UT Austin

[foma]

I knew it was just a matter of time before the Aggies would be mentioned! Yes, you have a LOT of school pride if you go to UT. I think it's a pre-req to get into the university! hehe

[Trainwreck20]

All that said, for undergrad lower division I do NOT recommend UT unless you're just interested in partying and being treated like a number.

I often hear this about UT, but having gone there, I find it quite misleading. Yes, there is a lot of partying, but not anymore (percent-wise) than most other universities across the country. I suppose I was treated like a 'number' (by the computers, anyways), but I found that I could always talk to pretty much any professor whenever I tried to. It is amazing how few students try to meet with their profs.

Anyway, my assesment of my experiences at UT.
1) Yes, it is big, and no one really care if you decide to go to class or not. It is up to you. If you are not ready to be resposible for yourself, don't go there.

2) There is a bureaucracy in place, and you have to learn how to cope/work with it, not complain about it being unfair. If definitely isn't nice or forigiving, neccesarily, but it is fair. See no. 1.

3) There are many, many oppurtunities available that smaller universities cannot offer. Many of these oppurtunities are overlooked by undergrads (or under utilized).

There are down sides - the sense of community that is available at smaller campuses is hard to come by at UT and I found (in retrospect) to be a significant negative. You just can't have a circle of friends and acquintances of 50k people.

[houstoner]

I'm not sure why this is in the Austin forum. Many Texans and/or their children are graduates of UT. It's arguably the best public university in Texas. It's considered a "public Ivy" and was high, like in the top 10 or 15 or so, on a long list of the world's top universities some years ago. Sorry, too lazy to look up the source. But it's an excellent university and whether you decide to stay in Texas for a career or go elsewhere your degree will be well regarded, wherever you go.

[austin-steve]

just wondering what type of college is it- I know it's located in Austin which is a big college going city.

I attended UT and graduated with a Business Degree. I only went for the last two years of my degree, and I was 27 by the time I got there, so I can't speak to the freshman/younger scene, as I already had a wife and baby and was done with the partying era of my life.

It didn't seem big to me at all. Most of my classes were in or near the business school. I found I was hanging out with a small group of people mostly oriented around studying. I didn't have many of the "stadium seating" classes that I had heard about. There were a few, but not that many. Most were smaller classes.

I guess the experience might be different depending on one's major and the age of the student.

[foma]

In the end, college is what you make of it - no matter where you go.

[arizona_chic]

well, i want a teaching degree-english major.
how is ut's teaching school-good, bad, normal?

and whats up with the aggie-longhorn rivalry?
hear the longhorns make fun of the aggies.

how is A&M also-anybody go there??

thanks for everything so far ;]

[jread]

I would also like to suggest St. Edward's University if you can afford the extra tuition. I graduated from there and had a wonderful college experience. It's small, personal and the professors are top-notch. The curriculum is very demanding and you will work your tail off, but it is so worth it. The added bonus is that it's right here in Austin so you can still enjoy the city as well.

[foma]

longhorns vs aggies ... rivalries 'til the end. A friend of mine did his undergrad at UT and then did his MBA at A&M. Many of his friends wouldn't talk to him for the longest time!

A&M is pretty big, too, and they also have a lot of school spirit. Almost every Aggie I know drives a maroon car though (their school color).

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

...Yes, there is a lot of partying, but not anymore (percent-wise) than most other universities across the country. I suppose I was treated like a 'number' (by the computers, anyways), but I found that I could always talk to pretty much any professor whenever I tried to.

I should qualify my "partying" comment. I didn't mean that there are parties breaking out on campus and in classrooms, I meant that if someone WANTS to party then UT is possibly the best school in the country. The nightlife of Austin along with the sheer number of young people who are newly liberated from mom and dad make Austin a very vibrant city, to the point where I feel like a VERY old man at the age of 51!

Also, I've been to 5 universities and taught at another 2, so I'm comparing quality of education between universities based on my experience of large vs. small schools. One of the advantages of a State school, or even a community college, is that you get more diversity at the lower division. In a major university like UT, the undergrad schools, especially the lower division classes, are largely composed of newly-minted high school grads.

When I was teaching at St. Edwards, and when I attended Santa Barbara City College and Sonoma State Univ. in CA, I experienced much more diversity of people in terms of age, socioeconomic background, stage of life, goals and perspectives. In addition, these smaller schools tend to have small classes in which you have personal attention not just by visiting the prof during office hours but DURING CLASS --- this is important!

I taught in the business school at UT and I remember the smallest classes consisting of at least 60 students. I was never able to remember all the names of my students in a class. But at St. Edwards I had about 20 students for an Intro Marketing class (which would have at least 100 students at UT), and I knew each student and they were vastly more diverse in age, ethnicity, life experience and personal objectives. I think the latter is a superior method of learning, but this is just my opinion. I think undergrads are best served by smaller classes with attentive teachers who aren't devoted to research, vs. the pedigree and national reputation of their school.