Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2015 - (Page 44)

students review Quality of Academic Instruction for Undergraduates The University of Washington is one of the top public universities in the world in terms of research, resources, and faculty. Reviewers praised the faculty and opportunities, emphasizing that students must take considerable initiative and responsibility. "UW is a top institution in many areas of research and study including the medical sciences, engineering, business, and social work. It has excellent facilities for science and engineering majors, from the gorgeous, state-of-the-art biology and chemistry labs to the Computer Science & Engineering building donated by Paul Allen, cofounder of Microsoft. UW is ranked among the top 10 computer science programs in the nation, and is the nation's 44 imagine University of Washington LOYD C. HEATH The Students Review series is intended to aid prospective college students in their search by offering insiders' views of selected colleges and universities, as expressed by current undergraduates or recent graduates who have high academic ability. Note that the number of reviewers is small. Consider their personal perspectives as only one factor as you gather information and impressions from many sources. Our reviewers include 35 individuals, who major(ed) in adolescent social behavior (1), biochemistry (2), biology (3), business administration (1), chemistry (1), computer engineering (1), computer science (2), conservation biology (1), dance (2), drama (1), economics (3), electrical engineering (1), English (1), environmental studies (1), international studies (5), mathematics (11), mechanical engineering (1), music (1), neurobiology (2), nursing (1), physics (1), political science (1), psychology (1), Russian literature (1), sociology (2), and statistics (1). (The number of majors exceeds 35 because several reviewers had double majors.) Reviewers' comments appear within quotation marks. #1 supplier of new technical employees to Microsoft and Intel." "Academic resources are top-notch. The libraries are outstanding, and computing resources are almost unlimited. UW is a large school-over 30,000 undergrads and close to 15,000 graduate students-so it has the problems of a large school: some huge lecture classes and professors who care more about their research than undergraduate education. That said, I found faculty to generally be very accessible and willing to talk about class material, answer questions, and so on." "From day one, a student at UW needs to take a proactive approach to his/her own education and seek out the best programs, courses, and professors. Good advising is available, especially by the departmental advisors, who were some of the most helpful people I met." "The interdisciplinary Honors Program is a great way to make the UW smaller. A small (~220 new students per year), competitive program, it is both academic and social in nature. I met a lot of my close friends in honors courses, which were much smaller in size. The program aims to shape students for the culture of tomorrow through interdisciplinary courses that emphasize critical thinking. In addition to the inter- departmental Honors Program, there are departmental honors programs, which often allow students to take particularly in-depth classes in their major with a small cohort of equally engaged classmates." "Serious undergraduate research is the norm for talented students; hundreds of undergraduates present their research at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Undergraduate research provides a unique learning experience and a chance to really get to know professors. It's also a major plus when applying to graduate school. UW even offers a no-strings-attached fellowship, the Mary Gates Endowment for Students, to support undergraduate researchers. There is also a social network of Mary Gates Scholars, which is a great way to meet other students in research and leadership." "UW's tech research is incredible and world-renowned. Even as a social sciences major, I felt the proximity to UW's science program. I participated in a few studies, including a project on creativity with a real robot!" "The Jackson School of International Studies is excellent and attracts some of the most interesting students on campus. The major requires classes in history, economics, comparative cultural studies, and modern social theory to create a course of study that is full, challenging, and very interesting." Social Life "At such a large school, you can find people who share your interests, whatever they happen to be. But just as you need to seek out academic opportunities, you also need to seek out satisfying social niches. You pretty much have to find a community (whether it's a club or fraternity or religious fellowship) and make that a base for your social life." "The campus is huge and very beautiful, with lots of evergreen trees and gardens. It Nov/Dec 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2015

Big Picture
In My Own Words Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns
National Treasure Volunteering at the National Archives
Driving My Future, Exploring the Past The many rewards of genealogy
Past in Focus National History Day
People-Powered Movements Studying revolutions at Phillips Academy Andover
Hooked on History From paleontology to conservation science, four graduate students share their research
This is History My summer at Crow Canyon
The Benefits of Majoring in History
Making History My journey to the inaugural International History Olympiad
Historians in Training The Concord Review Summer Program
The Ultimate Game
In My Own Footsteps Putting my choreography in the spotlight
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with archaeologist Inna Moore
One Step Ahead Be your own priority
Planning Ahead for College Choosing the best college for your major
Students Review: University of Washington
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2015