Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

I expect to try to speak to my professors outside of class.

Have not started classes yet.

Attendance was always taken & if I missed more than three classes, my final grade dropped a letter. They're not kidding. But some teachers are flexible. I was fortunate enough to have an english teacher who understood how much stress I was going through. She knew that I didn't have to just take basic classes but had to spend most of my free time working on sets inside the theatre. She understood how draining it could be & helped me so much along the way so I could pass. In small classrooms, the teachers do care that you pass & I know my acedemic advisor was amazing! She would come to our shows & a lot of times, she would be outside, smoking a cigarette & you could just sit with her & talk about anything. I've spent a few times talking about boys & piercings with her but I also got great acedemic advice from her as well as the issue of trying to fit into the scenic shop with the boys while still being a girly girl. My professors & advisors this year were simply AMAZING!

In most classes, attendance could play a big role in your grade. Students have these things called clickers that teachers use to interact with students by asking questions about the topic being studied. Also, doing assigned work on blackboard and staying informed about what's due when will save your grade because most assignments can't be handed in past the due date. One of the hardest classes i had to take was anatomy just because there was so much to study in a short amount of time and at first, it was hard finding a balance between anatomy class and my other classes. It's really about figuring out a way to have time for all your classes.

The classes, at least that i am in, are normally small (art student) and the teachers do get to know you well. There are plenty of students that will sit a debate topics of life, religion, and politics, and there are students who could care less nonetheless discuss any of those topics. The teachers and students in the art school have a little bit closer relationship than other departments since we become more so peers and end up working together professionally either while the students are still in school or when we get out.

Great academics and the school offers numerous programs to assist in the learning process. Professors encourage class discussions and are open minded about discussing things not on the syllabus. The students are all very helpful with each other and enjoy working on assignments together. As a mass communication major I really enjoy the program that VCU has. Its very hands on and you get to experience things similar to what you study.

My major is Music Education. I have not started school yet, but during my audition I had to take placement tests for the classes I was to take in the fall. I was very encouraged by their desire for precision while testing their students. They were not willing to put you in a level of class that they knew you wouldn't be comfortable in. My old high school teacher, Ms. Rebecca Tyree, is a professor in the VCU music department and I have always appreciated her hard work and enthusiastic spirit. She has always guided me in the right direction and I always thought, if this one professor can be so caring and loving, I know that this entire community of professors could be nothing but outstanding people!

In most of my classes professors knew students names. Most classes this was not surprising because i maybe had 20 other students in my class. In my art history class my professor would call on people and actually knew some of the students names. This was a surprise for me because there was over 100 students in it. My first year at VCU was spent in what VCU calls Art Foundations (AFO). It is required for all art students and consists of 4 studio classes: Drawing studio, Surface Research, Time studio, and Space Research. These classes required a lot of dedication. They are designed to push us as artists and make us think in ways we are not used to. At the end of this first year we apply for a major in the art department. I was accepted into Interior Design, a program strongly geared towards providing students with the knowledge we will need in the professional world.

VCU is a pretty big school, you have to make yourself known to your professors. Things like checking on your grades and asking your professors about other things can build a relationship woth your professor that can help you in the future. Some classes are lage lecture classes like your 101's and those kind of basic classes but as you start getting into your major the classes get smaller.

Go to rateyourprofessor.com ASAP. College has it quirks just like high school did, but a major difference is you can do background work. Look at what other students said about that teacher and its not a bad idea to google them. My history class never would have happened freshmen first semester if I had only read the teacher's page. When you pick your classes maker sure you see what it entails. Is it writing intensive or just lecture style? Look at the amount of kids in the class when you are first allowed to pick classes. The more people in their, the more likely the class is in high demand. If you know what type of learning style all this background work will let you pick classes/teachers match you.

I loved most all of my teachers this past year in AFO. It's pretty personal and real.

In order for Professors to know your name, you need to put yourself out there. Just be yourself and show them that you are interested in what they are teaching you. One of the greatest ways to go the most out of your education is to make yourself known and ask questions. In a lecture hall of 200 students, it may be hard so office hours are great. It is also important to use their availability to speak to them regarding topics, hw, tests, future job opportunities and perhaps conduct some informational interviewing of them. They are there to teach you and help you. Accept it and use it! My favorite classes are ones where you are forced to think about things such as Interpersonal Relations and Human Sexuality. My minor is also Criminal Justice so crime scene investigation is also interesting. I would say that the students who take their education seriously study about a ratio of 1 hour of class time is equal to 2 or 3 hours of studying outside of class. In class participation is necessary in my opinion to succeed in college and it is often times a part of your final grade in a class. VCU students have intellectual conversations outside of class whether it be with friends, study buddys, organizations on campus, with faculty, etc. I think college has a lot to do with asking questions and finding out your own answers through class, conversations, and life experiences. As for study hours, it depends entirely on the class, whether you are good at it or not, and whether you are really giving 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. At every school you are going to have students who are there to learn anything and everything they can as well as thos students who are there and don't really care. I would consider myself to be very competitive and a majority of my classmates to be semi-competitive. The most unique class that I have taken would have to be Human Sexuality. It was just so interesting and fun to learn about. I would def recommend it for sure. My major is Psychology with a minor concentration in Criminal Justice. It is very different from other majors because it is considered a science yet it is a social one. You find problems and nothing ever has a definite answer. Every situation is different therefore every solution will be different. I feel that VCU's academic requirements are at the right level for this institution. It is challenging yet do-able. Perfect balance I believe. I would say that the education at VCU is geared towards getting a job as well as learning for its own sake. You are at college to learn about yourself and what you may want to pursue as a career later on down the road. I think that both of those elements are important to learn and experience throughout school.

I have not had a single professor that I did not like (but I have only been here a couple semesters). Great school for liberal arts. I have spent time with a couple professors outside of class.

I LOVE MY ACADEMICS! I love pursuing my major, and connecting it to my life and the people around me. It is a truly lost art to be able to relate totally different realms of the world to each other... I feel its a calling we all experience when we experience the right academics. VCU definitely allows that to happen, if not encourage it!

I am really happy about with the program for my major. One of the most frequent complaints is that their scheduling tires them out. I am glad to be at VCU. It is one of the top schools for social work. I don't send time with professors outside of class. My VCU education is geared towards getting a job. I plan to go all the way to get my Masters.

I am a double-major. Essentially, I will be receiving a Bachelor of the Arts in Theater and a Bachelor of the Sciences in Psychology at the end of my stay at VCU. Therefore, the academic life is integral to my success. But this is not the case with just double-majors or even academic-oriented majors. The academic life at VCU is integral to the completion of every offered degree. The first few years of my college-life are focused on my Bachelor of the Arts in Theater degree. This may seem simple enough. (Take acting classes. Learn how to project.) But this degree, just like all of those offered, depends just as much on my academic classes as my arts classes. If I do not receive a certain GPA every year, I am put on Academic Probation and cannot audition for any departmental productions. My academic performance is as important as my performance on stage. This reflects a great aspect of VCU's academic requirements. Each student is expected to succeed in more than just his or her chosen department. Professors here are extremely supportive of students. All of the professors you encounter here are determined to help you succeed. And each program is specifically designed to prepare you for your future. It's not just about completing classes and earning credits and receiving a degree. All VCU programs offer the knowledge, preparation, and skill to ensure each graduate's success and employment after college.

Some of the classes are very large in size. The best class to take is Human Sexuality, although Daphne Rankin no longer teaches it. VCU has relatively low graduate school standards for admission (2.75 GPA from undergrad) but seems to be well respected in the academic community.

Focused Inquiry and Biology classes are my favorites. I loved them,my professors were awesome also. Academic requirements are just in the right position,no more and no less. Class participation is common and Bioinformatics rocks!! Dr.Hartman from International Education office thinks that Bioinformaticans will rule the world in 10 years :) After graduating VCU,your job will be waiting for you!

Some classes consider more participation then others. Some you just listen to the professor and try to remember atleast 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of what they said. I have been going here for two years and I enjoyed all the different experiences I faced with all my classes.

Gen ed classes are generally large, so in the beginning things can be a little impersonal and you don't get a lot of one on one or getting to know your professors. This can be a good or a bad thing. If its important to you, its not hard to meet with the prof at office hours. I have yet to have a teacher that was not willing to help the students. And, once you start to get into your major classes are a lot smaller and you get to know the professors pretty well.