Professor & Course Selection Tips
Choosing the right courses and professors can significantly impact your learning experience and success in the ECE program. Here's some advice:
How to Pick Professors
- Teaching Style Matters: Do you prefer theoretical depth or practical application? Fast-paced or methodical? Look for professors whose style matches your learning preference.
- Check Course Syllabi: If available, review past syllabi for grading breakdowns, textbook choices, and course structure.
- Ask Senior Students: Get firsthand accounts from students who have taken the course with specific professors. They often have valuable insights.
- Consider Office Hours: A professor's availability and willingness to help outside of class can be crucial, especially for difficult subjects.
Importance of RateMyProfessor (with Caution)
- Useful Starting Point: RateMyProfessor (RMP) can give you a general sense of student sentiment (difficulty, teaching quality, engagement).
- Read Between the Lines: Look for trends in comments rather than focusing on extreme reviews (very positive or very negative). Are complaints consistent? What are the common praises?
- Consider the Source: Reviews can be biased. A student who did poorly might leave a negative review, and vice versa. Filter reviews by course if possible.
- Not the Only Factor: Don't base your entire decision on RMP. Combine it with other information like advice from peers and advisors.
Watch Out for Workload & Red Flags
- Balance Your Schedule: Avoid taking too many notoriously difficult or time-consuming courses in the same semester. Check the 'Hardest Courses' sections on the track pages.
- Unrealistic Expectations: Be wary of professors known for excessive workloads, unclear expectations, or consistently unfair grading. RMP and student feedback can highlight these issues.
- Poor Communication: Professors who are unresponsive or unclear in their communication can make a challenging course even harder.
- Outdated Material: While fundamentals are key, ensure the course incorporates reasonably current practices and tools where applicable, especially in areas like software, AI, and digital systems.
Take Advantage of Course Rotations
- Plan Ahead: Some advanced electives or courses taught by specific popular professors might only be offered once a year or every few semesters.
- Check Department Schedules: Look at tentative course schedules published by the ECE department to anticipate when key courses will be available.
- Flexibility is Key: Be prepared to adjust your plan based on course availability and professor assignments, which can change semester to semester.
- Advisor Consultation: Discuss long-term planning with your academic advisor to ensure you can take required and desired courses when needed.
