The prestige of the school and location. I liked that it was relatively close to home for me, and my high school pushed for students to go to the most prestigious school they could get into. For me, that was UC Davis.
Course Curriculum
It is highly rigorous and difficult. The quarter system is honestly brutal. Class sizes are too big and it is almost impossible to feel like I am getting a truly personalized education. I feel as though I am on my own at the school with nobody to depend on but myself.
Exams
SAT, ACT took no other exams nor any college-level exams. I did not thank the IELTS or the GRE. I do plan to take the CBEST and CSET.
Placement
I am not fully aware of this, but students who graduate do not always have a job right out of school. With such large graduating classes, it is difficult for students to get personalized help in their job search. Many hope to just continue with the research positions they have but to get paid instead. Of having just an internship.
Internship
My college provides many many research and internship positions, but they are highly competitive and I never felt as though I could take one on with my course load. Every department and professor has their own research positions available to students.
Fees
This college is so overpriced. I went to a community college as well where I spent a small fraction of the cost I spent at Davis and I have better materials. It seems as though student costs do not cover materials and costs for that individual student learning experience. It seemed as though the money just went towards the professor's research because in all of my bio classes I used a microscope maybe four times. At the community college, I had my own microscope to use every day.
Examination Structure
Exams are highly difficult. Professors designed the exams to be very difficult. I never took an exam where the class average was higher than 70. Most times the class averages were in the 50s range and professors would have to curve the grades significantly at the end of the semester so that a decent number of students would actually pass the class.
Faculty
They are very difficult to get a hold of when they have such large class sizes and multiple classes. I can hardly get in touch or get any time to meet with them.
