Questions about Experiences as a Chemistry Major in UIUC

aymanroslend
Mon, 30 Apr 2018 23:14:22 +0000

Hello everyone. I have a few questions regarding being a chemistry major at UIUC:

1. I've read from a blog somewhere (chemjobber.blogspot) that the professors treat undergraduate teaching as a distraction from their interest in conducting research. The exact excerpt is as follows:

“The professors are there to do research, not to teach (many of them dislike teaching and consider it a distraction from research)…”

How far is this true based on your experiences?

1. Are chemistry classes large even for the advanced classes?

2. I've heard from a friend (who's currently studying chemistry there) that in order to get an internship, you need to be a genius of some sort and that it is not enough just to work hard to secure one. Is this true? Was it easy for you to get an internship?

3. Do chemistry professors mind students visiting them during office hours?

Feel free to answer any one or all of the questions above. Your insights will really help a lot in my college selection!

Thank you so much!

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