University of Maryland - College ParkAcademics Summary

Written by Paul Yu

Paul Yu

Hometown

Bethesda, MD

Major

Civil and Environmental Engineering

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Most students enjoy their academic experiences and pursuits at Maryland, regardless of whether their professors give them the tender, loving care they feel they deserve. Class sizes will vary, and interest levels of professors will fluctuate, but students who wish to make the most of their academic life at UMCP will attempt to excel in their classes—even if it means getting their professors’ attention. There tends to be a good amount of interaction between teachers and students, through small lectures or office hours. Because of this, students’ satisfaction levels are pretty high when it comes to learning. Otherwise, who would know that courses about human sexuality and death would be so popular? These two courses are known for having waiting lists because they are applicable to students’ lives and are actually pretty interesting and fun. As for required CORE courses (which introduce students to things like African art, astronomy, and dramatic literature), many students tend to appreciate them even more than the courses required for their major.

Academics at Maryland are delightful when students are committed to their work and have a sincere interest in the subject matter. However, there are the classes where some UMCP students "appreciate" academics so much that they enroll in the very same class a second time to pass the class, and there are horror stories of professors who refuse to curve the class. Then, there are the students who lack time-management skills and motivation levels.