University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

You'll find classes of all sorts of sizes and varying degrees of quality. While UCSC isn't the most prestigious UC, for the most part the professors are still of excellent quality and really know their fields. So far, as an undeclared Freshman, the school has provided a great opportunity to learn information in all sorts of fields, some of which I'll never work in.

Whether or not you have intellectual conversations outside of class is up to you and whomever your friends are. Some people are incredibly stupid, some really intelligent. There are some pretty excellent classes offered here, with a focus on science in particular, which happens to be a subject I couldn't be less interested in. Art classes are restricted to art majors (there may be two exceptions), and I don't know anything about our drama department, which leads me to believe that it's very small. The Lit Department has its ups and downs - I've taken some excellent courses lead by terrific professors, but two of my favorites have left, either to seek better paying teaching positions elsewhere or to take time off to write a book. Professors and TA's always encourage students to meet with them outside of class, and tend to be very friendly.

The academics at UCSC are not very challenging for me. I have heard that San Jose State has harder classes. People are geneally apathetic towards school and do not study often at all. I enjoyed a class called Latin American Music where we had flamenco artists from Spain perform. The education at UCSC is definielty geared towards learning for learning's sake, not towards the job market or succeeding after school, which I find a little disheartening for many students who have no idea what they are doing after they graduate.

Academics here at UCSC are admittedly sometimes a bit too laid-back for some people's tastes. Depending on what type of class you're in, or what major you're taking, you may or may not run into some of the not-so-stimulating classes. A lot of the teaching falls to TAs in some of the large classes and admittedly sometimes those TAs aren't quite up to the job. But there's plenty of good ones out there, too. I've taken a variety of classes in different areas and I think the Creative Writing program here at UCSC has the highest percentage of capable, interesting, and inspirational professors and classes. The CW program is excellent. Interesting, challenging, and connective, the CW classes are generally small (as opposed to 200-people lectures) and you definitely get a feel for the subject, as well as your classmates and professor. It's a bit tough to get into the CW concentration, since you need to apply and be accepted in it, but even just the classes you can take without being in the major are very fun and stimulating.

Although this is only my frist year at UCSC, I have come to greatly respect and even sometimes enjoy the academic culture here; precisely because that's exactly what it is: a culture. I find myself becoming more immersed and actively involved in my education and learning than ever before. Coming from a family filled with educators (namely principals, administrators, and teachers) and growing up around education, I've always considered myself a tougher critic of teachers and curriculums than most students. I have been generally very pleased with the classes I've taken at UCSC and the amount of active interest that UCSC students seem to invest in their learning. In my experience, class sizes vary from very small (maybe 15-20 students) to extremely large (lectures filled with up to 300), but even in the large lecture classes here professors usually make some attempt to get to know their students, asking each student their name before answering their question in class and working hard to seem approachable.

i am an art major so i feel like i have a much different view of the academic system than most other students. it is not an art school and i can tell. a lot of my professors live in san francisco and commute to "teach". i don't feel like i have really been taught a whole lot of technical art skills, but i do like most of my classes and i think we have a good selection of interesting subjects to study.

classroom unit 2 is the most inefficient place to learn. large lecture halls such as Unit 2, Earth and Marine, Media Theater are poor learning environments and create bad habits of disrespect for professors and other students, this is a problem because most freshmen take gen ed. or lower division courses here and learn at the beginning of their studies at UCSC how to behave in a classroom setting. my major, envs/bio combined is a Bachelor of Arts, however I feel I have worked hard enough to recieve a Bachelor of Science. The biology department is a frustrating place, as is the Registrar's office. I feel like communications in general at UCSC need some serious help.

Academic life is well-balanced. Intense and challenging study hours can be easily coupled with a break at the beach, a cafe, or some peaceful walk through upper campus.

The lower-division classes are rather big, that is why students should get to know their TA's. The upper-division classes are smaller, so it is easier for the professors to get to know your name. I am a Film major, and the faculty is really helpful, especially the production instructors. All of the professors that I have had are always willing to meet students outside of class. Every once in a while, I'll get an instructor that I do not like, because it is difficult to comprehend what they are saying. But besides the occasional mumbler, the professors are good at their jobs.

I love my classes. I love my professors, I love my subject matter and I love all the opportunities here to learn. There are always conversations going on about this or that. I enjoy getting to know our professors personally as well. Anyone can, of course, they just have to go to office hours. UCSC is designed so that if you want to get noticed, you can and if you don't, you wont.