undergrads in graduate classes

[the_pesh_mode]

First year graduate student wondering how people feel about undergraduates taking multiple graduate courses. I'm not thrilled by it. I can understand one class, but taking multiple classes doesn't seem right to me. Especially, since they are paying for undergrad tuition. Thoughts?

Comments

[erikalindsay]

Why do you care?

[ravenofdreams]

This. If they can manage the material, and the professor is okay with it, what business is it of yours?

[nexrad]

I advised many of my research assistants back in my grad' school days to take a few grad' classes if they were interested in graduate education (at least the kids who were academically strong). Besides, I've found many undergrads more motivated and capable than many grad students.

[wiped]

how could it negatively affect you, or anyone else for that matter, to have undergrads in the classroom? i've taken many grad seminars that had an undergrad or two in the room, and i generally found them to be better participants than grad students. some of them were too anxious about performance to ever talk, and only observed silently; others had clearly done the readings with greater thought and attention than i or the other grad students in the class, so when they talked they had great things to add to the discussion, unlike the average grad student who sounds off without even having done the reading half the time.

[tisiphone]

First of all, undergraduate tuition means many of them will be paying more, not less, since funding is much less common at the undergraduate level. Second, at many universities it's expected of honours students, and many programs offer 3+2 bachelors/masters programs where you're actually required to take graduate classes during your last undergraduate year. Third, why does it matter to you? Undergraduates who take graduate classes are usually top-level students who are serious about what they're studying, and are only a year (two at most) from grad school themselves. There's no need to be elitist - after all, you were an undergraduate last spring, most likely.

[i_strannik]

I can easily see some undergrads being bored in their undergrad classes and looking to challenge their minds before mold grows over them. What do you care?