University of Massachusetts-Amherst Top Questions

The philosophy department here is really strong. Through logic classes I learned a lot about making and analyzing arguments which will certainly help me for my graduate degree.

General education classes are very manageable, as are pre-requisite classes for majors. As you progress, time-management becomes more important because classes get more rigorous.

They're great

UMass is a big school. Professors will most likely know your name and face in smaller discussion sections, but won't be able to pick you out in 200 person lectures. If you wish to have a more intimate relationship with a professor, it is your responsibility to go to his/her office hours.

Academics at UMass can range from massive 400 people lectures to very small classes. For the generic classes that everyone needs to take there are often many students taking them which results in huge lectures. But I'm also in an honors course that has around 30 students with 4 teachers in it. In this type of class the professors will get to know your name and personalize with you. This is my favorite type of class because there are not too many people in it, and it generally is easier to learn because you can get the help you need and not have to deal with the constant distractions that go along with huge lectures. Class participation is also very common in all types of classes. In the large lectures there are iClickers that are toll taking remotes that connect to the teachers computer and tell them what the majority of students think. This is used for in class questions and the like. Teachers also take students questions in these classes but they cannot take as much time to answer them because they are on a set schedule. In smaller classes iClickers are not used as much but the teachers are more willing to take your questions. My major is Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), which is one of the more challenging at the school. the BMB department help through my adviser by talking to me about my classes and what my plans are for the future. The education at UMass is geared more towards getting a job, which is absolutely fine with me. That is the reason most people are going to college in the first place, so they have better chances of getting their dream job.

At UMass, I have always felt a satisfactory balance in the academics. I have a few classes that are held in large lecture halls and consist of two to three hundred students. Needless to say, I don't have any sort of relationship with my professor in those classes. However, I also have a couple of much smaller classes that consist of fifteen or even as little as seven kids. We are able to have intellectual discussions, learn from each other, and interact with the professor. This semester, I am taking an English course about Food Writing and it has been an extraordinary experience. It is a relatively small class that consists of food demos, writing about what we eat, reading pieces from famous food writers, and even outside-of-the-classroom projects: our most recent one being a restaurant scavenger hunt in town. It has really defined my skills as a food writer and epicurean.

Academics are pretty solid. Most of the professors seem very smart, I've gotten used to addressing my professors as "Dr." now instead of "Mr. or Mrs." There is a pretty big range in studying, but pretty much is at least marginally academically active. Personally I'm probably up there in terms of studying, but then again I seem to take my grades a lot more seriously than a lot of my friends. I'm in the college of natural sciences, which does a lot of active research students can get involved in which is nice. The academic requirements are good within the major and in an interdisciplinary light. My most interesting class is one I am currently in, "Violence in American Culture." It's taught by this pretty brilliant mexican professor who has made me look at the world in a completely difference way after just 3 weeks in his class.

At UMASS Amherst, the academic departments are staffed with renowned, accessible abd helpful professors. While lecture halls full of hundreds define most students' first two years, their junior and senior years involve smaller, discussion oriented classes. At least in my experience, discussions stimulated by class reading, outside reading, and classroom discussion often find their way to the dormitories or cafeterias. I have continued these discussions with professors, who, as I suggested earlier, are some of the most helpful, well read and interesting people I have met. My major, political science, has afforded me a learning experience that I could not have fully anticipated. Engaging in studies of America, Europe, Asia and underdeveloped nations, I find myself constantly hungering for more information that will afford me a better world perspective. While a liberal arts major, political science is absolutely geared toward both employment as well as ecuation. I could find a job in a wide variety of fields, including law, ecucation, international relations etc.

It all depends on the classes, teachers, and how seriously you take school. A's aren't impossible, but some classes are much easier than others. I think it's like every school in this sense, it comes down to major, level, and professor.

Like I said above, the academic experience varies tremendously with the classes you take. My favorite classes are little ones. The best/most unique class I've taken is called Grassroots Community Organizing; it is a student-led discussion-based class focusing on community empowerment and social change and involves a lot of reading, learning from each other, reflection and a spring break trip during which you work with a non profit. I learned so much in that class and it changed my life and the way I look at the world, and the group is very close. The class was last spring and we hang out together still.

You will have a huge variety when it comes to classes. Right now I am in 3 lectures (200 students each) and 2 small classes (15 students each). Professors are very accessible and encourage students to take advantage of their office hours. The academic requirements are very general, those you would see at many large liberal arts universities. The work load is tough, however, part of college is learning to juggle all of it.

Some majors tend to draw the bottom of the barrel while others garner some of the smartest students in the state. Professors are open to meeting students and I made a few awesome connections but they wont often go out of their way to build bonds. Be proactive!

All the gen ed classes, no ones going to know you. Sometimes you'll end up finding someone you know in that class weeks later. The only interaction in class is during discussion and thats only with the T.A. The only time the professor will know your name is when your a suck up sitting in the front row asking a million questions. But if you go to office hours and make the effort they'll end up knowing who you are. The more classes you take for your major, the more smaller and interactive they get. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on your preference.

Classes are easy as long as you rememer to do online homework and study a little bit. Classes are usually pretty big.

I'm closer with some professors than I am others. Lower level, lecture hall classes are what they are. I mean, for basic courses I enjoyed being with 300 other kids. But sometimes when you're in an upper-level course and the class is too big, it can ruin the experience. My least favorite class (and professor) was Major British Authors with Professor Freeman. The class had about 35 students in it which is way too big with how much we had to read. Having that many kids in class didn't let us explore much into the text. Students are competitive with themselves. No one really talks about grades to each other because it's no one else's business. Professors rarely threaten us with grades, but rather try to enhance the learning experience. When you go to a big school, your education is what you make it. If you want to slack off, you can. If you want to become close with your professors, you can. A big school is for the independent, students who don't need people forcing them to do their work or participate in class.

I am very conscientious about managing my classes. Since my major is history, I really enjoy learning about history because it is apart of my heritage and culture. From my experiences this past semester, I enjoyed participating in my classes because there was a connection among all the students and the teacher in my classes. When teenagers go to college, they think that it is all about partying and hanging out with friends. At Umass, they encourage socializing with other students but also learning about various subjects.

General Education classes are rarely fun, or necessary. For the most part, you are a serial number in the grand scheme of things. Its not until you declare your major that you feel a more academic sense of belonging. I am a member of the BDIC program, or Bachelors Degree in Individual Concentration. I have combined communications, management (marketing) and legal studies to produce my Entertainment Law/Management and Marketing Major. This allows me to take most classes that fit my major within each college/school. This is very helpful in gaining internship opportunities and eventually job offers due to its rarity and uniqueness.

In a large class the professor usually does not know your name, but every large class has a discussion and your discussion leader will know your name which is very helpful, but if the discussion is not helpful the professor is usually very available. My favorite classes are my education classes and i study and work hard to get good grades. The requirements are easy to meet if you take 5 classes a semester and take them seriously otherwise you could be a little behind.

Most classes are huge, professors will only know who you are if you make them know who you are. Students are competitive but you have to be very self motivated. I have had a lot of great professors and even though the classes are huge most teachers find ways to get the students involved. I love my major, HTM in the business school because it is hands on and very competitive.

AWESOME CLASSES: gen-ed for Bio: Bio106 with Judy Goodenough. She is hillarious and a great teacher and the class is an easy A. You don't have to buy a book or clicker or anything. Another great class is Psych 350 with Richard Halgin (abnormal psychology). Riveting. His books are on reserve at the library so you don't really have to buy them either.