University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

They are hard, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you never studied in highschool, you are more than likely going to have to study ten times harder here, just to get a b or a c on a test. Also student here are very competitive.

The one thing that I really do miss about high school is the fact that every teacher knew me personally and asked about my life. Here, it sometimes feels that teachers are there to teach a class and leave; almost like they don't make students a part of their lives. I think that my opinion is somewhat biased, though, because the majority of my classes are very large science classes, where it is hard for a professor to get to know a class fo 230 and, for the most part, they are there to research, not teach a class. Aside from not having many personal relationships with professors, the academic quality of an education from Carolina far exceeds anything I ever anticipated. I find myself forming strong opinions on things that never mattered to me before I came and I have had to learn to think in a completely different way than I did in high school.

I try to do as little work as possible.

I love classes here, but some professors do need to realize that "learning" is not "spitting my own words back at me verbatim"

I could not think more highly of academic at UNC. The right classes will generate intensely stimulating discussions that are often continued outside of the classroom. I have majors in Peace, War, & Defense (PWAD) and International Studies, with a minor in Philosophy. The PWAD curriculum is very unique, as undergrad peace studies program are quite rare. As a liberal arts major, most of my classes have been geared towards learning rather than job skills. I have been impressed by several upper-level Poli Sci classes that directly seek to encourage critical thinking. The workload for most majors is not overly burdensome. Granted, although I came into college with 20 or so AP hours, I have been able to complete two majors, a minor, and have senior leadership in two organizations without having to sacrifice my social life. Science majors, however, tend to have their lives dominated with lengthy labs and difficult tests. There are a lot of bright people at UNC, as it is extremely competitive for out of state students and for certain areas of North Carolina - notably Wake and Mecklenburg counties. UNC tries to admit students from all over NC, thus it accepts the top students from more rural areas who are usually less competitive.

Im not so into school really.

Academics at UNC are academics at UNC, which means they are no walk in the park. Each of my classes has challenged me to do my best work and work my hardest. I have always loved school, from kindergarten to graduation, and now I love it even more than I ever imagined I could. So many professors are so passionate about what they teach and makes the students really care about what they have to say. The variety in classes is awesome! If you're interested in the most off the wall topic you could think of, there's a class for it!

There are two major complaints that I have with the academics at UNC. 1. The professors give TAs too much leeway in grading across the board. There needs to be a defined grading standard, especially in subjective work such as papers, so that everyone is being graded the same way, no matter who they have for their TA. I feel that there are some big discrepancies between sections of a class, especially when undergraduate TAs are given grading power. 2. I do not like the new academic requirements. I feel that I have taken a lot of classes that are not going to ever come into use in my life ever again. It seems more logical to give students suggestions based on their majors for the connections and approaches, but not a general standardized sheet for everyone.

They are great, a good value. UNC offers every type of class you could want. UNC has many strong majors.

Some professors know you by name, and some don't. I've found that I try hardest in classes where I really like and respect and am inspired by the teacher, and the majority of my professors have been incredible. Maybe it's because I am an English and Art History double-major, but my classes are centered around learning for learning's sake. I have developed great relationships with some of my professors outside of class by going to their office hours, etc. They have written me wonderful letters of recommendation for internships, and probably will for graduate school, when that happens.

Class size varies, there are huge, typically freshman classes, but once you get into taking major classes they get smaller and professors are generally interested in getting to know you. It's cool to be in classes in which your professor actually wrote the textbook. Classes are challenging and it is nice to be in an environment in which other students are motivated and want to do well. A liberal arts school, UNC is interested in producing well-rounded students who are more than capable when entering the work force. I am in the journalism school and it is one of the best in the country.

Yes, most professors do know my name. Unless you're in a class that's 350 people (which are very few classes here), you'll know your professor pretty well. Also, don't believe that there are tons of 500 person classes here! That is not true. These are only for introductory classes (one for each department) and they're not over 350. The UNC students that I have come in contact with do indeed have many intellectual conversations outside of class. There are times where I have had 2 hour long conversations about how our class applies to our life. I have also spent time with professors outside of class. For the most part, professors would love to sit down with you and talk about your plans or what you're interested in. They're really cool.

Giant lecture classes are usually avoidable if you major in the humanities, but with all of UNC's bullshit general college requirements you're going to have to take a few. These classes (especially the math and science ones) are completely useless and painful unless you want to continue in those fields. Fortunately, UNC does offer small classes just for first years on specific topics that count as general college requirements. I took a class on the geology of Eastern California, and we actually went to the mountains of California and did field research for a week. The topic sounds boring, but it was actually a blast. You're only supposed to take on max per semester your first year, but I was able to take 4 in all because, like I said, advising/the registrar/financial aid don't communicate...My least favorite classes have been the bigger classes where participation is discouraged and competition is encouraged, which I think is actually how most UNC classes work...My friends and I have intellectual convos outside of class, but the majority of the student body is pretty conservative and less "bright" than I expected...As I've said before, UNC's academic requirements are bogus and not geared toward getting you a good career. If you want to survive after college, get an internship or three and lead a couple student organizations.

Great! A few too many classes being taught by graduate students and too many in my introductory courses (300+ at times), but on the par the academics at Carolina are superb. They are what you make them to be. You can volunteer to be an assistant in a lab or write an honors thesis or take advanced courses. It is all up to you.

Some professors know my name because the teacher to student ratio is low. My favorite class is English because it is discussion based. I do not like big lecture classes where it's not personal and tests are the only grades. Students are competitive only in certain majors, such as business. The most unique class I have taken was drama 121. The professor was very entertaining and the class material was applicable to everyday life. UNC's academic requirements are too much. I do not think business majors should take a history class, science, etc, unless they want to.

Yes Entreprenurial Imagin - about entreprenuership English 102 - complete waste of time all the time in small classes only yes yes entreprenurial imagin Biology is intense sometimes literary arts and history is useless for a bio major learning for its own sake

I was satisfied with my courses in the graduate school. The students there were very bright and, though competitive, willing to help one another. UNC has a large variety of resources, including thousands of books, useful online journals, and a GIS data library.

Yes, professors know my name. All the classes at Kenan-Flagler Business school are great. I disliked my Italian one class. The teacher was very rigid in the way she taught the subject

Academics at UNC are challenging. In most classes, you will have to work hard to get an A, but it is possible. Students study alot, but at the same time know how to have fun. UNC is the definition of a school that works hard but plays hard too. Perhaps the most amazing thing about UNC is that despite the academic rigor, students are rarely competitive. There are a lot of academic requirements and they can seem daunting, however its pretty easy to satisfy them.

Half of my classes are small enough that everyone knows each other's name, including the professor. I have been told that once I get out of introductory classes, that classes will get smaller. It is also easy to meet up with professors of large classes by going to office hours. My favorite class right now is probably Italian, because I know that I will not major or minor in it, but hopefully one day I will go to Italy, and it will be great to understand some of what locals are saying. My least favorite class is geography, because I am not interested in geography, but I have to fill a general education requirement. Students study very often, and libraries are packed close to exams. Professors encourage participation in class. I do have intellectual conversations outside of class. Just the other day, I was talking with a friend about biology on the way back from lunch. It is not too competitive, as far as I have seen. The most unique class I have taken was Think, Speak, Argue, which was a course for first years only, about debating, and we held actual debates. I am a Biology major, planning on pre-dentistry. It is very common to be a biology major at UNC, and the department seems pretty good so far. I spend some time meeting with professors outside of class but not much, which is my choice. I feel UNC has difficult academic standards, but they are necessary to keep the high quality of education that we receive at the university. Education is geared toward learning, because of the requirements to complete classes unrelated to one's major.