University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

Professors might know your name. Professors teach lectures of hundreds of kids everyday. If you want a professor to know your name, you have to make an effort. My anthropolgy professor knows the names of lots of kids in my lecture and will talk to them before class. That's because these students made an effort to introduce themselves. I really recommend taking a first year seminar. You have a small class of about 20 students and it is taught by a professor, not a GSI. You get a chance to really get to know a professor. I also learned a lot from my seminar, and you can take them on just about anything. Class participation depends on the class. Often professors ask the class questions. I have never had a class where a professor wasn't responsive to questions from students. Hell yeah we have intellecual conversations outside of class! I met my bestfriends here at Meijer Madness and we ended up have a long conversation on religion, and I had just meet these people. I work in the cafeteria and I hear people all the time talking about politics or what they learned in class.

There are some classes you can take where you WILL feel like nothing more than a number, but there are even more classes you can take where you have the opportunity to get to know your professors and really talk about topics that you find interesting. My suggestion would be to take a sampling of classes to find out what really interests you, I was a pre-med major until I found out I hated all of my pre-med classes and loved my English ones. Michigan does have a tendency to weed out those who aren't up to snuff, and you will need to spend more time on homework than you're probably used to if you breezed through high school.

Great classes. Professors can vary, from being exceptional to unsatisfactory. When making an effort to talk to a professor outside of class, I've never found resistance. All of my professors are eager to talk about their field of study. Often I have had intellectual conversations and brainstorming outside of class, and outside of study groups. It's one of the great things about studying here; everyone is passionate about something.

Academics at the University of Michigan are indeed difficult, but they are by no means impossible. Professors are more than willing to lend a helping hand with whatever concept you don't understand.

The academics at this institution are challenging; even the introductory courses. But try not to sweat it- use your professors and GSI's (graduate student instructors) to your advantage. They are here to help you and I have yet to meet a professor or GSI that does not want every student in his/her class to succeed. Never be embarrassed to ask for help because in the end, that's what can make you or break you in a class.

they are very challenging and i learn a lot.

Classes can range from large to small which can be beneficial depending on your preferences. As a BBA at the Ross School, I am overwhelmed by the amount of talent and intelligence around me. Everyone I speak to is at least remotely intelligent, giving way to more meaningful interaction.

Studying is annoyingly hard. If your in competetive classes like Econ, or medical school then some people can get annoying, pretending their at Harvard, but usually you can skip most of your lectures, attend discussion chill with youe GSI's send some well crafted e-mails and get yourself a solid B or maybe an A with a little more work.

In large lectures professors do not know my name because classes are too large. My favorite class is an english class because there are only 20 people in the room and we are all close with the teacher. The teacher is very funny. Students study pretty much 5 days a week. Class participation is very common because class participation is part of your grade. Yes, students have intellectual conversations outside of class. I find myself in political and religious conversations often. Students are very competitive. I am a political science and an English major. I learn much about the government and the ways political leaders work. No i do not spend time with professors outside of class even though many of them provide the opportunity to do so.

Students are so competitive and annoying. A lot of times people don't want to help out because they don't want you to do better then them. Classes are not that hard, if you study a lot then you can get As.

all classes and departments are different-- some classes have around 20 students while other lectures are filled with 300 students. in my experiences the professors and graduate student instructors are easy to contact and meet with outside of class for help

Michigan academics are some of the best in the world. Some of the smartest people in the world are students here (and there are also people where you are shocked they got in.) The art and design school is much different than LSA. I am fortunate enough to have all my teachers know me by name. I am able to form relationships with my professors much easier than other schools. But there are a lot of GSIs and the professors have office hours weekly, so it is easy for students to get to know their teachers, they just have to make the effort. There are thousands of classes offered each semester, which can be overwhelming, but is also very liberating. Studying is a must, but budget your time and you will still be able to go out a lot.

While it seems easy to just blend into your chemistry 1200 student class, various science departments at University of Michigan makes it really easy to take advantage of resources such as study groups, GSI's, and open office hours. Michigan students defintely have intellectual conversations out of class, however I would extremely reccomend takign an intergroup dialog class to develop the balance of an intellectually open and stimulating conversation with your peers. Classes are competitive- no real way to prepare yourself for that.

As a pre-med student, the classes are pretty hard and I have to admit, I have to devote a lot of my time to my studies. I know it will pay off in the end, and I realize that with a Michigan degree, it will be easier to get a job after I graduate. I really want to go to grad school at Michigan, but we will see if my grades are good enough.

Introduction courses are pretty easy and include going to lecture and then a discussion section. Most likely you won't know your professor but rather the GSI that runs your discussion section. However, all students have the opportunity to go and meet their professor during office hours so if you crave a personal relationship, it is possible to make one. The hard classes here are really hard. So I suggest finding what it is you like to do so that you don't mind the hard work. Majoring in Communications AND Spanish is difficult but rewarding. And in Spanish, you definitely get to know your professors (as in any language study) because classes cannot be larger than 25 students. This is extremely beneficial because you get more direction and more attention from the professor.

My favorite class right now is the Exhibiting Mesopotamia class, I love the professor and the fact that everything I learn is new and fascinating. The larger classes seem impersonal sometimes but discussions are always personal and more cozy.

Almost every department at Michigan is considered good or excellent, and Michigan has enough departments that everyone should be able to find something they can really get into. Students are not overly competitive. The quality of instruction is good, but it is less good than one might expect. Professors and graduate student instructors tend to be chosen for their standing in the research community more than for their talents as instructors.

The answers to many of these questions depend on the specific classes. For instance, some classes, like Intro to Psychology, have roughly 500 students in their lectures. These students do not all get to know the professor, though anyone who wishes to is usually encourage by the professor to do so--most of the professors here love getting to know students, actually. Oftentimes these classes are divided into discussion sections, in which they are taught by graduate student instructors. Like any professor, some GSIs are fantastic, while others aren't. I'd say overall the ones at University of Michigan are pretty great, but I don't think they all are. Other classes are considerably smaller--for example: seminars, those in small concentration departments, or the Residential College (a living-learning program focused around language, arts and the humanities.) It's pretty much up to the individual to decide on the types of classes they want to take, but also depends on what's offered in their area(s) of study. I personally chose to do the Residential College because I prefer the intimacy of the small classes and community, as well as the close bonds with professors and other students. Students in the RC also live together in East Quadrangle as Freshman and Sophomores, which leads to a strong community.

The University is easy to get lost in. There are so many things you can study and be apart of that it can be overwhelming at times.

My brother goes to UCLA and comparing his experiences to mine, it would appear that Michigan does a hell of a lot better facing similar challenges while managing a similar reputation. We have comparable majors (I'm English, he's History) and the access I've had to my profs and TAs (or Graduate Student Instructors, as we say) has far outstripped his. While the large lecture hall still comprises a good deal of the 200-300 level classes, efforts to get into at least one or two manageable 25-75 student liberal arts classes per term should be successful. In classes where you do get into a huge lecture, there are normally discussions with very outgoing and inviting GSIs. The quality of the learning in the discussion varies, but personally, I've been able to connect with a lot of them. They practically insist you come to office hours and if they cancel, they offer to meet you at a coffee shop or something. Like I said above, access is very doable. It's a matter of small effort. As far as class difficulty goes, I'm a pretty bright dude, took all the AP and whatnot that I could and subsequently it's been fairly easy for me. I've got like a 3.6 - 3.7 and probably could have done better, but I like relaxing and hanging out. I'm not trying to brag or whatever, just saying that maybe I'm not the best one to ask how a person's individual experience will go? I'm lucky that I had a high school that prepared me very well for the rigors of college. If I went to an Ivy, I'd be just like everyone else and probably working a lot harder just to keep up. Here, it's a relaxed environment amongst most students anyway, so I never really feel imposed upon. In general, amongst the liberal arts students, it's pretty laid back and the profs will accommodate you. The quality of your ideas and writing is what gets judged and if that's lacking, you'll find you have a harder time.