with the big dogs. getting a job or learning? i think it depends on what you study its both i think. we are prepared for anything.

The Spanish Department here is a bit of a joke. Last year had a ton of really great professors and really great courses, but this year the department has just gone downhill. It's horrible with communication and has pretty much messed up the schedules of a ton of seniors because of certain classes not being offered enough that are needed to graduate. Some professors are really great and are actually really focused on trying to get students to learn as opposed to just ranting and raving about how much they hate the administration and how they'd just rather go back to Spain.

Professors are all different. I've heard of some professors memorizing an intire class of 60 people's names by the end of the first week and using them often. Others, like my lower division chem classes, are 300 student lectures were personal touches don't always exist. For the most part, when you get into your major and are taking upper division classes you become a lot more personal with professors and they often learn a lot about you. Favorite class - Neuroscience 102 with Dr. Arnold Sheibel - The most difficult and most rewarding class I have taken at UCLA. Dr. Sheibel is a living legend and at around 85 years old he is still the most well mannered, most articulate, and inpirational teacher I have had at UCLA Worst class - 9 am multivariable calculus class with a teach that had a monotone voice and a thick accent. Study time varies by major, carrer choice, and intelligence but many students do make time to study vigorously. Thankfully, there are so many students at UCLA that when you are done studying or just need a break there is always someone ready to go out and have fun with you. UCLA students are often students first so conversations outside of class are often (or at least more often than at other schools) intelligent in nature. UCLA is very competative in cerain majors. This has hurt my GPA, but my bedside manner and people skills I have aquired outside of the classroom will deffinately pay off during interviews. The neuroscience major at UCLA is difficult but rewarding. The information you learn is all cutting edge and neuroscience is one of the great frontiers that still has much potential for more knowledge compared to macrobiology and anatomy. The concelor is amazing and the teachers are very supportive and intelligent.