University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

If you are willing to spend the time, the professors are more than willing to help you out. Some of the classes are hard and require after class work, but in the end it's all worth it. They don't restrict you on what you can / can't take. It's up to you. They have great tools that allow you to plan out your entire four or five year schedule and it shows you just want you need to take to receive your degree.

The entire University considers hands-on research a vital part of the education process, which gives you a unique experience not found at many other institutions of higher education.

In the classes that I have gotten into, I am enjoying them immensely. The professors are very knowledgeable and willing to help if you are having difficulty. Within this short amount of time, about a month and half, I can feel myself growing in an educational sense. This growth doesn't just happen by going to class however, it's also a lot of work outside the classroom and studying and trying to understand the material. This is where dedication is a key factor in college.

Through one semester here at the University, it is not difficult to see that the capacity for learning is enormous. No matter what you choose to study or which classes you would like to take, the University has a plethora of options. For example, I'm a business major, but had to take a general Psychology class last semester. I found out that the University of Minnesota is world-renowned for its Psychology program and had the opportunity to learn from a different experts in their respective field each week of class. Even if you're not sure what you want to study, the atmosphere for learning is fantastic, with teachers willing to meet with you outside of class and being extremely friendly. No matter what your situation--if you know what you want to study or not--you will be able to find something that grabs your interest here at the University of Minnesota.

Taking different classes at the U has spurred my interest in many fields I never thought I would actually enjoy. Taking introductory, exploratory classes taught me a lot about what my strengths are and what majors I could apply those to!

I am currently enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and I love how the College is designed that you explore other opportunities than just your major. I am allowed to take courses I find interesting and I am not forced to stick to only Sciences and Math courses just because I am a Pre-Pharmacy oriented student. The courses are designed to be more self-study and the professors do ask you to read and be prepared before coming to class so be warned: you have to be self-motivated. I am loving how there is just no pressure to learn what I want to learn (yes, there are requirements but if you want to learn about Art History, like the Pre-pharm girl, then no one's stopping you!)

One of the major strengths of this college is the excellent teachers and the incredibly hard-working peers in all of the classes. Unfortunately, I feel that a great portion of learning is on your own from a book and tested in class, making classes seem less important to go to. This is something I cringe at when I am paying so much to go to class and learn.

The class content depends a bit on what the class is. Especially for first-year classes (1000 level), there are the joke classes that only require a bit of realizing what the professor wants. Good news (maybe...?), however, is that this changes a lot with higher level courses (starting even with the 2000 level ones). All of my professors so far do know their material; when signing up for classes during orientation, try to get into more advanced classes and to pick professors that have won the Morse Award or some other designation. All of that said, what someone learns depends mostly on that person's effort put into the class.

A year's worth of calculus and a year's worth of introductory accounting material are packed into semester-long courses. The professors and TA's (Teacher's Assistants) definitely know their stuff, so don't hesitate to ask them questions. All the study material you need to do well in the class is available to you, you just have to put in the time and effort and WORK HARD to get the grades you want. It's not easy like high school. Grades are based mainly on the midterms and the final, that's it. I may have only received a C in Calculus, but I definitely feel that I've learned a substantial amount of information from the class.

The University of Minnesota offers an exceptional staff of great and well educated teachers who try to teach the students as much as they can in new and different ways. As a university known for its research the students learn a lot about different areas of study and are able to really use everything they learn and apply it in many ways.