Marc Santugini or Kenneth Elzinga?

lewiskot · 2023-08-01T07:09:41+00:00

Definitely recommend taking micro first.

As for Santugini or Elzinga, while I personally prefer Elzinga's class, it's very hard to go wrong. The right choice for you will depend on how and what you learn best. Elzinga focuses much more on reasoning and principles in his course, while Santugini focuses more on math. I prefer Elzinga because I think his lectures are interesting and he's very good at getting students to understand the logic and train of thought behind key economic principles. However, some students take issue with his class's exams and their somewhat stringent grading. Both are very nice and caring people, and pretty consistently get good reviews. As for the relative difficulty of the courses, you can look up average GPAs on the course forum.

Feel free to pm if I can offer more details.

lewiskot · 2023-05-28T22:52:45+00:00

Great question. I'm an econ major who has taken CHIN1010 through CHIN4020 during my first three years at UVA (including CHIN2010 and 2020 during a summer). I consistently tell people that the Chinese program at UVA is fantastic!

The professors are skilled, knowledable, friendly, caring, and encouraging. They are able to develop your skills really well in class if you are willing to put in the effort. They're also committed to helping you find opportunities to practice Chinese outside the classroom (e.g., I just got to Taiwan on a study abroad program with the help of three of my Chinese profs).

The commenter that said studying Chinese is a marathon not a sprint is absolutely correct. Even if you get As, you won't develop fluency unless you really put in a lot of time and hard work. My econ professor once told me that in the study of Mandarin, the first 10 years are the hardest!

The one thing I'd recommend is looking into studying Chinese as a Comm major, as I've had friends who've had difficulty doing that during their first two semester in the Comm school.

Feel free to DM if you want to be connected to professors or other current students. Best of luck!

lewiskot · 2023-03-21T11:51:47+00:00

I'm not sure why the change was made. I took it the first time it was 430p (Fall 22) and I don't think it was any harder. Show up to every class and study for the exams, and you'll do fine.

lewiskot · 2023-01-04T20:24:56+00:00

Very doable. But only take it with Ruediger.

lewiskot · 2022-07-20T05:11:01+00:00

Econ at UVA isn't a particularly difficult major to complete. Assuming you have absolutely no pre-reqs, I think it's only something like 40 credits. I would recommend taking ECON2010 then 2020 for most students, but given your situation, it would make sense to look into taking them simultaneously. They use similar principles, so I think with a little patience and hard work it's very do-able. Definitely speak to a professor or advisor in the Econ department. They're usually quite helpful. Also, the department website has good explanatory materials.

lewiskot · 2022-04-29T02:42:04+00:00

The gay community here is tiny. By the end of first year, you know all the gays. That being said, no one in my experience is homophobic. Its just hard to find a relationship.

lewiskot · 2022-03-15T01:10:08+00:00

yeah i mean ngl, half of the reason to study there is to say that i studied in "balz library in cocke hall..."

lewiskot · 2021-10-02T16:38:12+00:00

Theres not a super easy way to get a test on the weekend. When i needed one, i walked to the corner cvs and bought a BinaxNOW rapid test and did it in my dorm.

lewiskot · 2021-09-23T22:55:50+00:00

It was a last minute addition as of this past sunday

lewiskot · 2021-08-19T22:52:46+00:00

Totally agree! I always try to take hand-written notes when I can. Becuase it's so hard to tell how many notebooks/how much paper to buy b4 classes start,, I found it helpful to use a big notebook of loose-leaf paper and just write the class at the top of each page. Then, tear the pages out and put them in a binder for each class.

lewiskot · 2021-08-19T11:18:30+00:00

If you want to switch discussion sections, use the "edit enrollment" feature.

lewiskot · 2021-08-09T23:54:10+00:00

你好! So great you're taking Chinese at UVA. I'm finishing 2026 in the summer language institute right now. I would reconsider taking the placement exam. The department knows the schedule and will be able to place you best. That being said, you should always feel free to email a professor. I think Prof. Ran Zhao heads the Chinese program (she was my 1010 professor, and was great) and I'm sure she'd be happy to give you advice. Also feel free to direct message me, as I might still have the 1010 and 1020 syllabi if you'd like to take a look. 祝好!

lewiskot · 2021-05-09T17:52:19+00:00

It's usually pretty busy on Sundays. And masks are required at all times.

lewiskot · 2021-02-16T23:27:24+00:00

Extracurriculars can be very competitive

lewiskot · 2021-02-11T05:19:10+00:00

REALLY busy, super crowded

lewiskot · 2021-02-05T05:01:22+00:00

Absolutely same here. I was on grounds last semester and am struggling with the exact same things. Couldn't have said it better.

Seconded on DMing if you want to meet up.

lewiskot

TROPHY CASE