University of Richmond Top Questions

Tough, but professors willing to help.

Due to the small class sizes at Richmond, all of your professors know your name. If you make an effort to get to know them, usually they know what extracurricular interests you have as well. Because of this, many professors ask students to help them with research projects, which they know the student is interested in. Every first-year student at UR takes and introductory writing and reading course called CORE. It's supposed to give each student the same foundation as they enter into the University. CORE is taught by professors from all departments and in a variety of ways. Class participation is pretty common. Since class sizes are small, you have a lot of opportunities to discuss reading and class materials in a close group setting. Even outside of the classroom, UR brings many distinguished speakers and scholars to campus, and students can attend for free. Part of my reason for choosing Richmond related to the academics. The curriculum at UR is challenging, but manageable. Because the University cross-lists many classes, most students have more than one major or minor. Watching seniors graduate, I know that a UR degree is a great foundation for obtaining good jobs.

Professors quickly and easily learn students' names because the class size is very small and intimate. Faculty and staff are very friendly and really make the effort to get to know you. Professors are very available to meet outside of class and frequently invite you over to their houses for parties/dinners, etc. Class participation is a big part of many classes, but it depends. I don't think students are very competitive with other students necessarily, but I do think that many have very high standards for their own work. The education at Richmond is not career-focused, especially my major in Leadership Studies. The focus is on broadening your mind and learning about the world from many different perspectives.

The professors are generally caring about students, of course some more than others. The class sizes are kept small and there are no big lecture halls at all. Students study hard during the week, but the atmosphere is very noncompetitive, and students always look to help each other out. Professors often learn students name, and love talking outside of class. There is definitely no grade inflation, and A's are not easy to get in many classes, but B's are. There is a lot of help from the Career Development Center to get jobs, especially with our top 20 business school. Also the uniqueness of our Jepson School for Leadership Studies is a great and unique opportunity to study something very different.

The professors absolutely know your name. They're so understanding and will grant overrides and give you extensions on papers. I loved my history class with a visiting professor from the UK that had us do a simulation of Model European Union. We have even had classes outside before and I know some professors invite students to their homes. The professors are all so well qualified. Pretty much 87{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} went to an Ivy Leauge or equivalent for their PhDs. They are also respected researchers and writers in their fields. The academic requirements aren't bad at all. I met most of them with AP credit.

Very hard, and take a lot of time if you're thinking about any A's

Since I am an athlete that has done very well here athletically and academically, professor do in fact know who I am. My favorite class is a tie between foundations of Education and Journalism. My least favorite class was our mandatory CORE class. Students study here all the time, it is hard to find a time when the libraries are not packed. Yes class participation here is very common. Many teachers base large portions of grades on participation so that students get the complete fufillment from the class. I do believe students have intellectual conversations outside of class due to this being a private school with high standards. Students are very competitive. The most unique class I have taken is Theatre-Performance Ensemble. My major is Sociology with a concentration in Power, Inequalities, and Diversity. I am also minoring in history and business. I do not spend much time with professors out of class, but I do spend time with a couple professors and some occasions. I feel Richmond's academic requirements are ridiculous to some extent, but being a private school they feel they are necessary. The education at Richmond is definitely for getting a job. Businesses and job opportunities respect a person with a university of Richmond degree due to the prestigiousness of this school.

Since most classes are so small, teachers know your name very quickly. You also learn the names of people in your class very quickly too. This helps with class participation. Class participation is very common in all of the classes I have taken at Richmond and normally make up a significant portion of my final grade. Students do engage in intellectual conversations outside class. Core is the freshman english class which all freshman must take. Each class reads the same books at the same time, so outside of class it is really easy to talk to other freshman about what is happening in Core class. Whether it's complaining about how boring the book was or a surprise ending, freshman normally bring up class discussions outside of class. I have learned a lot of interesting things in my Sociology 101 class. I find myself saying "today in Sociology....." very often at the dinner table. It normally sparks more intellectual conversations amongst my friends.

Richmond is very academically rigorous, although you can of course structure your own schedule to affect how much work you'll be doing. The professors here are excellent. They care a great deal about the education of their students and are all extremely intelligent. Class participation is big. There is a class called CORE that all Freshmen have to take where we study famous authors of fiction and nonfiction from all different regions and time periods. It's a really cool idea, but it can be a pain in the ass sometimes. Considering the school's small size there are many majors and classes to choose from.

The classes are small, meaning that professors know who you are. They push you to do your best but help you out if you need it. All first years are required to take is CORE: The Human Experience. Students read books from a variety of disciplines and discuss. Your experience with Core depends on who you have as a professor: some classes bond and have reunions over their four years at UR; other people get stuck with a computer science professor and get nothing out of it or have an English professor and have to work their butts off. No one really enjoys the course, however; the school keeps it on to make us look more "competitive" against similar schools. With all of my complaints about the college social scene here, my academic experience has been wonderful. I love my classes and have learned so much.

Academics at Richmond are excellent. There are definitely blow off majors, but there are also extremely tough majors (like b-school for example). The professors definitely know your name because class sizes are kept on the smaller size, which is a really great plus. Class participation really depends on the dynamic of the class, usually the upper-classes have more participation because people are truly interested in what they are learning in the class. Richmond students generally do not have intellectual conversations outside of class and are not competitive with one another. However, there is a large amount of pressure to preform well. The b-school would be the most competitive school on campus as students are competing for the same internships. It is also known as one of the more difficult schools in Richmond, along side our science programs. The b-school also requires a large amount of credits for any degree.

I know all my professors names. The classes are very small and you build a great relationship with them. Students are not very competitive but we have to study all the time because of the heavy academic load. Conversations about academics outside of class our common and really contribute to the learning experience. Class participation is something that is very important because of the small class sizes. I'm a business major and the business school here is incredible. The professors are all amazing and very accomplished. They know there stuff and go out of thier way to help you succeed.

Richmond has a great student to faculty ratio and this allows for every professor I've had to know my name. So far I haven't had a class over 30 students and most have been right around 20. It's great because the small class environment lends itself to great discussion. Studytime at Richmond depends on the person, and the major. I'm not pre-med but I've got friends who are and they are, by far, doing the most work. I think the combination of Chemistry, Biology, and Calculus sets them up for a rough schedule. But as for me, I do a lot of things besides study or do work. I've got plenty of time, most often, to get my work done and enjoy a lot of free time (outside of finals week).

The one great thing about Richmond is that the class sizes are small, thus there is a lot of teacher student contact. With such small class you get not only the opportunity to get to know your fellow class mates but you get to know your professors as well.

Academics at Richmond are top priority. Students come here knowing that they will need to work very hard to succeed. We are very fortunate to have such a small student to faculty ratio of 1:9. My largest class has only been comprised of 20 students. I even had a lab section that only had 6 students. The only drawback to this is that, well, you have to go to class. Don't be surprised to receive an e-mail from a professor asking if anything is wrong if you missed class that day. Trust me, they notice if you aren't there. Professors truly want to help us learn and will do anything to help us out. The first day of classes, professors already know our names and are interested in our lives and activities. Generally, teachers are understanding.

University of Richmond is not exactly a school for complete slackers. Academics here can be challenging. The size of Richmond is great though, because since it's so small, the class sizes are tiny as well. Most of my classes are about 15 people. Every single one of my teachers knows my name...and probably my favorite color. Nearly all teachers make themselves available for outside help. The teachers do expect you to do your reading assignments to get the best possible grade. If you're willing to put in a little work, Richmond will have great academic experiences to provide for you.

i've never had a class bigger than 25 people, and all your professors will know your name and who you are, it is a VERY competitive and difficult academics but worth it for the amazing degree and you'll learn so much

Each of my professors recognizes my face when I see them around campus and the majority of them know my name. I have had many conversations over dinner relating to the topics in some of my classes ranging from race representation to international health and trade. There is certainly a vocal minority in each class, but the small size means that if you are quiet the teacher will notice. There is no where to hide so if you don't intend to do the work then Richmond might not be the right place. I have met with many of my professors and had in depth conversations about research, classwork, and scheduling conflicts. I have never been penalized for missing class with an emergency, but class attendance is mandatory in most classes on account of the small class size. I have had the privilege of taking a course of twelve students taught by the president of the university, Dr. Ed Ayers, and he still knows my name. I took a trip to Peru in conjunction to my Global Health and Human Rights course that was paid for by the university (all except $150). Richmond is dedicated to connecting an education to real life experience, but except in the case of business classes, the education is not geared toward a profession.

Definitely a rigorous program especially being apart of the Business School. When looking for classes to choose for the semester, research the professor before selecting which class to take. Professor's vary significantly in their difficulty or ease of teaching. Grades can be skewed for different professors teaching the same course. Student to professor interaction is great! They are always willing to meet and conference with you. Often times you will be invited to their house for dinner or a meet and greet. Student's are very competitive especially come Junior year with the discussion of internships. The talk of summer for b-school students will be "who are you working for and where", rather than what are your summer plans. As a liberal arts college, not many choices in "fun" classes. A lot of your classes are chosen for you when you decide on a major. Education at Richmond is defnitely geared to getting you a job.

I am a business major and I love it. Richmond is very hard school academically and is just now starting to get the respect we deserve. Our business school is top 20 and is continuing to climb. I have encountered very few professors I don't like but there are a few bad apples that you have to be careful of. How much you study depends on the professor you have and the time of year. The last couple weeks of the semester you are going to study a lot and you're going to be stressed out, so, just accept it and deal with it. Richmond is a school that you sometimes don't like how hard the academics are while you are here but you are very proud of your accomplishment once you're done. It's all worth it when you're done.