Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013 - (Page 42)

students review 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 32 individuals, who major(ed) in anthropology (1), biochemistry (1), bioengineering (1), biology (2), business economics (2), civil engineering (1), classics (1), comparative literature (1), electrical engineering (1), English (3), environmental science (1), history (3), international development studies (1), marine biology (1), materials engineering (1), math (3), microbiology (1), molecular biology (1), music performance (1), neuroscience (1), political science (4), psychology (1), sociology (1), and theater (1). (The number of majors exceeds 32 because three reviewers had double majors.) Reviewers’ comments appear within quotation marks. UCLA a class of less than 60–70 people.” school operates on the quarter “The system—ten weeks of instruction, one week of final exams—which accelerates the learning process significantly. There is no grade inflation at UCLA, but it isn’t a cutthroat place either. It is very fair. You do the work, you get the grade you deserve. And graduate schools know that—UCLA sends more people to graduate school than any other university in America.” “Being in a small major at UCLA had many of the advantages one would expect from a small college: I got lots of individual attention and knew all my professors quite well. On the other hand, because we were within such a large university, I was able to try all sorts of new topics in the process of trying to find what direction to pursue in life.” Marine Biology program has a “The special field studies quarter that allows students to spend a full quarter on location (at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, the Gump Field Station in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, etc.) where they design and perform independent field research. It was a great experience!” Social Life FliCkr/Colette simonDs Quality of Academic Instruction for Undergraduates Consistently ranked among the top public universities in the country, the University of California Los Angeles offers over 125 majors to its over 27,000 undergraduates. Reviewers praised the faculty and the academics, noting that students must take considerable initiative and responsibility. large in the first two years, the poli sci professors were very accessible. Once you get to your junior year, it’s awesome. I was on a first-name basis with most of my professors.” “UCLA is quite a large place: lower division courses tend to have 200–500 students, with smaller lab or discussion groups, while upper division classes range from small (15) to medium (80–100), depending on the major. It requires a great degree of independence to seek out professors, courses, and guidance. The undergraduate experience varies significantly depending on the department. The film school, for example, is among the best in the country, with significant individual attention. A major like biology, however, may lend itself to taking classes with 300 students most of the time.” “UCLA is a complete university—it has everything that you could possibly want to study, and many of the departments are ranked among the top 20, if not top 10, in the country. So if you’re undecided about a major, this is a great place to explore the universe in your first two years. And when you do pick a major, chances are that it will be in a renowned department. The professors at UCLA are amazing people. Some of my political science professors were advisors to presidents. Although the classes can be very thrilling to be taught by men “It’s and women who are so highly respected in their field. But being in a popular major had its drawbacks; even in upperlevel courses, I don’t think I ever had opportunities outside the class“The room are endless. The campus really buzzes with activity, and it’s easy to have too many commitments! Sporting events, of which there are many, offer an opportunity to be a part of a rousing school spirit. UCLA also offers a unique opportunity to explore one of the culturally richest areas in the world. Los Angeles is a wonderful city with a cornucopia of cultural and ethnic experiences: film, theater, music, dramatic arts, and cultural festivals throughout the year, as well as opportunities to meet some of the most influential minds of our time. It’s a great place to be a twenty-something.” highly recommend staying in a “I dorm your freshman year. It was a fun mix. Future Olympians and NBA all-stars hang 42 imagine Jan/Feb 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
The Week I Turned Green
No Turning Back
Landsat: A Continuing Legacy of Earth Observation
Sensing Danger
The Black Gold Miners
Cleaner Water, Brought to You by Sunlight and Science
Journey to the Frozen Continent
CTY Paleobiology
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Innovation in the Real World
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013