Written by Jade Riley
ASU's academic environment is very competitive among other institutions like the Ivy League and other renowned universities. ASU caters to a high volume of national merit scholars and has one of the most prominent honors colleges in the nation. The ASU faculty come from a diverse background, bringing their strengths and weaknesses to the classroom. While the curriculum is heavily based on the professor's influence, students have the choice to be active or laid-back participants in their studies. Complaints come from language barriers between student and teacher, poor presentation of the material, and the sparingly apathetic or Ph.D.-mentality professor. Therefore, the quality of the student's education will be dictated by their willingness to study and communicate with their teachers and teaching assistants (TAs), as well as their overall attitude in the course. Academic rigor is different in each discipline. Nevertheless, students seem to pick the perfect majors that suit their needs and potential, and many are happy with their class infrastructure, teachers, and most importantly their classmates, completing the college experience.
Maintaining a balanced college life, especially at ASU's level, requires that you make sure to study, keep a positive mind, and be able to have fun, since that is what the ASU experience really entails. ASU is all about having a great time, but your education does not have to be sacrificed as long as you pay attention in the classroom, stay motivated, and realize that you only have four years to help reach your dreams. Then it makes being studious that much more worth it.