DS got Cornell’s offer. He is currently interested in Mechanical Engineering. I heard the class size is big, especially as freshman. Are all classes taught by professor, or some by TA? Is Cornell emphasis hand-on and collaboration? How is school safety there? Thank you!
I hope you get a better answer from somebody with recent experience, since I went there a zillion years ago and everything I say based on back then may be wrong now.
When I went there, the only courses I knew of that were actually “taught by TAs” were two non-engineering university-wide freshman humanities type seminars that were taught by graduate students in the relevant departments. These were small classes. One of mine became a full prof at Cornell and is still there I think.
Many of the larger lower level courses have professors lecturing, for the same amount of hours the profs, teach at other schools, I believe. Then in addition they have a “recitation section” run by a TA to go over homework problems. If that course has an associated lab, this will be run by the TA as well (under overview by the prof).
This used to be the structure of all the intro math, physics, and chemistry courses engineering majors would take. However over time they may have changed some of this. For example I think they have broken up the math classes into individual smaller classes. I personally feel this makes no material difference. It may make you feel better, But at the end of the day, you can either do the probems, or you can’t.
I took a number of engineering courses myself. The mechanical engineering classes I took were relatively small as far as I recall, 10-30 students in a classroom, no TAs. But I didn’t take them all.
“Hands-on collaboration” was not a big buzz-word back then, anyplace. To the extent it happened it would have been in lab. I don’t know what they do about this now, honestly. But they have various activities, like building a racing car and stuff, where this obviously goes on.
School safety is generally fine, though not absolutely perfect. Ithaca safety is fine, but less perfect. Many students living off-campus can be fooled by the beauty and tranquility and leave their doors unlocked. But it is possible to have a house burgled in Ithaca. And a a bike stolen in Ithaca and even on campus. It’s still safer than about anyplace else I’ve lived though. Students walk around everywhere on campus at all hours.
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Thanks, monydad. Would you share the career path you went through after the college life?
My path is not typical. I’ll pm you.
Monydad, thank you so much for your pm. I was trying to reply to you but got postmaster’s undeliverable message. I do not know how to use pm yet. But I truly appreciate your time and sharing your experience with me.