University of California-Riverside Top Questions

UCR is a big campus, It is one of the most diverse UC's so of course there are going to be a lot of students. When it comes to academics, UCR is like any other big campus. You have big lecture halls with close to 3 to 4 hundred people in there. You'll be lucky if the professor knows your name in there. However, you also have discussions led by the TA. This is where you get in depth learning and can ask specific questions. In discussion you have a class of about 20 people. The TA's actually take the time to learn your name and give you the attention needed to learn the material. If you still feel that is not enough, professors and TA's always hold office hours. This is basically your chance to get a one on one session with the professor or TA. In my opinion, GO TO OFFICE HOURS because they honestly do help a lot.

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.

The academics at this school are very good. For the most part I can honestly say I have taken very good teachers and have enjoyed all my classes here at UC Riverside. Like every college, there are a few teachers that probably belong more in a lab than teaching students but that is understood. I think a lot of the courses prepare you for what you want to do in life. If you are involved in creative writing you will have a ton of workshops to do to get peer input on your works, and if you are involved in the sciences, the teacher encourages study groups. The dynamics of academics here suit the student's needs very well and the teachers are extremely helpful in making your learning their top priority.

In large lecture classes, it is difficult for a professor to remember everyone's name and he is expected to. If, however, one wishes to establish a connection with a professor so he or she can remember one's name, all professors have office hours. Office hours are blocks of time dedicated for students to drop in to ask questions, discuss the material, or simply introduce themselves. Sitting in the front and engaging in discussion also improves one's chance of being remembered. TA's typically put effort in trying to remember their students' names; it is slightly easier for TA's to do this because they handle less students than the professor. Like professors, TA's also hold office hours for their students. When it comes to studying, I feel that most know how to manage their time effectively and study well enough to prepare for exams. More than once, a student has set up a google doc with all the questions from the study guide; through class collaboration, the study guide is completed quickly and sometimes becomes a forum for discussion. This is great because it is available to all students enrolled in the course and is a great way to receive help and exchange ideas. I do find myself discussing course material and lectures outside of class with my peers; many things taught in class are great topics for discussion amongst friends. As far as competition, many students are highly competitive with themselves as apposed to each other. I am a Creative Writing major; so far I've been very content with my courses and haven't found much to complain about the department; the only exception would be how the budget cuts have affected the Creative Writing department. I feel UCR's academic requirements are clear and reasonable. UCR as a whole is geared towards the learning experience as well as preparing students for life after college.

I am really proud of the academics at this school so far. This was my first quarter, and all of my professors were great. They all knew my name because I'm one of those students who always raises their hand in class to ask a question or to make a comment. I'm always participating because I take my education serious and I really want to make the best out of my experience here. My favorite class this quarter was my Environmentalism course. I learned so much just in those ten weeks than I've learned my entire high school career. I couldn't believe how oblivious I was to what was happening in the environment around me. I learned how to be open and receptive of different arguments when it comes to the many opinions about the ecological crisis happening today. My professor was very engaging and her words were always very clear and loud. She was a great professor, hands down. Students in my resident hall study a lot. They're always in the study lounges or computer labs. The most unique class I've taken would have to be my Creative Writing course. It really opened my eyes as a writer and I've learned things that I thought I was already aware of but I actually wasn't. It's really helped me enhance my writing skills. My major is Creative Writing because I am an aspiring song writer. I'm proud of my major. Writing is one of my many talents and I am always willing to learn new things and better my craft. I definitely spend time with all of my professors after class. I'm always in their office hours asking questions or getting help. I spent the most time in my English Professor's office this quarter. I was always asking her questions about my essays and getting clarity on the things that I didn't understand. The school's academic requirements are very practical. I like them because it allows students to change their major if they want to do so. For example, say a student comes to this school with the intention of becoming a Business major, but because of the acadmeic requirements he/she has to take one of the courses offered in the Fine Arts department and decides to take an acting class. That student might fall in love with that class and realize he/she would much rather major in Theatre. It provides students with the opportunity to make their own academic decisions and try new things. I believe that the education at this school is honestly geared towards learning for its own sake. Of course the material students learn here will help them get a job, but I don't think that is UCR's main objective. I believe education is truly valued here, and the courses they off here prove that it's not just about getting a job.

I am a Creative Writing major at the University of California, Riverside, and I have had an enriching experience with this department. Many of the creative writing courses I have taken have had no more than twenty students, thus allowing for close interaction with professors and peers. All the professors from the smaller sized classes know their students by name, and highly encourage class participation. I have found that because of the small sized classes many students know each other better, and engage in intellectual conversations in relation to their major both in and out of class. I feel that the education within this department is geared towards learning for its own sake, but some of the professors have been very useful in providing information about actually working in this field. The acadmeic counselor within this department also provides information on internships, and employment opportunities within this field.

The lower-division classrooms are generally a lot larger than upper-division. I've been in classrooms from 5 students to 500 students. This means professors generally don't know students by name the first two years unless you attend office hours (which I strongly suggest). However, in upper-division classes, most students get to work closely with professors and they begin to put names with faces. It's an awesome feeling knowing that you're not just another butt filling a seat in class. My favorite class at UC Riverside was a Creative Writing class with Professor Juan Herrera. This class was by-far my favorite because we were given interesting books to read including now one of my favorites, "Always Running," and got the opportunity to creative a short story of our own. Taking this class my freshman year made me want to major in Creative Writing. My least favorite class at UC Riverside would have to be History 20 because there was tons of reading material and, personally, I found most of it to be boring. But, then again, history has never been an enjoyable subject for me. Classroom participation isn't as common in large classrooms as much as it is in smaller classrooms. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with students that don't like to speak in front of large crowds, but that seems to be the case in my experience. Students tend to be more competitive within their field of study. As for the Breadth Requirements (lower-division classes), students aren't as competitive. My major is Creative Writing and I absolutely LOVE the Creative Writing department at UCR. UC Riverside is one out of two Universities in California that offer Creative Writing as a major. The Chair of the department is Andrew Winer, author of recently published novel, "The Marriage Artist." I have had the privilege of working closely with authors such as Susan Straight, Tom Lutz, Juan Herrera, Andrew Winer, and Goldberry Long, just to name a few. We have an incredible staff of novelists and UC Riverside. In the Creative Writing department, upper-division classes typically hold about fifteen students. Thus, students and professors work together on a first name basis and every professor I know is honored to work with students on their writing during office hours as well. There is an incredible satisfaction of walking into a Borders or Barns and Noble Bookstore and seeing your professors name plastered on the wall or copies of their recent book stacked high on the shelves. One of the best things about the University of California, Riverside is that it's a research school, meaning there are tons of research opportunities in a variety of fields. This gives students the opportunity to work one-on-one with a professor in their specific field of interest. At the University a professor have to publish a novel once every seven years and they always need extra help doing research. This is where students, if chosen, get the chance to research a specific topic with a professor. It's a great way to gain experience in your field and build up your resume. UC Riverside is geared toward setting up students for success after graduation.

I am a part of CHASS, which is short of College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. As an upperclassmen who is pursuing a Creative Writing degree, a majority of my creative writing professors know my name since most of my upper-division classes have no more than twenty students. At a lower-division level, it is more likely for your teaching assistant (TA) to know your name more than your professor. This makes sense since a usually TA-instructed discussion class has about 20-30 students whereas a professor-instructed lecture has about 150+. However, if you really make the effort to introduce yourself to your professor during the first week of class and participate in lecture regularly, they'll learn your name soon enough. My favorite class so far was Entomology 10- History of Insects. This was the first class where my science and math skills (or lack thereof) did not have to be put to the test and I was able to enjoy a required science breadth requirement. The class was interactive and very informative not only because the professor was interesting enough to motivate me to come to class every day, but because our Entomology department is one of the stronger departments at UCR. The amount that students study really depend on what they're studying for. I myself rarely have to study because of my major. However, I have teammates who are biochemistry majors or psychology majors who will student for hours nonstop so that they can do well on their midterms. Despite all the studying they have to do, I have never heard of them complain about being left in the dust with the material they have learned. In fact, many of them talk about the availability of their TA's and the study sessions that are held outside class hours just so the students will have extra help before exams. If that fails, UCR has a student learning center where students can schedule appointments with tutors who specialize in the classes that students are having a difficult time in. I love my major, plain and simple. The class sizes are small so there is more one on one time with the professors who are all published authors and are almost always working on a new story. I feel blessed to be in the presence of seasoned writers who are willing to share their experiences with beginning writers. I don't usually spend time with professors after class mostly because of my schedule with sports and classes. However, on the rare occasions that I needed extra assistance with my stories, my professors were ready and willing to help. I think that the school's academic requirements are fair and that it's very possible to complete them in four years. The education at this school is geared towards a job because not only am I gaining the writing experience I need in order to pursue my career as a journalist, but my professors also refer me to potential employers who are looking for students that have learned what I am currently learning at UCR.

Professors are always swamped with work but without a doubt going to their office hours makes things much better, knowing a professor has never hurt anyone. They will know you and they like feedback, nobody wants to have a bad class. As far as the content outside of class, just like high school you can tell who puts the time in and without a doubt the ones who put the time in know more when it counts on exams. That being said Professors are usually around to help and students can usually find a group or partner to work with come exam time. Teachers do teach a curriculum but they are always willing to talk about work in the field and getting a job. Each school of study is different depending on requirements but each has a diverse curriculum. Im in the Creative Writing department and all the teachers are published authors or have degrees and experience in the field and will talk with students about their work.

There is a wide variety of academics at UCR, in almost area of expertise. It was quite fortunate for me that UCR happened to be one of the only UCs to offer Creative Writing as a major, and as an undergraduate and graduate student in that department, I can say with confidence that it is an amazing department with an amazing staff. It offers specialties in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and even journalism. The department is comprised of numerous well-acclaimed and brilliant writers. What I truly appreciated is that all of my professors know me by name and are very supportive of myself and of everyone in the program. They offer office hours in which we can visit them if we need their counsel. The majority of the professors at UCR are often well acquainted with their students. Classes are very enjoyable because each student participates in the class discussions. The most enjoyable and unique class I took at UCR was a fiction and film class with Andrew Winder. It was an incredibly enlightening course, especially with insight as intriguing as the well renowned Andrew Winer. I studied novels that were translated into films and I learned so much about craft, structure and theme. Students fill the libraries every week at UCR, and I would say that the majority of the students are studious and have intellectual conversations outside of class frequently. UCR is a highly academic campus and I think the academics are elevated as well as challenging, but still enjoyable all the same. In regards to the academic requirements, I feel that they could use some adjustments. Often times, more seminars were offered than workshops, while most of the requirements were workshops rather than seminars, so it was a bit challenging to fit the requirements into a framed amount of time. Other than that, they were tolerable and achievable.