USC vs. Cal...one more time

DRab
Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:06:46 +0000

I’ve heard that some of the business classes were quite large in Marshall with hundreds of students.

As to GSI’s, they vary like professors. I’ve had some who are now close friends, and others who were just teachers and that’s it. Some are amazing, and I’ve heard some horror stories (like professors), but in general, Berkeley’s graduate students are amazing, and in some ways they can communicate more effectively with students than professors. Professors, however, will teach most of your classes, and you can talk to them before, during (if one subject and if the professor’s style allows this, and many do), or after classes, as well as in office hours (go to these). Many schools use graduate students as supplimental instructors. I think USC does as well, but I could be wrong. A very small fraction of the time (I would guess much less than 5% of the time) and generally within science and math classes, people have trouble understanding a GSI because of the way in which they speak (because English is not their best language or whatever). In these rare instances, it is fairly easy in most classes to change sections, and many students change sections to GSIs they like more or find more interesting.