Academics

Most classes are fairly difficult. Introductory STEM classes tend to be some of the worst, especially elimination classes-- basically, these classes try to reduce the number of students eligible for certain majors by giving everyone a high workload and difficult tests so that only a few can succeed and move into the major. Do not take computer science classes for general education requirements-- the first few are notoriously difficult because computer science is a very competitive major. Classes with a lot of pre-med students tend to have steep curves, so if you can manage it, it's good to take biology and chemistry classes out of sync (for instance, taking the first in a series in the winter instead of the fall) because pre-med students have to take classes in sync to finish them all in time. Social science classes are heavily conceptual. In general, non-STEM teachers are more willing to accommodate students and alter the syllabus if a large chunk of the class doesn't seem to understand something.

I come from Hawaii, and we are used to having our 4.0 range from ninety percent and above. Normally, getting straight A's in Hawaii is fairly simple. However, the UW counts every last percentage towards your GPA, with 95% being the lowest for a 4.0.

Don't expect to get a 4.0- but if you work hard a good GPA is completely plausible.

All of the classes expect you to learn so much more than the lecture will teach you. While all the professors and TAs will help you if you seek them out and want to learn, no one will spoon feed you if you don't put in any effort.