University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

There is a really interesting library community. Lately I have been going to the undergraduate library and it's just crawling with people who are there all the time, but not necessarily because they're uber-nerds, but because it's fun to study with friends and at least make the best out of homework and projects.

See my statement on stereotypes.

Class are hard. Professors have no idea who you are, nor do they care. I do find that Professors care more about their students in the humanities than the sciences, but overall they just have too many kids to keep track of each one. There are alot of fun blowoff classes that are great to take such as Vegetable Gardening, Ice Skating, Dance Aerobics, Jewelery Making. Since the school is so it is able to offer a wider range of class opportunities.

In the College of ACES most Prof. do know your name and specially in your own department even the secretaries know my name. My favorite class was Crop Science 112 Ms. Stoller rocks!!! She really makes you love Ag. My least favorite is Chem, is a love hate relationship, I like the topic but it is to much work. We study ALL the time. Depends how big the lecture and the Prof. is the class participation. Me and my friend go to Starbucks almost every week and we always start talking about pointless stuff and then we end up talking about world issues. It is great! Some students are competitive to the extent that it hurts others and that it is unhealthy for them, but one has to be competitive just be careful. Most unique class would be Genetic Engineering Lab, the Prof. made the 4hour lab go by very fast. I love my major, Crop Science, I feel like I can help a lot of communities through agriculture, hopefully get rid of famine. I feel like sometimes classes are about learning and in some cases the are just about the grade.

With respect to engineering: The reason you go to Illinois is because it is where cutting edge research occurs. If you just want to attend class during your four years without getting involved with projects outside of class then you're missing out on a great opportunity. It is to your benefit even as an undergraduate to interact with professors inside and outside of class. Getting involved in undergraduate research is very common. There are many career expos and information sessions that help people get internships, co-ops, and jobs.

Some professors know my name... especially in the smaller classes. Least favorite was a Political Science class with a horrible professor. I absolutely hated going to that class. Favorite is another Political Science class. Professor Carmen - he is absolutely hilarious and a fabulous, incredible teacher. He knows his stuff and makes the class really entertaining even though he talks for the entire time (no visual aids, nothing... just writing on the board every once and a while). Students study different times. Depends on majors and what classes you are in. Plus your own personal needs... some people need to study more than others. Class participation is common in the smaller classes... not so much in the huge lectures. Yes you do find intellectual conversations outside of class, either with peers or with professors. Students are generally competitive, depending on the program... but mostly with themselves. I don't notice it that much though. Most unique - human sexuality. I love my major. I don't usually spend time with my professors but I've worked with the Dean and my advisor a lot. Academic requirements are good. I think a little of both. It's definitely a research school and sometimes it gets in the way of some things.

Do professors know your name? Yes, those who have small classes Tell us about your favorite class. ANTH 209, Food and Culture. A class you can really relate too and it is presented in a easy understandable manner. Least favorite? Economics class

A few know my name, only in the smaller classes though. Some students study a lot others study hardly at all it depends on your motivation and what grades you want

Although teachers in high school tell you that they are preparing you for college, I have found that they are in fact OVERpreparing you. Unless you are an engineer, the workload is a lot less stressful than in high school. Granted, you spend less time in class and have more time to get stuff done at the college level, but still, my experiences have shown that I did way more work in high school than in college. The College of Communications is a great college within the university. Most of the professors within the college are really smart and are great at applying what you learn in the classroom to the real world.