University of California-Riverside Top Questions

Contrary to popular belief, UCR does host some unbelievably difficult academics. Many of my peers who are science majors sleep an average of 3-4 hours per night. However, we must also acknowledge the fact that some breadth courses, for example Computer Science 8, will feature the professor lecturing on how to turn on a computer, open a web browser, or search up topics on Google. UCR is home to some of the best social science classes, because we take our diversity seriously. Students are not too competitive here, but generally take their coursework and their grades very seriously. Unfortunately, something most students do is cram before major tests, then forget all of the material right after. The worst part of my experience here is that classes are so full and impacted that you will literally be crammed in a 20-student classroom with about 78 people (not even kidding. I'm describing my Creative Writing Poetry class, which actually should be more student-focused, one-on-one, and smaller in size). Another direct effect of this is a universal feeling of anonymity, because no way in hell will a professor of a 400 student lecture class remember everyone's name. The education definitely feels as if it is geared towards students' careers, because most professors don't seem to enthused or determined to make us love or embrace the material as much as they do.

UC Riverside is made up of three colleges: College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), and Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE). Each student chooses which major he or she would like to take and is then placed in the college that corresponds to major being taken. There are a total of 65 majors available for undergraduates who wish to attend UCR. Despite UC Riverside being known as the University of California Rejects, the university is surprisingly competitive. The professors can be thoroughly challenging, but usually in ways that develop a true understanding of the subject at hand. One of my favorite classes was "Biomedical Ethics" and involved discussing the difference between what is moral and immoral as well as what is ethical versus what is legal in medicine. What made this class so interesting was that your opinion was an integral part of class. Like many other classes on campus, "Biomedical Ethics" involved the use of clickers, remote control devices that allow the teacher to record student multiple choice answers. Every class the professor would ask for our opinions on controversial subjects, that would be answered anonymously, ranging from abortion to assisted suicide. At UCR the average class consists of three lectures comprised of 100-500 students as well as a discussion run by a teacher's assistant with 30 or less students. Lectures usually involve a professor going over lots of information. The discussions tend be where the teacher's assistant goes over the information in depth to better explain it to the students and answer any questions needed. If a student every has further questions or wants more clarification, every professor and teacher's assistant has office hours by which the student can get any additional assistance.

Class sizes depend on your major, but most of the time lectures tend to be quite big since UCR is a big school, while discussions stay around 20-30 students per classroom, so TAs would know all the students' names and are eager to help. Professors have stable office hours as well so help would be easy to find. Some teachers even provide their phone numbers so students can call. During discussions, class participation is very common, some may even be graded. Students are competitive in a positive way. Instead of stepping on each other, students help each other out while all trynsing to get a good grade. I am a Business Administration major, which is quite a popular major at UCR, because it has a great business program. My favorite professor is Mr. Jasso. Even though his classes can be challenging, they are the most rewarding and are heavy on group projects. Business classes tend to be taught at major lecture halls or a movie theater near school (weird, I know!) because there are so many students, but the discussions are always helpful. One advise I have is that since there are so many students, it may be hard to get the upper division classes that you need. So before every quarter, check on the ucr advisor website and see when you can petition for classes. It is very easy; all you do is go online and type in three business electives that you want to take, and the counselors would try their best to put you in them before the official enrollment date. That saved me so many times!

Academics at UCR are like academics at any school. It all matters on the students. If you want a professor to know your name then make your voice heard. Attend class and participate. If a student wants to sit in the back on their cell phone, then of course a professor will not know they exist, but that is with any school. Students have intellectual conversations throughout campus, classes are competitive, and professors are approachable and helpful. My favorite class throughout my time at UCR was my intermediate fiction workshop with Professor Winer. To be able to sit in a class with only ten other students while a prolific author like Andrew Winer is teaching you what it takes to be a writer in this cold dark world is truly a gift. I learned so much from how to boost my writing to how to get a novel published. He prepared for what was to come after college. And it wasn't just Winer, I have had so many wonderful professors during my stay at UCR that I am forever grateful. UCR has truly changed me for the better

Because of the huge class sizes, it's hard for professors to know your name unless you go and introduce yourself. You will find this to be especially true in introductory classes, which are required by nearly all majors. This is what makes a professor's office hours - time they specifically set out to interact with students - so crucial. As you advance further in your major, you begin to take specialized, smaller classes. These upper-division classes will also be more enjoyable, because they will be focused on topics that you (presumably) are interested in. Different professors will have different styles of teaching, so it's important to learn how to accommodate. Professors will, in general, be willing to talk to you. If you continue interacting with them, it's possible to build a relationship that will last beyond just one class. Graduate students sometimes teach courses as well, but don't forget that letters of recommendation are written by professors, not students. Student studying time will vary - it's said that for every one hour in class, two-four hours should be spent studying. This is often not the case. My favorite class has been an Honors Creative Writing course. Because it was an Honors course, the class consisted of no more than 12 students. We sat with our desks in a circle, and engaged in discussion about topics that truly interested me. Some of the best learning experiences you will have will come from outside the classroom, but academic curiosity can only help your GPA. Attitude about academics will depend on the students you interact with - you will find intense competition (as well as intense group studying) with those pursuing medical or graduate school. I've taken classes that have been taught merely to fulfill requirements, and those classes have not been fulfilling. Other courses, those that have a professor who cares about teaching students about concepts that go beyond what will go into a resume, have been far more satisfactory. Unfortunately, the advising for the science and creative writing department seems to care less about maximizing student experience and more about getting students to graduate on time. That being said, the professors for both departments have been, in general, passionate about what they teach.

As a Creative Writing major, I can tell you that interaction with professors is extremely important in order to not only do well in the class, but also succeed outside of school. As a writer, being able to see someone who has become successful in their craft outside of academics helps you envision the possible paths you might take in your own life. For the most part, professors are willing to meet with you. It's their job, after all. My favorite professors have been the ones who, despite their busy schedules, make time to talk to students on a one-on-one basis. Professors are as varied as any other group of people. I've had some give me really great insights and have inspired not only my creative works, but my professional persona. And I've had others nervously keep staring at their watch as they wait for me to finish what I have to say so they can leave for the day. But I do know that when you find the professors who are willing to give you the time--even if it's only ten minutes--and really listen to what you have to say; those are the ones you want to latch on to. I found those professors at UCR; but once you get 'em, you gotta hold onto 'em.

Academics at my school is at a comfortable level for me. I have classes that challenge me to put in all of my effort. I have some classes that are very easy for me and thus provide an easier workload and an outlet to have fun while learning. Most of my professors do not know my name because I do not visit them as much as I visit my teacher aids. My favorite class has been my English classes because I am an English major. I love the sizes of my English classes and I like that I can participate and have a relationship with my English professors. All of my English professors know my name because I visit their office hours or I participate in class a lot. I love that I can easily reach them and have a friendship with them. I feel like it's not particularly difficult to get into UCR in comparison to other Universities of California but it is definitely not an easy breezing passage throughout college. The courses are challenging and you have to work to get the grades you want.

I'm currently a Creative Writing major and my school is actually the only UC that offers the major. The major is designed to be different than traditional lectures and is not very difficult beyond the fact that it demands a lot of reading and writing, but you still grow remarkably in your writing skills. And it's really helpful in my other classes since I'm planning on a double major in History, which is a lot of essays. In both departments the faculty are friendly and genuinely interested in helping the students as long as you put in the effort and also go to office hours. As for my other classes, since you're required to take several different lower-division breadth or general eds., they are much larger with typically hundreds of students, but there are smaller discussions/labs that you concurrently enroll in. But overall there's a lot of support, and just as much expectation of you as any other UC.

I'm currently a Creative Writing major and my school is actually the only UC that offers the major. The major is designed to be different than traditional lectures and is not very difficult beyond the fact that it demands a lot of reading and writing, but you still grow remarkably in your writing skills. It's really helpful in my other classes since I'm planning on a double major in History, which is a lot of essays. In both departments the faculty are friendly and genuinely interested in helping the students as long as you put in the effort and also go to office hours. As for my other classes, since you're required to take several different lower-division breadth or general eds., there are much larger with typically hundreds of students, but there are smaller discussions/labs that you concurrently enroll in. But overall there's a lot of support, and just as much expectation of you as any other UC.

Since I'm a total freshman, I've only taken three classes at UCR so far. Each class has a large lecture, ranging from 150 to 400 students, and an adjacent discussion sections with fewer than 25 students each. The discussion is led by a T.A and the lectures by a professor. I'm a Creative Writing major, and I took Creative Writing 56 this semester. It was by far the most helpful writing class I have ever taken, taught by an amazing professor. Goldberry Long improved my writing so drastically that I'm legitimately excited about taking more writing classes in the future. She is engaging and dynamic, and a perfect example of what a research university should strive for when hiring professors. On any given weeknight, most of the kids in my dorm will either be studying in their room or in one of the two huge libraries on campus. The Orbach Science Library is my fave spot to study because it's modernized and has tons of desk clusters and study carrels so you can study with your friends. Bonus: it has vending machines selling notecards, coffee, Monster, even Hot Cheetos, the holy grail of 2 a.m study sessions. Maybe I've just been lucky, but so far my classes have been filled with kids who seem to be there to obtain a degree and get a job. My advisor constantly e-mails me with job opportunities and theater auditions, so I think that as an alum UCR will be a valuable tool.