Are you happy with your university education?

[DanS]

Did you go to college? Are you happy with your education?

I ask because the US is considered to have excellent colleges, and many other countries are considered to be lagging. But does this perception bear out in actual fact for you personally? The US spends a very high amount on its universities compared to everybody but the Koreans, but does that lead to good educations?

By way of background, my alma mater is ranked about #120 in the US -- i.e., second or third tier. Private, with tuition in the $30k range. I think that I got a good education.

[Jon Miller]

I think that I got a good education. I don't really know how to check rankings, I tihnk that my undergrad was the second best liberal arts college in the Northern Midwest.

What I have heard though, is that our Colleges are only decent.. and catch us up from having a poor Highschool/Gradeschool. It is our Graduate Schools which are excellent, and generally some of the best in the world.

My graduate school is one of the best Public Graduate schools in the US.

Jon Miller

[Kontiki]

Yes and yes.

[Wezil]

University (Waterloo) was good for me as a person.

College (Loyalist) was better for my employment.

[PLATO]

My degree from The University of Tennessee has helped me to obtain a far better than average living. The wide range of disciplines that I was exposed to provided excellent guidance on handling many business and life events. Oh...and the girls and the beer were worth the trip just by themselves!

[DanS]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
What I have heard though, is that our Colleges are only decent.. and catch us up from having a poor Highschool/Gradeschool. It is our Graduate Schools which are excellent, and generally some of the best in the world.

I have heard that even some highly-ranked private schools are relying on TAs to a great degree for undergrad, and class sizes are increasing. The students are getting much less prof face time.

Don't know to what extent that is true.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
My graduate school is one of the best Public Graduate schools in the US.

Jon Miller

Which gradute school do you attend?

[Jon Miller]

I attend University of Maryland at College Park for Graduate School. My undergraduate institution was Gustavus Adolphus College, in Minnesota.

In my Undergrad all classes were taught by Professors.. and in the advanced courses the Professors did all the grading generally (in less advanced courses, TAs would do the grading). Teaching Assistants (generally more senior students) would just assist with the Labs, Grade lower level HW, and spend evenings in study rooms (so they were available to tutor the junior students).

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_2353_brief.php

http://www.gustavus.edu/

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_2103_brief.php

http://www.umd.edu/

http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/facts/2006rank.cfm

Jon Miller

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm currently attending the University of Northern BC.

It's a pretty small school as universities go which is good in terms of getting time with the profs, but bad in terms of course selection.

I am taking 5 history courses, 3 which look good and 2 which are not so good.

[Arrian]

Yes and yes, although I acknowledge it wasn't worth what my parents paid for it. Part of that is that small liberal arts colleges are just really pricey and part of it is on me for partying too much.

I went to Trinity College. At the time, it was ~$30k/year in tuition + room & board. It's higher now and still climbing.

I could probably have gotten a decent enough education at UCONN at 1/4 the cost. But there's no way I can regret going to Trin. I had a great time, made fantastic friends... including my wife.

-Arrian

[KrazyHorse]

Re: Are you happy with your university education?

Originally posted by DanS
Did you go to college? Are you happy with your education?

I ask because the US is considered to have excellent colleges, and many other countries are considered to be lagging.

Errr....no.

From what I've seen of it, in the sciences, US undergraduate education is second-rate.

[Starchild]

My university, The University of East Anglia, consistently gets rated as one of the best in terms of student satisfaction and is in the top 20 in the UK university league tables.

For this I paid £1200 or so for the last two years. In my third and final year, I pay nothing. The government pays on my behalf, adds it to my student loan debt, and I pay them back when I'm earning £15,000 or more a year.

[Spiffor]

I had an excellent university education.

[Provost Harrison]

My uni was alright I suppose

[Jon Miller]

Re: Re: Are you happy with your university education?

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Errr....no.

From what I've seen of it, in the sciences, US undergraduate education is second-rate.

I agree in general, and mine was better than most.

JM
(some like Harvard and Cal Tech have first right Undergrad Science departments)