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.