University of Rhode Island Top Questions

What are the academics like at University of Rhode Island?

Phil

Academics at URI are a real gamble from class to class. There are some great teachers, and there are teachers who you won't understand or who shouldn't be allowed to run a classroom. Competitiveness depends on your major. Communications, good joke. Business can be fairly competitive getting more serious in Junior and Senior years. Engineering and Pharmacy are a competitive nightmare, you probably won't meet anyone outside your major after freshman year. Guidance counsellors can be a nightmare, you need to stay on top of your appointments. They hold all the keys you need to get into classes, yet often don't have anything helpful to tell you and are only useful for allowing you into classes. I'm a declared business major, the school knows this, yet i have to make it to a meeting with a guidance counsellor who confirms all this BS and sets me up with classes. If i missed this meeting im SCREWED. As a college student I feel plenty competent at signing myself up for classes, let's bypass the useless middle man already.

Michelle

For the most part, the teachers are really nice. One problem i had was URI 101. My teacher didnt even no what she was talking about. She told me it was a pass or fail class. I did every assignment and went to all but one class and i end up with a C. I asked her about it and she said she thought it was pass or fail!?!?!?! As a freshman i thought the teachers took a lot of interest in the students. Especially hearing all these things in high school about professors not caring, they really do.

Dawson

I hated lectures...we're talking 300 students or more... dislike that. Some teachers I loved, others not so much-- but you're going to get that anywhere you go. Some prof. take the time to get to know their students, others wont give you the time of day or make it seem like a hassle when contactin gthem. 1 prof. I had encouraged different groups every week and that we all get to know eachother, as this is what college is all about-- meeting new people and making friends.

andy

professors do not know my name

Julie

Besides large lectures, almost all my teachers learned my name and cared about my peformance in their classes. I took theatre my freshman year just because and ended up loving it. The cool thing is you can take classes in whatever subject you want, even if it is not your major, and there are a lot of fun classes to take.

Julie

Besides large lectures, almost all my teachers learned my name and cared about my peformance in their classes. I took theatre my freshman year just because and ended up loving it. The cool thing is you can take classes in whatever subject you want, even if it is not your major, and there are a lot of fun classes to take.

Mallory

The first two years many of my classes I did not know my professors personally. But in the nursing class you get to know them very well. All of my experiences have been very positive and I have had wonderful professors who are always willing to go out of their way to help you learn. I really can't speak for the rest of the university because the school of nursing is great and the other parts of the university are not shaped the same way as this school. It is deffinantly geared towards getting a job and bettering your skills that will prepare you for your individual nursing job.

Maria

Some professors sadly will only know you by your last name. Others will know your first and last name and that your favorite color is blue. It's really a hit or miss here. I can honestly say that I have at least liked the majority of my professors as people even if they weren't the best professors. Class participation really depends on the professor, but if you have a good one, you'll usually have good class participation. The English and Education departments are filled mostly with caring professors. Unfortunately, I've had a couple of professors who were not as kind and caring as others in the English department. In Education classes, you are pretty much guaranteed to have a good time. The Education professors are usually very organized, kind, and conscientious. They also try to make every class interesting and worth while. Education professors do tend to get overloaded with work sometimes, especially if they are teachers themselves. With this situation, you'll find that sometimes they are a little bit scatter brained, but you can still tell that they value thier students and thier classes.

Chris

My favorite classes this semester were Difference Equations and Complex Variables. I am a graduate student. I like working with my professors so eventually we get to know each other. So yes my professors know my name. The students are not so competitive. I would say that a spirit of co-operation dominates the relationship among students. My department is the Math Department. In my department there is a strong group of research in Difference Equations. Professors like G.Ladas, O. Merino and M. Kulenoviz are doing great research projects!!! I am really lucky to be here! Actually I will do research with the professor Gerasimos Ladas who recently announced as Highly Cited Mathematician. This is a great honor not only for him and the Math department, but for the University of Rhode Island as well, contributing in his good reputation all over the world. All the professor are really helpful in the math department and give their best for their students and for research. Other very important fields of research in the math department are theGraph Theory and Combinatorics.

Michelle

I've had good experiences with academics. All it takes is a few extra minutes and it's easy to get to know your professors. They are always willing to take time out of their schedule to help you. The general education requirements are pretty much the same as most other universities and it's pretty easy to find interesting classes that will fulfill the requirements. Overall I approve of my professors and classes

Emmerson

In a sense, lot of people at URI are very competitive at getting grades. I know from my own experience that people are not competitive to get a better grade to put someone else down. They simply do it to make themselves better which is good because if everyone is striving for a better grade than the next person then we all will end up with good grades in the end.

Sarah

Sit in the front of your lecture and your teacher may learn your name. It is up to you whether or not the teachers will get to know you. Some programs like the music program are more personalized and the people all know eachother. Favorite class: Environmental Geology...Great teacher. Some students study a great deal while others don't study at all. Some URI students have intellectual conversations outside of class while a great deal don't. Some students are competitve (Within specific programs of study). Not much time spend with professors outside of class in general Ed requirements however this may not be the case with specific majors.

Devin

if you choose a small major can get alot of one on one time. It is a big university so some majors are really good while some are really easy you just need to choose the right one.

Cameron

Academics here are just as diverse as the extracurriculars. Being in a relatively small major, I have had the great pleasure of knowing almost all the kids in my major classes from semester to semester. It makes for a very comfortable learning environment, and since the students are laid-back with one another, the teachers tend to be more comfortable in those scenarios. Aside from those classes, you always have choices between lecture halls if you prefer a less-personal atmosphere or small classroom settings where teachers go by first names and F-bombs are deemed as appropriate. Truly, everything is a class-to-class basis, so it is difficult to relay the general view of academics here. To give examples, I'll explain my best class vs. my worst class. My best has been a sort of continuous class spanning now three semesters. Most of the kids in the first classes have stayed with it, so the classroom has become extremely comfortable with all familiar faces. We call our teacher by his first name, and the classes are extremely discussion-based and hands-on. It's almost like being with a group of friends and we just happen to be learning some very cool stuff. I personally feel like I have learned the most in this classroom. On the other hand, my worst class was also in a small-class setting, but that's about the only similarity between this one and the one I just explained. The teacher was extremely monotone and condescending. Because of this, none of the students felt any desire to participate in the class. The grading was also extremely unfair, and at least two of the kids say that, because of this class, they no longer want to be a part of the class's respective major. As you can see, academics here is very topsy-turvy. The best advice is to listen to choose your classes carefully and listen to other kids who have already been through these classes that you're considering (RateMyProfessor.com is a lifesaver.)

Jamie

Its ok

Kelly

Classes at URI are frequently large, but professors make an attempt to learn your name. I think URI is a big study school, so students study quite often (at least I did). Most of my classes did require participation, but you had to attend. Once you choose your major students are fairly competitive, which is a great motivator to do well. I took Abnormal Psychology which was a very interesting class. I was a Psych major which was a great experience. The professors are very interested in the topics they are teaching. URI is a research based school, so they professors are teaching classes on topics they are also researching and writing papers on. I didnt really spend time with any professors outside of class unless they were my supervisor for an internship. I think URI is tough with there requirements, but it helps push you to succeed and beat out the competition.

Erica

The professors in the art department are amazing, they constantly push, and are very respectfulof me. And yes, they know me by name for the most part. One of the most interesting classes I have taken was Philosophy of Art, and the professor went above and beyond her expectations. The Art department professors are also very good about shairng news in the artworld, that are happening now, and encourages students to be a part of it.

Dylan

As I said in the big picture, there are some pretty shitty teachers here. But get the most out of it. Class participation hasn't been common in my classes, but maybe when I'm a senior it'll be common. Very few professors spend time with you outside of class, and that's something URI needs to work on. Students may not study much, but for those that do, they do get recognized. I have very few professors who know my name if I don't make myself known. URI really needs to work on becoming an amazing university again, not a business.

Shelby

Being a music major... all my classes are small. So all my professors know my name... Along with knowning my name, they also know when i decide to skip class. Yeah thats the downside My favorite class so far has been my comm 100 class. Kris Cabral is an amazing teacher. She connected communication to our lives and how we relate to each other. Great class for those of us who have trouble communicating Least Favorite... Shakespeare with... what was that bitch's name... I cant remember but if you take intro to Shakespeare beware of this woman. Johnson maybe? Studying? Honestly it depends on the major. I dont have to study as much but rehersal times kick my ass. Again, you get what you put into it. If you want to blow off studying to party, dont be suprized when you dont get an A in that class. Study first, then party The smaller the class the more participation. Simple as that. No one is gunna talk in a lecture hall class Unless you are talkin about the right mixture of alchol in something... then no. Just playing. I guess sometimes we talk about important things but ussually im dead from clss and just want to talk about fun simple things I find i wish people to be more competitive here. Im a competitive person but sometimes, I find myself being lazy because everyone else is too Most unique class...my ear training with Mark Conley is pretty entertaining. He knows how to make us laugh. He draws pictures on the board that are to die from. It keeps me interested thats for sure I mentioned before my department is like a family. We are all together throughout class and rehersal time. We are together all day, professors included. Its pretty easy to find a teacher to talk to about something or as a question. they are pretty much always around Yeah... I dont have anything good for the last 2 questions... im starting to get lazy

Lauren

Some professors know my name because I've met with them or because it's a small class. My favorite class is HDF 298 because it has to do with a topic I'm very interested in. My least favorite class is French because it's super hard!