University of California-Riverside Top Questions

I'm not the type of student that raises my hand in a lecture of 300+ students to answer a question. We definitely have those students as well, I'm just not one of them. I like to sit in the second row and take my notes. I've only been to 3 office hours in my 3 years in college. The professors aren't likely to know your name just from seeing you 3 times a week, but if you make an effort they will get to know you. I am a 3rd year Biology major, so you could say I'm surrounded with very competitive students. Its not always a bad thing though. It pushes everyone to try their best. Every professor I've had so far has exhibited a passion for their subject. I think that is the most important and impressive thing.

The academics at our school are really great, even though classes tend to be large professors still manage to get to know their students and cooperate with them. Students do have discussions after class, especially when the subject being discussed is relevant to today's world. I also think that the schools academic requirements are very helpful and appropriate.

Most of my professors didn't know my name but again, they still show that they care about your learning and want to get along with you. Class participation actually depends on the professor's lecturing skills. Engineering and Science students study considerably harder and more often than Business, Psychology majors. I have "intellectual conversations" when i'm studying/working with friends. I do not spend time with professors outside. I have no idea if UCR professors want to do that with their students. maybe? This school's academic requirements are not too high compared to other UCs. This school extends many internship/career/volunteer opportunities through your department's faculty advisors emails.

There are professors who know my name because I do research and being in engineering allows me ample time to spend with professors since class sizes are generally smaller and the same professors teach the classes, so you get to know each other on a one-to-one basis. My favorite classes would probably be Organic Chemistry (CHEM112A-CHEM112C or the whole series), Biochemistry (BCH100), or Women's Studies (WMST100) because they were all classes I did well in and I think if you put enough effort in classes, you will reap what you sow. My least favorite classes would be Computer Science (CS010), Electrical Circuits (EE01A), and Physics (40A, 40C) because they are generally classes that required a lot of logical thinking and problem solving. Although I did okay in these classes, they were a struggle to get through and took a hit on my GPA quite hard. People may not think it, but with like-minded peers, I do tend to have many interesting, intellectually-stimulating conversations about various subjects ranging from politics to quantum theory to global poverty to pathology to health. Generally, students are not really competitive with each other but rather with themselves for the hard working types. Others who skip classes generally do not care much for competition either because they are brilliant or just want a passing grade and to have fun in college. I am in the Bioengineering Department, which I heard has only been established just recently (within a decade), so there are still improvements that could be made, but it is a great major! I feel like the classes are all geared towards learning for one's own sake and that is why I chose this major.

Academics are good. Most professors do not know my name in the 200-600 person lecture halls, but in the smaller 20-50 person classes, they do. In terms of time spent studying, engineers, hard-science majors, and econ kids study harder than the rest, but that's expected at any university. Class participation in rather uncommon in the big classes as well as the required ones, but that improves as you go along. You'll hear a few intellectual conversations outside of class every so often at the coffeeshops or in lounges. Students aren't very competitive. Economics department is good and certainly growing. Academic requirements (GEs) are manageable if you budget your classes appropriately; we're on the quarter system, so you could reasonably expect to have them done by fall of your soph year. Education at UCR is somewhere between preprofessional and for its own sake, depending on your major and school.

Professors were easy to access and get info from. Office hours flexible, email, phone all ways to keep in touch with them.

I enjoyed my classes at Riverside. I was a Grad student and took mainly Colonial American History and Public History Classes. The problem was that many times teachers would go on sabbatical and you would be left with nobody to teach the classes for your major and/or the classes would get canceled. It is important before you chose any school, especially research/publish or perish schools that you find out if professors are going to be around throughout your time there and if people leave what can you do. I had been disappointed only once when I needed a class and the person teaching it was not a person who should have taught it because the person who was going to teach it left on sabbatical after only working there a year.

The Business school of UCR is complete nonsense. You do not learn anything when you have teachers who cannot speak english. This is a school that is supposed to compete with other UC's but the hiring staff has no competency of what a good teacher is. It seems they only care about research. Do not go to this school if you are looking for good education.

When I attended UCR the classes weren't too big, so if you made an effort and attended your professors office hours you could really get to know them and them you.

The academics at UCR is really really really what you make of it, despite that being a ridiculous cliche. I will explain. At some private schools if you get behind or miss classes they will seek you out to help. At UCR a tremendous number of freshman are gone before the end of their first year, due to the apathy of the administration and the generally low admission standards (letting in students who don't really care about higher education). There are however a BILLION different great opportunities for dedicated students.