Are some College Majors Simply Harder than Others?

[nanook12]

People can call me whatever they want, but I generally believe that math and the hard sciences are simply harder majors than those in the humanities fields. The thing that frustrates me is that humanities majors whine like a wolf without his pack when they can't find a decent job after college, yet at the same time they vehemently try to justify that their liberal arts, kinesiology, or English degrees is just as valuable as a mathematics, physics, or engineering degree.

[Underverse]

Yes, of course. I took quite a few classes outside of my major and they were almost ubiquitously easier the less scientific they became.

[Jakexe]

Yes, and even within the science and maths fields some are harder than others. My arts degree was a walk in the park compared to my science degree, and even within doing my biology degree I dabbled in physics, chemistry, bio chem, astronomy etc. Most of those electives required far more work than my biology requirements. When I say work here I mean mental power, not time requirements.

That being said there's nothing wrong with art degrees, or humanites. Some people just aren't geared towards the hard sciences, and oddly enough i've made a far better living from my arts degree than my science degree.

[Very Tired]

Literally no one thinks all majors are the same difficulty.

[Ripster42]

Yes, and even within the science and maths fields some are harder than others. My arts degree was a walk in the park compared to my science degree, and even within doing my biology degree I dabbled in physics, chemistry, bio chem, astronomy etc. Most of those electives required far more work than my biology requirements. When I say work here I mean mental power, not time requirements.

That being said there's nothing wrong with art degrees, or humanites. Some people just aren't geared towards the hard sciences, and oddly enough i've made a far better living from my arts degree than my science degree.

Chem, physics, biochem, ochem and calc were all core biology classes where I went. Dunno how you can say those aren't biology classes. Cell physiology and molecular genetics were both way harder than any of those classes, though agreed, there are some easy biology classes.

[stomination]

liberal arts

/thread

[Ripster42]

Chemistry is not biology. Physics is not biology. Calculus is not biology. Sciences? Yes. Biology? No.

They're all required for a biology major. We're talking about majors being harder than others, not individual classes. The intro science classes can hardly be called major specific. There's zero chance you'd get through higher biology classes w/out them.

[Jakexe]

They're all required for a biology major. We're talking about majors being harder than others, not individual classes. The intro science classes can hardly be called major specific. There's zero chance you'd get through higher biology classes w/out them.

Sounds like a different course structure. First year, which is the same for many many science students not matter what field which includes basic bio, chemistry and maths classes. At 2nd year you start choosing particular fields of bio (marine bio, genetics etc.) which have core classes to those specialities but you get to do various other bio fields because it this point it is all still interconnected. Then 3rd year you're fully committed to a field of research.

We also don't have majors and minors in our system. You choose a broad field and start specialising to one field through your studies.

[belfpala]

Chemistry is not biology. Physics is not biology. Calculus is not biology. Sciences? Yes. Biology? No.

Somewhat relevant...




Back OT: At my university, Electrical Engineering was considered the most difficult major. Among other things, they had to take about 8 semesters of physics crammed into a 2 semester class. If you graduated with the EE major, you were just a few credits short of also majoring in Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science.

[Zelk]

Yeah I think things like Philosophy and Medicine are meant to be really hard to get degrees in.

[Deleted]

Obviously.

[hrugner]

Of course, and it varies from school to school as well. With the easier degrees, like the one I have, you spend lots of time studying things that are largely irrelevant to the modern reality of the field just to fill in class hours. There's probably an inverse relationship between how many past innovators you learn about and how difficult your field is.

[HumbleDuck]

It depends, I genuinely believe every field can be time consuming if you want it to be.
If a course has things to memorize, I'll probably fail, but if it was math, I never failed. People are good at different things.

[dvaz]

Doh of course.

Gender studies is the hardest of them all.

Woman studies comes in a close second, with Chicano studies getting 3rd in difficult-o-meter.

[Fencers]

Inorganic chemistry, statistics and advanced calculus are hard as fuck.

Organic Chemistry is a TON of stuff to memorize but kinda easy once you understand bonds and stuff. Inorganic Chemistry is so much studying and notes. I think it's way harder than Organic Chemistry.

I did statistics and it is also hard. Mostly because of you need a lot of support and understanding of algebra at fundamental level. More advanced courses are supposedly way harder but even Stats can still be a challenge since C-Algebra and other Ap stuff is pretty abstract. Not Calc-II levels of abstraction, but still, tying a bunch of disciplines together in stats is not necessarily obvious.

Calculus is HARD AS FUCK. This is the big time. I heard from friends that Thermo and Fluid dynamics and certain branches of physics make calc look like child's play. Willing to take them at their word. Calc was one of those courses I knew would only be able to progress so far in. This is bar none the hardest shit I ever did in my life.

Some people say Epistemology is hard. It's not. Anything that is a logic puzzle is easy.

[Super Kami Dende]

Literally no one thinks all majors are the same difficulty.

Yet People literally think they should get the same pay as a Doctor as they should be a Jazz and interpretive Dance therapist.

[PACOX]

Why is this even a question?

Some majors don't have to take anything higher than college algebra, if that. Then you have others where advisers start to look at you side ways if you didnt test out of college algebra.

And then its all relative. I killed physics but put me in some upper level psychology class I would have probably failed it due to lack of motivation.

[Deathquoi]

People can call me whatever they want, but I generally believe that math and the hard sciences are simply harder majors than those in the humanities fields. The thing that frustrates me is that humanities majors whine like a wolf without his pack when they can't find a decent job after college, yet at the same time they vehemently try to justify that their liberal arts, kinesiology, or English degrees is just as valuable as a mathematics, physics, or engineering degree.

It appears you majored in Strawman Engineering.

- - - Updated - - -

Yet People literally think they should get the same pay as a Doctor as they should be a Jazz and interpretive Dance therapist.

Show me one person who thinks that a musical studies major should be paid on the same level as a medical doctor. Just one. Please.

[GreenJesus]

um.. yeh.. no duh some are harder.. I'd never take engineering for example.. so much physics and calculus

[Cosmic Janitor]

Literally no one thinks all majors are the same difficulty.

All that needed to be said. /thread