University of Maryland-Baltimore County Top Questions

Academics are taught by people that are innovators in their field and very passionate about their work. I enjoy my classes and I also appreciate the teaching techniques that are implemented

Academics is what its all about at UMBC. Most professors know me by name. The ones that don't, know me shortly after. UMBC is obsessed, almost too much, with the undergraduate experience. And as such, I've seen a shift from paper and pencil to group tactics in the classroom. It's quite astounding the difference that is made by that move. Since I am a science major, I spend a lot of time in labs. I love the laboratory aspect of my major, because I like the hands-on nature of learning. My favorite classes have been outside of the sciences though. I have studied Russian relentlessly, and I have loved every single class I've taken. There normally VERY small and very intimate, and the one-on-one experience has been life changing. Normally, our classes always involved a lot of conversation about modern topics and the daily news.

The quality of the classes at UMBC is definitely something to brag about. Every professor I've had has been well organized and has had a pronounced interest in the material he/she is teaching. The professors are also easy to get in contact with. Most have convenient office hours and respond to emails quickly. Class size ranges drastically. In my first semester I had an Environmental Science class with 120 other students and another class with only 11 other students in it entitled Mathematics and What it Means to be Human. Although professors are fair and the workload is only slightly above average, math and science classes at UMBC are notoriously difficult and time-consuming. The general education requirements, however, only require one math class and two science classes. The UMBC mentality is truly one that embraces interdisciplinary learning. I feel that each class I take is preparing me for life after graduation and internships I can work during my undergraduate career.

The academics are very well-disciplined. Some classes are very large, but most of the large classes have discussion sections composed of a small number of students. Professors or TA's usually know my name because the campus is not really big. Therefore, I can easily get help. My favorite classes are science classes, including Biology and Chemistry classes. The professors are very enthusiastic and helpful, and I enjoy listening to their lectures. Because most classes are small, class participation is very common. Students are very enthusiastic too, just like the professors. My major is Biochemistry, and the school provides a lot of support. I am also in the Honors College, so I have extra opportunities to get to know professors and intellectual students.

The quality of the classes at UMBC are definitely something to brag about. Every professor I've had has been well-organized and has had a pronounced interest in the material he/she is teaching. The professors are also easy to get in contact with. Most have convenient office hours and respond to emails quickly. Class size ranges drastically. In my first semester I had an Environmental Science class with 120 other students and another class with only 11 other students in it entitled Mathematics and What it Means to be Human. Although professors are fair and the workload is only slightly above average, math and science classes at UMBC are notoriously difficult and time-consuming. The general education requirements, however, only require one math class and two science classes. The UMBC mentality is truly one that embraces interdisciplinary learning. I feel that each class I take is preparing me for life after graduation and internships I can work during my undergraduate career.

The quality of the classes at UMBC are definitely something to brag about. Every professor I've had has been well-organized and has had a pronounced interest in the material he/she is teaching. The professors are also easy to get in contact with. Most have convenient office hours and respond to emails quickly. Class size ranges drastically. In my first semester I had an Environmental Science class with 120 other students and another class with only 11 other students in it entitled Mathematics and What it Means to be Human. Although professors are fair and the workload is only slightly above average, math and science classes at UMBC are notoriously difficult and time-consuming. The general education requirements, however, only require one math class and two science classes. The UMBC mentality is truly one that embraces interdisciplinary learning. I feel that each class I take is preparing me for life after graduation and internships I can work during my undergraduate career. The academics at UMBC are the ultimate reason why the school has consistently been named the nation's #1 Up and Coming University by U.S. News.

Academics at UMBC are tough but you will learn a lot. Depending in your major, classes can range from 25 students to 300 students. The smaller the class, the more likely you will get to know your teacher. If you make the effort, you can still get to know your teacher in a 300 people class. Depending on the class, class participation may not be common. For example, in my cell biology class we did not participate in class but we had to answer questions using a clicker device during lecture. Students are studying all the time and especially during finals week, but we can still maintain an active social life. The school is very competitive especially for any pre-professional concentration that you maybe in. There is added pressure to do well from faculty and advisors. The competition is something that is not outright apparent. The most unique class I have taken is Shakespeare in Film. I liked the class, it was very interesting and I learned about filming techniques and how directors has different interpretation of Shakespeare's plays. I am biology, public health, and history major. The biology major is interesting and I learn a lot. This major is my most challenging major because of the amount of knowledge they tell us during one semester is a lot. The great thing about this major is that there is a curves in most of the class, allowing you to have lower grade and still be able to get an A. The professors in this department are hard but they mean well. Many times I do not talk to my professors and just talk to TA's when I need help. My public health major is interesting but I feel that the classes are not as challenging as biology. The professors in this major are nice and will prepare you for getting into graduate school by having recruiters come to class and talk to us about overall graduate school process. The professors in this major are very approachable and understanding. My history major is challenging but in a different way from biology because the professors do not want you to regurgitate facts but to think analytically at the problems faced in that part of history we are talking about. The professors for the most part are nice but some of them tend to expect way too much for an introductory class. The academic requirements for this school are tedious but are not too bad. There is a lot of requirements and depending on your major there may be additional requirements. I believe that it is manageable. Our education is geared towards finding a job or continuing toward further education.

The school work on its own isn't very hard but it's just a lot of WORK. You need to stay on top of your game and take things head on. High school procrastination is definitely something that you cannot carry on with you once you start college. Everyone says that your first semester of college isn't really a big deal. False. Although the first semester of your college career may not be a big deal in actuality, it really hits the core when you find out close to finals week that you're failing more than half of your classes because you slacked off after attending the first two days of classes, deciding that it wasn't necessary to attend lectures that were not mandatory. However, even if your professors say that classes are not mandatory, I beg of you - go to class! By going to class, talking to the TAs, asking questions, and visiting office hours, professors will know you by name and may even bump you up a decimal of a point or two at the end of the year if you're on a borderline grade. I may sound like another repetitive professor in the classroom, but trust me. I just got done with my first semester of college and boy, did it hit hard. But it really isn't all about books, books, books. Sure, you're going to hear every single student in the library cafe talking about their mind-boggling with new ideas and the struggle of figuring out what they want to major in when they're done 3/4 of their college career. And then you'll see those kids who just hang around the Commons the whole time in the Game Room or Sportszone but pass all their classes. My point being here is this--whether you work your lazy little butt off or your smarts are inked in to your genes, you can do it while having fun. There isn't much competition between peers and friends are easy to make. With so much diversity, it would be impossible not to make friends. Then when the time comes to skip a class because of a family emergency and you send out a mass email to the class roster for the notes you missed, you can count on getting a handful of replies that supply you with more notes than you could have ever even imagined of taking. UMBC is a very career-oriented school. if you come in with a path set in mind, it will be that easier for you to get your requirements done. But for those of us who still aren't sure what we want to do with our lives or haven't even begun to think about it, well, that is where general graduation requirements come in. You can take any gen ed. classes that you like your first semester of college if you aren't sure of what to take. Or you can do the basic math, science, english, and humanities class. But of course, if you're the plan ahead type of guy or girl, you may already be able to get into Biology141, Chemistry101, Math150, and a linguistics course which is what I did seeing as I am majoring in Major Languages and Linguistics while on the Pre-Med track. Oh, yes. The pre-med track. For all of you pre-professional students out there who want to go into pre-law, pre-vet, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmarcy, or pre-med, hear me out. You DO NOT need to major in a science related field to go pursue a career in any one of these fields. You can major in photography or music or english and still become a world renowned cardiologist. Your major defines YOU. Your pre-professional track only guides you to the classes that you will be required to have completed in order to apply to your school after undergrad--in my case, Medical school. I know this is a lot to take in, especially if you're a senior in high school right now and have no idea what to do with your life. But taking it one step at a time and with the help of the people around you, you will master it all. College is just the game. Life itself is the real thing. This is just the beginning.

The school work on its own isn't very hard but it's just a lot of WORK. You need to stay on top of your game and take things head on. High school procrastination is definitely something that you cannot carry on with you once you start college. Everyone says that your first semester of college isn't really a big deal. False. Although the first semester of your college career may not be a big deal in actuality, it really hits the core when you find out close to finals week that you're failing more than half of your classes because you slacked off after attending the first two days of classes, deciding that it wasn't necessary to attend lectures that were not mandatory. However, even if your professors say that classes are not mandatory, I beg of you - go to class! By going to class, talking to the TAs, asking questions, and visiting office hours, professors will know you by name and may even bump you up a decimal of a point or two at the end of the year if you're on a borderline grade. I may sound like another repetitive professor in the classroom, but trust me. I just got done with my first semester of college and boy, did it hit hard. But it really isn't all about books, books, books. Sure, you're going to hear every single student in the library cafe talking about their mind-boggling with new ideas and the struggle of figuring out what they want to major in when they're done 3/4 of their college career. And then you'll see those kids who just hang around the Commons the whole time in the Game Room or Sportszone but pass all their classes. My point being here is this--whether you work your lazy little butt off or your smarts are inked in to your genes, you can do it while having fun. There isn't much competition between peers and friends are easy to make. With so much diversity, it would be impossible not to make friends. Then when the time comes to skip a class because of a family emergency and you send out a mass email to the class roster for the notes you missed, you can count on getting a handful of replies that supply you with more notes than you could have ever even imagined of taking. UMBC is a very career-oriented school. if you come in with a path set in mind, it will be that easier for you to get your requirements done. But for those of us who still aren't sure what we want to do with our lives or haven't even begun to think about it, well, that is where general graduation requirements come in. You can take any gen ed. classes that you like your first semester of college if you aren't sure of what to take. Or you can do the basic math, science, english, and humanities class. But of course, if you're the plan ahead type of guy or girl, you may already be able to get into Biology141, Chemistry101, Math150, and a linguistics course which is what I did seeing as I am majoring in Major Languages and Linguistics while on the Pre-Med track. Oh, yes. The pre-med track. For all of you pre-professional students out there who want to go into pre-law, pre-vet, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmarcy, or pre-med, hear me out. You DO NOT need to major in a science related field to go pursue a career in any one of these fields. You can major in photography or music or english and still become a world renowned cardiologist. Your major defines YOU. Your pre-professional track only guides you to the classes that you will be required to have completed in order to apply to your school after undergrad--in my case, Medical school. I know this is a lot to take in, especially if you're a senior in high school right now and have no idea what to do with your life. But taking it one step at a time and with the help of the people around you, you will master it all. College is just the game. Life itself is the real thing. This is just the beginning.