Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

Acedemics at Tech depend on who is teaching them. The teachers are extremely diverse and you will have a different teaching style, grading style, ect with every teacher that you have.

I have honestly never had a professor I did not like at Virginia Tech. My favorite class at Tech is an elective class called World Regions, taught by John Boyer. He wrote the textbook for the class, which is hilarious! I have never had so much fun and learned so much. I truly could not wait to go to class. Students study often, and usually in large groups at places like the math emporium and the library. Intellectual conversations are frequent outside of class, because we are lucky enough to have professors that prompt us to expand our thinking and understand new ideas. I have grown so much as a person during my time here. Some students are competitive, but not in a way that has come accross as negative or abrasive. I would rather say that students here work hard to achieve their own individual goals. Virginia Tech's academic requirements have gone up each year since I've entered. I came to VT with a high school GPA of a 3.8. Now I would say that the typical GPA of the freshman class is even higher than that. The best part of education at Virginia Tech, besides the amazing professors, is the fact that what we learn here not only puts us on a career path, there is also an element of learning just for it's own sake. I think that some universities tend to focus on one or the other, while at Virginia Tech we have a healthy balance between the two.

Classes are big but i feel like you get that at any large state school.

My major is very competitive (Finance). The classes are definately challenging and I have to dedicate a good amount of my time to work and study. For a couple classes, I would have large lectures twice a week and one recitation. The recitation is a smaller sized class and is very helpful when you want to ask questions and the teachers (sometimes TAs) are there to help. Office hours are also another resource when looking for help. I rarely spend time outside of class with teachers.

The most unique class I have taken was World Regions with Professor John Boyer. He made the class interesting and captured the attention of his students by relating to our age-group mentality. He didn't simply repeat sterile lectures.

I can only say from my opinion but as a bio major, I have had three group projects my entire time at tech. I have only had to read for a handfull of classes. Going to class for most of my major classes was the most important thing. I have had at least two labs a year. I have talked to maybe 4 professors during their office hours the entire time I've been at Tech. The academis requirements are fair. VT is geared towards getting a job. I definately enjoy my learning experience here.

Depending on major & year, professors might know your name. Beginner classes are too big usually to have a personal relationship with the students. I feel most students are very competitive since everyone was the top of the top from their high schools.

In some of my classes the professors knew my name but then I am the shy, quiet type that does not like to talk. My favorite class was Byzantine Art History Class, less favorite was freshman engineering class. Class participation is common is the smaller classes but not the big lecture classes. The students have intellectual conversations outside of class. I work at the bookstore and we often get bored and have strange intellectual conversations about a wide range of topics. The art history classes I think are geared more towards learning for its own sake which I like. The department ofters extra information about careers in the field but the classes themselves are mostly for learning sake.

Your professors will know your name if you bring yourself to their attention. Attend office hours, stay a couple minutes after class and talk. Depending on your major your class sizes will vary from large to small. It is what you make of it.

Last week I walked past my English professor and he stared me in the eyes and said, "Hello Kelley, how are you". I almost yelled my response, I was just so surprised. These professors will get to know you if you want to get to know them. I have yet to have a professor that isn't fully open and patient with his students, and office hours are a really convenient way to get a hold of them. People here can't get away with slacking. Just because 'Ivy League' isn't stamped on our front porch doesn't mean that it is easy to get on the Dean's list. You HAVE to study, you HAVE to do well on mid-terms and fluff grades if you want to pass the courses. I cannot count how many times I have sat back after eating a hearty D2 meal, rubbed my belly, and started off on what I learned in my Geology course. It sounds completely nerdy but my friends and I genuinely are interested in most of our courses and will often casually chat about their highlight moments. When the conversation turns into debate about society, religion, and politics I can only smile because I can feel my mind growing and understanding more everyday. My least favorite course thus far has been sociology. It was a drag. Overheads and the occasional movie that our quickly aging professor couldn't ever seem to sufficiently play, rounded out a boring Tuesday and Thursday morning. What I finally realized though, is that it was the professor that made the course boring. The information was generally thought-provoking...professors just can't get by making us stare at power points all day. It makes it seem like my eyes are been dried from my skull. It will be the end of me. Honestly though, most seem to be learning this and my Geology professor this semester puts up overheads and stands in front of them to point and gesture and engage the class with his movement. My American literature professor takes this movement to a new level when he does personal theatrical productions, playing, by himself, up to three characters so we can better comprehend a situation we read about. He runs across the front of the room changing his voice and simultaneously creeping us out and teaching us how to 'see' what is happening with The English department, though some students still crinkle their eyebrows and wonder why I'm at a TECHNICAL school for English, is amazing. They don't think I'm weird at all. Every professor in the department seems to be passionate about their specific subject area. We had an Intro class that all majors are now required to take, and although the course is just getting off the ground the concept behind it is extremely important for English majors. We made a resume and learned in depth about the different tracks available in English and future internship, study abroad, and career opportunities for specifically English-inclined students. In my Geology lab we are correlating sediment samples. Boring? Maybe. Practical? Yes. That is an actual job in the Oil Industry (and who doesn't want to work for them?). It was the first time I really felt like I was doing something that could be a future career. Labs are where what we learn turns into something tangible. A friend of mine went into a forest and learned how to control a forest fire and route which houses would be threatened...on a Tuesday afternoon. How cool!