Kelly
In my smaller classes my profs know my name. My favorite class was "World Musics-Asia". Im a history major so learning about music was awesome. My least favorite class was "Intro to geology"(rocks for jocks) because being a senior and having to take that class for core credit blew! You have all types of studiers here. from those who only party to those who only study. The students can be competitive. The most unique class I've taken is called "Fight the Power" and its about male impunity in the world. Im a history major. I see my profs outside of class only during office hours. I think that Boulder academics can be as hard as you want them to be. The education can be geared towards getting a job or you could major in "16th century French poetry"
Jeremy
All my professors know my name, but then again I don't take big lecture classes.
If you want smaller classes, you can find them. Every class I've taken has a huge grade on class participation, so its hard to sit in the back and not say anything. There always intellectual discussions and debates outside of class, we like our opinions.
Jody
I know all my professors' names. Many of the professors I have are on the frontline of their field. Sometimes it hard to find a research article without my professors name in the title. this is especially true in the sciences.
Andrew
some of my professors know my name, and some don't. My class sizes range from 18 people to about 500, so it's not really their responsibility to get to know me. If I want any kind of relationship with my professor it's my job as a student to make the first move.
My favorite class at the moment is probably Anthropology with Dennis Van Gerven. He's just so passionate, it's hard not to get drawn in, despite the huge class size.
I disagree with some of CU's requirements, but not many. As a Psychology major, I'm not sure why I'm required to take Math, for example. Or two semesters of a difficult science, for that matter. I like that there are Race/Gender requirements though. I feel like it definitely encourages kids to take a look at cultures they wouldn't have considered otherwise.
Nico
We study a lot. Many of my professors know my name, and they're experts on their subjects. The other students are fun to work with, although competitive in nature. Like any University I would say the education is more for learning sake than job certification (as opposed to a trade school).
Jordan
Whether or not my professors know my name is hit or miss. Freshman classes at CU are usually large lecture classes with hundreds of students and your professor is most likely not going to know your name. Later in your college career and when you develop your major more clearly, class sizes shirk and your professors are more likely to know you by name. My favorite class is The American Presidency where we dissect the process of the political election from start to finish. My least favorite class is Human Communication Theory which is extremely boring and I find it hard to pay attention in class. Participation is always required in classes, especially when classes are small. Students at CU are very competitive because there are a shortage of internships and one on one teacher involvement. The most unique class I have ever taken was Organizational Communication. It was interesting in that much of my class work involved spending time in an organization outside classes and write a report about some of the processes within the organization.
Jillian
-Absolutely.
-I have had several favorites that have changed my life. Brilliant people, exactly what a good education should be. I haven't had one that I hated. If I don't love it, then it is mediocre and serves its purpose.
-Some study all the time, some none of the time. It all depends upon what kind of student you are.
-Yes
-Some do, some don't, it just depends on who you talk to. I do!
-Not really. It's more about trying to get your personal best for your own purposes than beating others for whatever petty reason.
-My Physical Anthropology class is more political and socially concious than ANY of my political science classes have been. It's incredible.
-Poli Sci here is great. We have an amazing poli sci faculty.
-No, but I'd like to. I'm just too intimidated.
-They are good. I'm glad I had to take a foreign language. I think the standards are good, but a couple of idiots do manage to get in every now and then.
-Absolutely. Especially learning for its own sake.
Erin
My advice would be to get to know your professors, otherwise they probably won't get to know you. They can help you a lot in the class and in the future so stop by their office hours!
Dawson
Boulder is a challenging school, bt worth it. However, the school is giganic and one-on-one student teacher interaction is rare. Lectures usually have anywhere from 50-250 students. There are some small classes depending on your major. Depending on whether you are in lower division or upper division classes the amounnt of study time varies. Typically lower division classes require require anywhere from 2-12 hours a week and upper division classes usually require 5-12 hours a week.. Per class. There are many intellectual conversations and activities out of school to participate in. I am a Communication major and I love it! The majority of the professors in the communication department are fair, smart, and passionate about what they do. They all offer help outside of class time (in office hours) and most are available by email at anytime or by appointment. The academic requirements are tough, but the challenge is rewarding in the long run.
Cody
This campus has a very positive academic environment, especially if you apply yourself. Engineers tend to study more than Arts and Sciences majors, that's just the way it goes. It's not really competitive. In engineering, we all have a common bond of studying, and I can always find someone who wants to do hw or study for a test together. It's kind of like "we're all in this together, let's help each other out." copying is looked down upon, mainly because that would only help you for one semester, or until that smart guy is not in your class anymore. This university is large enough that very few students actually take ALL the same courses in the samwe order; there is enough variety of courses and diversity of students that everyone does their own thing.