University of California - Santa Cruz
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The overall view of most students about academics at UCSC is that it varies from program to program and person to person. There are great teachers, great classes, and great majors—you just have to get off your butt and find them. This sometimes means talking to upperclassmen, crashing lots of classes, or discovering what your interests are through trial and error. UCSC professors are, for the most part, friendly and approachable, but in larger lecture classes, you may need to rely more on teaching assistants (TAs) to help you one on one. No matter what type of classes you take, however, there are plenty of people who offer help if you take the initiative. At UCSC, there are great educational opportunities available, although most students will tell you that you’ll get as much out of your academic experience here as you put in. It is common knowledge on campus that most UCSC departments have a number of wonderful professors and top-notch programs to boot. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that you are going to love any random class you may take, even if it is within your major.

Students here also agree that each department has its good and bad professors. The biggest tip would be to find out who’s who before registration. Take advantage of the knowledge of the Internet and UCSC upperclassmen. They know more than they realize, and you may be able to avoid a potentially horrible class by asking a few simple questions, and if you’re not enrolled yet, it’s a quick way to make a friend or two before you begin your college career.

UC Santa Cruz Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at University of California - Santa Cruz

rpgoldbe

'13

Art History

4.6

A

Call Me Biased...

I have to say, I truly do love UC Santa Cruz, but the overwhelmingly amazing experience I have had thus far. The winning combination of it's location (location, location!), the thorough and innovative professors, truly interesting courses (in my area of study, at least), incredible people and laid back but open-minded atmosphere is unbeatable. The only real problem with the University these days seems to be the ever encroaching dubious fate of student debt, and the politics of the UC as a whole, which is really nothing to do with the TAs and professor availability, and unfortunately is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the corporate takeover of public institutions of this country. Oh well.

Feb 10, 2012

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Academics at University of California - Santa Cruz

geim9221

'15

English Language Studies

4.6

A

It Can Good

I just changed my major, originally I wanted to major in Business Administration but there wasn't any good programs for business. So I decided to change my major to English just because there are better programs, internship opportunities, and more assistance from professors and TAs.

Jan 16, 2012

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Academics at University of California - Santa Cruz

lbui2

'15

Business Management

4.6

A

Business Management

There are always flyers and information about internship/job opportunities at UC Santa Cruz. The whole layout of what I need to do as a business major is extremely clear. The classes, such as Economics are available and have an extreme opening of seats available. The instructors are also helpful and always want to see you succeed. On top of that, they always have office hours, and the TA's are always available.

Dec 13, 2011

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