University of Chicago Top Questions

I feel that professors know my name, but I think that is because I am a hard worker and I strive to show them that I am learning the material that they dispense to us. I truly believe that if you show your professors that you are passionate about your learning experience at this University then one way or another you will be recognized by them. The University of Chicago prides itself on learning and I definitely feel that the professors teach by that motto.

I chose UChicago because of it's academic reputation. I originally wanted to be a doctor. I've changed my concentration now, but after taking science classes here, I know that they are geared towards people who would like to pursue graduate studies in sciences not for pre-med students. I am now a political science major, music minor. For the most part, my professors know my name and make an effort to know as much as they can about me and my interests. I love the level that I am being challenged on. I never feel as though I know enough and my classmates challenge me just as much if not more than my professors. UChicago breaks down the ideas you had coming in here and rebuilds them. The school teaches you how to think. I am very proud to go here. I can see how my ideas are constantly evolving and my analytical skills are being strengthened.

Most of my classes are really small--20 students max. So the professors get to know you fairly well. The biggest class I've taken so far had 75 students, but it was a class on Tolkien, which was too amazing to not take. People study a lot, but most people find a good balance between work and fun. It's also nice that the students aren't competitive here, because the academics are so intense that you might go insane if everyone were constantly trying to one-up each other. But people are really chill about helping each other in class. It's not unusual to see a group of people studying together or correcting each others' essays. The Spanish and Italian departments are amazing. The teachers in all the languages are all really engaging and friendly. They all obviously love to teach and love to talk with students after class. We're not a pre-professional college...people want to learn for the sake of learning.

I'm not going to lie and say that UChicago is easy because it's not. If you come here, expect to work hard. You may get by with a couple "easy" classes, but you won't be so lucky for very long. This school challenges you--tremendously. In all my eighteen years, I had never seen a "C" on my report card before I came here. However, I wasn't devastated like I thought I would be because I felt like I couldn't have done better. I had given it my best and a "C" is what I got. My least favorite classes are my music classes. I have not gotten a very good vibe from the Music department here, and that really bothers me because I was thinking of majoring in Music. The instructors for the music classes seem a bit condescending and expect you to come into the class knowing more than most people know. I would find that normal if the prerequisite for MUSI 10300 was perhaps "a previous class in music theory," but no, the prereq for MUSI 10300 is "nothing." Luckily, I already knew how to read music!

The school tends to be really theoretical and big on studying everything academically. We don't have a lot of practical programs that other schools do (e.g., we don't have an undegrad business degree or an engineering department). I'm a math major who can't solve an ordinary differential equation or do a bunch of multivariable calculus operations that any math major should be able to solve. On the other hand, we have an excellent theoretical math program with amazing professors and bright students. Most of our departments are stellar--we have some of the brightest minds in a lot of fields teaching here, and they're by and large very accessible.

There's an extensive core curriculum which is not that rigorous or stimulating. The core will have a very great share of boring and big lectures in subjects you won't care about, as well as a few genuinely valuable intro survey courses about things you find engaging. But once you are past the core, the academics will take you pretty much as far as you want to take yourself, in pretty much any area of study (making it a good place to be if you are undecided about what you want to study). The advantage of being at one of the biggest research institutions in the world is that if you want to do research, (especially in the sciences) it's really really easy to get those opportunities. You can also take grad school classes if you exhaust the undergrad options.

3 out of 4 of the professors know my name: for the most part (i.e. 97{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}) the faculty are incredibly helpful and nice and they really want you to learn as much as possible and they are willing to do whatever it takes to help you in that process. My favorite class is called Introduction to Humanities which may sound quite boring, but the two professors are fantastic teachers: they're engaging, smart, clever, and incredibly good at teaching. They also have an outstanding love for their subjects and their students: it's great. My least favorite is my core social sciences class mostly because I feel that my professor fails to explain how anything we discuss in class is significant or even in any way relevant. Furthermore, she's obviously extremely jaded with the subject and does not enjoy teaching as much as my other professors. The study time you see in students varies tremendously. But, for the most part, students always put at least some effort in all their classes--although it is true that some put a lot more than others. However, it appears to me that everyone legitimately cares about their grades and classes. Class participation is pretty common; but in some classes where the professor does not demand it or bring it out of the students, then it lags.

The core may be quick to spark a nasty comment from those that do not intend to major in that field, but they will also admit that it was atleast an interesting experience. Coming into college I had no idea what I wanted to major in and because of the core got to try out a lot of different classes and landed on psychology, which combined the various things that I liked from the core.

UChicago students definitely have philosophical conversations outside of class, even at parties. The teachers are great, though sometimes the classes are dry. It's a little frustrating to have to go through the core requirements because you don't get to take classes you're completely interested in until 2nd or 3rd year, but there are enough choices to make the classes you do take worthwhile and interesting. Education here is definitely about learning for its own sake and learning to love learning.

Most of my professors know my name. It is easier to make a connection with a professor in a small classroom setting, more so than in a lecture. My two favorite classes were Racialization in the Private Sphere in the U.S. and Contemporary African-American Fiction. These were the first two classes that I was taking that wasn't a part of the core curriculum. One of these classes was towards my major and one was towards my minor. I enjoyed these classes because they were discussion-based, the readings were captivating, and the teachers were very passionate about the material. Students are constantly studying. There is very little idle time at this school, unless the student is making a conscious decision to not study. However, we all understand that we are at this school for a reason, and that graduating with our degree from U of C is the main priority. My motto is work hard, play hard. Students are very competitive as a result of the rigorous curriculum, where, for example, some may be jealous if you have a better connection with a teacher than they do. The only time I would spend with professors outside of class would be to go to their office hours to either review material from class or ask for help with an assignment. I have mixed feelings about U Chicago's academic requirements. Part of me doesn't mind the core because I like being exposed to different academic areas. However, it can still be a problem when those classes are very difficult and they aren't anything I'm interested in, for example biology. The education at U Chicago is geared toward learning for its own sake, as there are no pre-professional majors at the school. Therefore, students cannot major in fields such as business, finance, engineering, or journalism.

Many people come here thinking that the academics are well worth the lack of social life. However, remember that the school is not nearly as selective as others ranked similarly. There are plenty of smart people here, but there are plenty of really unintelligent people, many of whom will dominate discussions and point them in irrelevant directions. I have heard many people voice complaints the professors seem to allow this to go on. The University really likes to play up its core, but it is important to know that not all core courses are created equal. My Core Bio class was taught by an illiterate, barely intelligible graduate student whom many of the undergrads had to correct from time to time. Humanities classes are often taught by uninterested professors who lead trivial discussions with bored students. Remember that 15 of your 42 classes will be core, and some (but not all) of these are a true waste of time and money. All that said, I'm sure there are many of you aspiring economists, businessmen, investment bankers, and young financial analysts who want the best education possible, to be in the position to vault to the top of whatever field you choose. If this is your goal in life then you're not much different from me, and if you come to UC, you WILL get the best education in the branching fields of economics … probably better than anywhere else in the world. And I am not throwing out propaganda. I came here not really knowing what the expectations were for an econ degree, but I soon learned that there are reasons why UC is considered the best place for such study. The econ that is taught here is completely different from other schools because econ is not taught as a social science, but rather as more of an extension of the mathematical and statistical sciences. If you are interested in graduate study, you'll be taking courses such as Analysis in Rn (some choose to go on to Abstract Algebra to get a specialization in Math with their Econ degree), a formal approach to Game Theory, several econometrics courses, and many excruciatingly difficult statistics courses. And all the while, remember you'll need to finish your core requirements in social science, humanities, a second language, drama and the arts, biology, and the physical sciences. Then in your last year, you had better get started on writing a BA research paper, which requires the approval of the econ department in order for you to get the "Honors" tag on your Econ degree (which helps a lot in getting into grad school). Note that you don't have to do all this. There are many, many econ students here, and obviously most of them simply can't or don't want to handle all of this. Most of them study econ just so they can have the prestige of having a degree in Economics from UC. For those students, they get an econ education much like at other schools because they study econ as though it's supposed to be an tool used in public policy. But if you really want to have best undergraduate education in the study of economics and like the idea of being able to chat with 5 different nobel laureates in the field in one day, then UC will be a good school for you. But if you're looking for a good time. Go elsewhere, and I mean it.

UChicago is a place that knows and loves it's academic/intellectual traditions. in the public consciousness, this school is associated with Friedman economics and the Chicago School. Two thoughts on this: one, this school's more lasting and estimable intellectual tradition is that of respecting the classical origins of Western Thought, to err on the side of the Greeks. secondly, the econ department is by and large the most daring and innovative thinkers that i've seen, it used to be my major. As one professor put it "the people who are most inclined to question and challenge neo-classical theory are those who are REALLY INTO neo-classical theory..."

Classes are extremely small and the ties that everyone has the opportunity to make with their professors is great. Students often have intense conversations about the subject matter outside of class.

I know all my professors personally, and they know me (and yes, they're all professors, not grad students). My Greek Thought and Literature professor (a core-requirement) had the whole class over to his house for dinner each quarter. Every school likes to brag about that kind of stuff, but most of it is exaggerated. Here, it is quite common, since so many professors live near campus. You really get to know them on a personal basis. But it is a lot of work. I know everyone knows its a lot of work at UChicago, but its more than you can really imagine, more than is really healthy even. But at the same time its a good social thing, as I've met many more people through studying and such than I have at parties or something. The Core requirements, though numerous, are great because they give everyone a common base of knowledge for your upper level classes. I mean, basically everyone upon graduation will have read The Iliad, The Wealth of Nations, The Communist Manifesto, and The Republic at the very least.

Let's put it this way: the all-night level of the library is one of the most social places on campus. We study hard, but we play hard too; studying is often a joint experience since there is so much work that it has to be combined with hanging-out time as well. Class participation is common, and particularly after first year students get over themselves, very insightful and informed. Students are competitive, but more often they are perfectionists of their own work and less interested in beating other people. There's a high personal standard throughout the school. The Core Curriculum is a bore, but once through it, there are plenty of wacky classes to be had. In the past two days I've dissected monkeys, spoken Latin and listened to a professor tell stories about his childhood in the Great Depression. The attitude is totally learning for its own sake, and it seems that most if not all students feel strongly that this is the correct attitude.

Like I said, classes are hard. It's silly, they are hard for the sake of being hard. There is no reason to make the core this intense because I feel like I'm learning more about how to handle these ridiculously hard classes in fields I'll never use than than I'm learning about the actual material.

The U of C classes are of varying importance to the student body. Some students take their academic careers extremely seriously, regard their undergraduate experience as the basis for their futures as intellectuals and absolutely spend Friday night talking about Foucault. On the other hand, there are a large number of students who enjoy class while they're there but are by no means slaves to their education, whether they prefer to spend time with extra-curricular groups of partying. There's also a reasonable population of people with practical majors--like Econ or the hard sciences--who are here for professional training and are interested in building resumes and careers.

classes are good, except there are one too many kids in every class who love to hear their own voice.

Fantastic. Like I already wrote: Great class selection. Great professors. Small classes. One other thing you need to know about academics at U of C: the Core. The Core is a bunch of required classes that run the gamut from sciences to foreign language to humanities and art. You can test out of some of them upon entrance (or with AP credit for some, I think). I think it’s a great requirement but it is time consuming. Realistically your first two years at the school will be taken up with a majority of Core classes. The Core classes (with the exception of math) are all taught by real professors. Most majors require a require a final thesis paper (which is a great and worthwhile process). U of C is on the quarter system. Which means three ten week academic quarters. A very short reading period for studying for finals and then 2 weeks for finals. The up-shot is that we take more classes than students at schools with the semester system, and our holidays are scheduled a little differently.

You'll take great classes and bad classes - most of mine have been great, but the occasional stinker is inevitable. It's a nice surprise that some of the required gen-ed stuff (the "Core") is well-taught and thought-provoking, and disappointing when an exclusive class taught by a famous academic sucks. The education is *definitely* geared towards "learning for its own sake," no question about it. This ends up being fine for most people, because the majority of jobs (outside of specific industries like medicine) are going to care what your degree is in. The point of undergrad is really to get a well-rounded education and develop skills; you worry about applicable stuff when you go to grad or enter the job market.