At Brooklyn College, a key part of the City University of New York system, its more than 10,000 undergraduate "students receive a quality education for a fraction of the price," especially for in-state residents. Autonomy is woven throughout the curricula and activities; one class required students "to input topics we would like to see on the syllabus, creating a more engaged environment," and "there are so many different options of choosing your own schedule." Students can also take part in special programs such as First College Year, which is designed to help students transition to the social and academic aspects of higher education the summer before their first year, or can avail themselves of what one respondent considers "the greatest strength of my school...[the] tons of resources and help throughout the semester" provided by the Magner Career Center. The administration also makes sure that students "can find answers to possibly any and all questions you may have," and provides "resources I can't find anywhere else," such as "advisement, trainings/workshops, [and] work readiness workshops."
Classes are varied and may include fieldwork or interactive labs, which creates "an active learning environment and further learning about what is taught in lectures." An increase in online courses has been said to provide "an innovative way [of] learning without walls." These learning environments succeed in "encouraging students to speak freely and challenge ideas in a respectful way." In addition, "professors...push you in a good way" and are "very kind and understanding as well as extremely knowledgeable in their subjects" and "keep in touch regularly."