Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

I think that the worst thing about Virginia Tech is its size; for someone shy like me, it is extremely hard to make friends and adjust in a place where you can see new faces every day of your four years. Also, despite many efforts on behalf of the administration and professors, sometimes students get the feeling that they are "just a number" among the thousands of other undergraduates here. Also, many of the professors (particularly in the hard sciences) are more interested in their pet research projects than in teaching effectively, which can undermine student efforts.

The worst thing for me about my school is the engineering program. I am just starting out and there are tons of people with the aspiration to be engineers. There for they must weed out the undedicated students. Which calls for lots of tedious work that seems pointless in my mind. As soon as the classes can be broken down smaller i know i will enjoy my program so much. But besides that my school is great. I am working hard and plan for great success in the mechanical engineering program.

Its large size is also a negative, in that it can sometimes be difficult to connect with professors or stand out of the crowd.

The focus on research rather than the educational value of students.

The worst thing about Virginia Tech is the freezing weather in the winter. Because of the continous wind chill, it is always cold in the winter. The windchill mainly affects students walking across the drillfield getting to class.

The worst thing about my school is the Math Emporium. While it is a great place to study 24/7 the classes that are self taught there are not always the best. Incoming freshman take a 2 part math sequence in the fall and spring and these classes are only offered as self taugh, which is not always the best way for people to learn.

The worst thing about my college is that sometimes when you are having a bad day you do not have the comfort of your family or your room and you have to go back to your dorm room. Sometimes all I want to do is get a hug from my parents. I have always been close with my family, but I think that not seeing them all the time is definitely the hardest thing.

The registration process for classes each semester is very flawed and needs to be addressed by University officials

Campus feels really big at first, but after a while it's easy to get used to. Walking across the drillfield in the cold can get pretty miserable when it takes about fifteen minutes to get to class from most of the dorms.

Sometimes the amount of students can be overwhelming, especially in dining halls during peak hours and in large lecture halls with 200+ students. Although this can get annoying, it can actually be a good thing when it comes to Virginia Tech's sense of community, especially during football season.