Anyone else feel like their major classes are harder than the science ones?

[medictim84]

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Maybe it's just me since I've never been a math whiz, but seems like my econ major classes half the time are like a kick in the face whereas the science classes are relatively easy in comparison and far more straightforward since it's just memorizing an enormous amount of simple information. I'm just curious what other people's experiences have been, anyone else have that feeling?

 

[schrizto]

maybe you should change your major.

 

[Compass]

Maybe it's just me since I've never been a math whiz, but seems like my econ major classes half the time are like a kick in the face whereas the science classes are relatively easy in comparison and far more straightforward since it's just memorizing an enormous amount of simple information. I'm just curious what other people's experiences have been, anyone else have that feeling?

I can tell you that database reproduction is a lot harder than sexual reproduction, from an academic standpoint.

 

[medictim84]

maybe you should change your major.

I should quit my major because it's hard? Generally, nothing in life that comes easy is worth having.

I can tell you that database reproduction is a lot harder than sexual reproduction, from an academic standpoint.

Eh, that's one part of A&P that annoys me because there's so many different stages. I believe you though...there's a reason I stayed away from computer science. My fiancee does software programming and hardware stuff (computer and electrical engineer) for a satellite company and sounds like what she does is a hell of a lot more intricate/harder than any science stuff I've done so far.

 

[Trexate]

I should quit my major because it's hard? Generally, nothing in life that comes easy is worth having.



Eh, that's one part of A&P that annoys me because there's so many different stages. I believe you though...there's a reason I stayed away from computer science. My fiancee does software programming and hardware stuff (computer and electrical engineer) for a satellite company and sounds like what she does is a hell of a lot more intricate/harder than any science stuff I've done so far.

Eh, it's not that bad. It just seems that way at first and from an outside perspective.

 

[dw2158]

oh, get over yourself. everyone thinks they have the hardest classes ever. what's "hard" depends on the person.

 

[robocop1998]

i am an econ/premed here too and i have to agree with you that some math-based econ classes, like micro theory, econometrics, industrial organization, etc. are MUCH MUCH harder than a lot of science classes. (my sci GPA is actually higher than my overall GPA) i go to a top 15 school as well so its not like science dept here are not up to par or anything.

 

[Ignition]

Difficulty is relative.

 

[Compass]

I should quit my major because it's hard? Generally, nothing in life that comes easy is worth having.



Eh, that's one part of A&P that annoys me because there's so many different stages. I believe you though...there's a reason I stayed away from computer science. My fiancee does software programming and hardware stuff (computer and electrical engineer) for a satellite company and sounds like what she does is a hell of a lot more intricate/harder than any science stuff I've done so far.

It's not harder, you just have to think differently.

Observe, logic!

Biology - knowledge-based.
A
Math - pathway-based with "rules".
A: B -> C
Chemistry - concept-based with math and more rules based on rules.
A: B -C-> D
Physics - concept-based with math and space.
A: B -C-> D
E: F -G-> H
Computer Science (object oriented) - divide and conquer
A: B -C-> D
E: A(F,G,H) -> I
Computer Science (databases)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
R

Databases don't have a train of thought. They just... are v.v

 

[Chemdude]

what's "hard" depends on the person.

That's what she said...

 

[Luun]

I believe that if you have a major that you enjoy, you wind up thinking that the classes feel easier than classes that you don't particularly enjoy.

 

[medictim84]

I believe that if you have a major that you enjoy, you wind up thinking that the classes feel easier than classes that you don't particularly enjoy.

Well, not always. I switched from a NPB major to economics, despite the fact the science classes were easier to me, because I thought economics was pretty interesting and it can actually get me a decent-paying job if I ever need to use my degree to get a job. I enjoy my major just fine...I just don't find it easy. On the other hand, it could be much worse...it's not like I'm an engineering major. Screw that.

That's what she said...

Lmao!! Damnit you beat me to it... 😛

i am an econ/premed here too and i have to agree with you that some math-based econ classes, like micro theory, econometrics, industrial organization, etc. are MUCH MUCH harder than a lot of science classes. (my sci GPA is actually higher than my overall GPA) i go to a top 15 school as well so its not like science dept here are not up to par or anything.

Ah ok, I was wondering if I was the only econ major who thought that. Yeah even one of the harder science classes at my undergrad I took and thought it was easier than say upper division micro or macro theory. Granted, a lot of this comes down to whether your prof is good or not, whether your TA is good or not and whether the textbook is useful or useless but good to know. How was industrial organization btw? I was looking at taking that class sometime in the next quarter or two.

oh, get over yourself. everyone thinks they have the hardest classes ever. what's "hard" depends on the person.

...honestly, if you think any part of my original question was a "woe is me" plea or that I said my classes were the "hardest ever", then you can't read. If you're that bitter about what other people say, maybe you should get over yourself instead of give that order to others.

 

[musicaldna]

I sort of agree with OP. I come from engineering. My program was sorta unique in that we had to take EVERY possible subject out there in first two years, bio, fluidcs, computer programming, design, communication, chemistry, thermo, you get the idea....

So my opinion is biased but trust me, some of these courses are tough to score in.

As far as sciences are concerned, I can at least speak for my university. Rote memorization only can you to like an 80 in most science courses. Understanding and application will further get you to A+.

I am not trying to say that what I took was hard. I have taken both science and engineering courses and I am just saying that sciences are easier to score well in.

 

[musicaldna]

...honestly, if you think any part of my original question was a "woe is me" plea or that I said my classes were the "hardest ever", then you can't read. If you're that bitter about what other people say, maybe you should get over yourself instead of give that order to others.

+1

Some of those people who claim that their program is hard ARE actually correct. It is just that everyone says it so no one believes them.

 

[adeline]

oh, get over yourself. everyone thinks they have the hardest classes ever. what's "hard" depends on the person.

Chill out, queenie.


I totally agree, OP. Although sub "certain humanities" for "major".

 

[mmmcdowe]

Wouldn't you expect your upper level major classes to be harder than the pre-reqs for pre-med? I mean, they are entry level classes.

 

[musafirah]

i'm the opposite. my major is physics and i never study, don't have to work hard at all, and am at the top of the class. it just "clicks" and makes sense to me.

on the other hand, i find biology tedious and too much memorizing.
but i picked up another major in biophysics so that helps me get through it and understand the biological concepts/where they come from in a way that works with my thought processes.

i don't like the large class-sizes of the pre-med reqs AT ALL. in physics i have a personal relationship with nearly all my profs.

 

[YeOldeMan]

Yeah, Functional Analysis was waaaaaaaaaaaay tougher than Ochem. So was Real Analysis, Numerical Analysis, Complex Analysis....

They were also waaaaaaaaaaaay more interesting.
Biology gets more interesting once you put it on PDEs, and harder. I conjecture that stuff gets harder as it gets more interesting. One that note, if it gets less interesting, it also gets harder because it's harder to focus and stay awake...but it's a different kind of hard.

 

[musicaldna]

Yeah, Functional Analysis was waaaaaaaaaaaay tougher than Ochem. So was Real Analysis, Numerical Analysis, Complex Analysis....

They were also waaaaaaaaaaaay more interesting.
Biology gets more interesting once you put it on PDEs, and harder. I conjecture that stuff gets harder as it gets more interesting. One that note, if it gets less interesting, it also gets harder because it's harder to focus and stay awake...but it's a different kind of hard.

From my point of view, hardness can be of two kind: one is the actual material that is hard to grasp and understand and the other is the doing well in course by answering questions. I rarely had trouble with the former but latter was what got me at several places.

I mean it's not like I don't understand the reproductive cycle when I get a stupid multiple choice question wrong.

 

[YeOldeMan]

From my point of view, hardness can be of two kind: one is the actual material that is hard to grasp and understand and the other is the doing well in course by answering questions. I rarely had trouble with the former but latter was what got me at several places.

I mean it's not like I don't understand the reproductive cycle when I get a stupid multiple choice question wrong.

What I've seen is that if you just don't get it, it's 10x as hard than if you just haven't memorized it. I usually got the math. That's why I hated Bio, and didn't care too much for orgo. With higher math, I've had open-book, open-note, asking the teacher for definitions, and all kinds of other stuff that would never ever ever fly in a bio class. I can just imagine the bio prof's eyes bugging out if I asked him for a definition. Never saw a multiple choice math course even in HS. Computational math is a cross between the two, as you can always do fine as long as you do problems over and over.

I avoided engineering courses though b/c of the profs' attitudes. I don't know why, but all engineering profs seemed to be jerks hell-bent on seriosly weeding out everbody in their 15-person class. wtf? I guess the risks are higher for engineers that for "pure guys." A bad bridge has more consequences that a bad theory...lol

I better start liking memorizing for med school. You too 😴

 

[musicaldna]

What I've seen is that if you just don't get it, it's 10x as hard than if you just haven't memorized it. I usually got the math. That's why I hated Bio, and didn't care too much for orgo. With higher math, I've had open-book, open-note, asking the teacher for definitions, and all kinds of other stuff that would never ever ever fly in a bio class. I can just imagine the bio prof's eyes bugging out if I asked him for a definition. Never saw a multiple choice math course even in HS. Computational math is a cross between the two, as you can always do fine as long as you do problems over and over.

I avoided engineering courses though b/c of the profs' attitudes. I don't know why, but all engineering profs seemed to be jerks hell-bent on seriosly weeding out everbody in their 15-person class. wtf? I guess the risks are higher for engineers that for "pure guys." A bad bridge has more consequences that a bad theory...lol

I better start liking memorizing for med school. You too 😴

I feel you man, I have taken PDEs and complex analysis. Those who have not taken these courses have no idea what a thrill ride they are.

 

[Naijaba]

My take on this:

Biology: Hardest major to get good grades - My undergrad's school of biology has an enforced curve where only 24/300 students will receive a solid "A" in each bio class.

Mathematics: Very easy lower division courses, very hard upper-division courses until you understand how proofs work, then everything just clicks. (YeOldeMan noted the importance of definitions; once you realize this being a math major is cake).

Computer Science & Engineering: I love programming, so the software engineering courses were easy. Computer engineering class were *NOT* easy; VLSI nearly owned my life.

 

[YeOldeMan]

I feel you man, I have taken PDEs and complex analysis. Those who have not taken these courses have no idea what a thrill ride they are.

Oh yeah...great stuff.
I was wondering, did you note the same thing as I did about those engineering profs?

My take on this:

Biology: Hardest major to get good grades - My undergrad's school of biology has an enforced curve where only 24/300 students will receive a solid "A" in each bio class.

Mathematics: Very easy lower division courses, very hard upper-division courses until you understand how proofs work, then everything just clicks. (YeOldeMan noted the importance of definitions; once you realize this being a math major is cake).

Computer Science & Engineering: I love programming, so the software engineering courses were easy. Computer engineering class were *NOT* easy; VLSI nearly owned my life.

I thought I was saying definitions were minor, hence math profs would have no problem telling you what "invariant subspace" means. 😀 But yeah, I know what you mean -- definitions in another sense. Once you get proofs (well) it becomes considerably easier, since upper math is just showing different things in different ways. I wouldn't say cake though...I was well into proofs when I took functional analysis, and I had nightmares about it. Literally.
But it was very exciting.

 

[BassCaster]

Of course premed science courses were easy A's. They're the basics. MCAT science... It's as if I were a chemistry major and took the first courses in econ, finance, marketing and said business school was easier than a chem major. Once you get passed organic chemistry everything is much more difficult. Organic in fact was a joke. Physical chemistry was horrible. Infinite potential quantum wells, tunneling, Schrodinger time-independent equations, and etc. are so difficult to understand. Once you start proving why Einstein was wrong in some aspects, you start questioning if you even have the right to think that way lol. Our midterms took 4 hours to finish with only 6 questions. Deriving equations with classical mechanics, changing them to polar coordinates and hamiltonians that you can't even solve unless you have a computer then modifying them for quantum modeling was too much... I came out of the class with an A that I definitely didn't diserve. Just did better than everyone else.

 

[musicaldna]

Oh yeah...great stuff.
I was wondering, did you note the same thing as I did about those engineering profs?

Some were offbeat...but most were okay. The instructor evaluations at our university are taken extremely seriously. If everyone votes bad, the prof does get in trouble (as I have witnessed myself twice before).

 

[dw2158]

Of course premed science courses were easy A's. They're the basics. MCAT science... It's as if I were a chemistry major and took the first courses in econ, finance, marketing and said business school was easier than a chem major. Once you get passed organic chemistry everything is much more difficult. Organic in fact was a joke. Physical chemistry was horrible. Infinite potential quantum wells, tunneling, Schrodinger time-independent equations, and etc. are so difficult to understand. Once you start proving why Einstein was wrong in some aspects, you start questioning if you even have the right to think that way lol. Our midterms took 4 hours to finish with only 6 questions. Deriving equations with classical mechanics, changing them to polar coordinates and hamiltonians that you can't even solve unless you have a computer then modifying them for quantum modeling was too much... I came out of the class with an A that I definitely didn't diserve. Just did better than everyone else.

agreed.

 

[adeline]

Of course premed science courses were easy A's. They're the basics. MCAT science... It's as if I were a chemistry major and took the first courses in econ, finance, marketing and said business school was easier than a chem major. Once you get past organic chemistry everything is much more difficult. .

LOL not so much.

nice analogy fail.

 

[dw2158]

LOL not so much.

nice analogy fail.

not understanding where the analogy was in his post...

 

[adeline]

not understanding where the analogy was in his post...

sux 2 b u

 

[BassCaster]

LOL not so much.

nice analogy fail.

Not so much? Classes after organic chemistry were not difficult for you? Wish I had your professors. Quantum mechanics, ligand field theory, and instrumental analysis were very difficult for me.

 

[YeOldeMan]

Of course premed science courses were easy A's. They're the basics. MCAT science... It's as if I were a chemistry major and took the first courses in econ, finance, marketing and said business school was easier than a chem major. Once you get passed organic chemistry everything is much more difficult. Organic in fact was a joke. Physical chemistry was horrible. Infinite potential quantum wells, tunneling, Schrodinger time-independent equations, and etc. are so difficult to understand. Once you start proving why Einstein was wrong in some aspects, you start questioning if you even have the right to think that way lol. Our midterms took 4 hours to finish with only 6 questions. Deriving equations with classical mechanics, changing them to polar coordinates and hamiltonians that you can't even solve unless you have a computer then modifying them for quantum modeling was too much... I came out of the class with an A that I definitely didn't diserve. Just did better than everyone else.

Don't tell that wasn't a f***ing awesome class. Classes after organic no doubt got tougher in content, but you were also probably treated better -- as they were your major classes.

....I didn't find any analogy either.

 

[dw2158]

Don't tell that wasn't a f***ing awesome class. Classes after organic no doubt got tougher in content, but you were also probably treated better -- as they were your major classes.

....I didn't find any analogy either.

i totally enjoyed quantum mechanics but it was hard as sht.

OP, i think you're right that upper-level econ classes are harder than pre-med requirements... but so are upper-level classes in basically any department. so... yeah.

and yeah, no analogy. sux 2 b us. 😕

 

[futile]

I don't know, it's all relative. I don't feel like there are a lot of labs in other majors (especially required ones) that expect the student to work 40 hours/week for a B+ in a 2 credit hour class like engineering, but at the same time a few of my engineering classes are easier than the hefty memorization/competition that is biology at my school.

However, for people that have trouble with problem solving and pass out when they see an integral would run screaming from some of the "easy" engineering homework.

After three years of problem-solving/procedural learning based engineering classes Organic Chemistry was a joke, even though a lot of people struggle with the concepts in o-chem. At the same time, put a typical engineer with a high GPA in a high-level english class and watch them fail.

 

[Poliscidoc]

I wouldn't say my major classes (Political Science) are harder. But my professors care less about grades than learning the material. I feel it is harder than my other major Biology to get an A.

 

[adeline]

and yeah, no analogy. sux 2 b us. 😕

analogy 👎: an inference that if things agree in some respects they probably agree in others

See also: metaphor, simile.

 

[medictim84]

Wouldn't you expect your upper level major classes to be harder than the pre-reqs for pre-med? I mean, they are entry level classes.

Well, I haven't taken ochem or physics yet but based on their reputation you would expect them to be more difficult than most classes. Honestly, I took a upper level physiology class at Davis for NPB majors and you'd think by that same token that it'd be harder than some of the pre-med reqs I've taken. Trust me, gen chem 2 was more of a pain in the ass than that upper division physiology class.

i'm the opposite. my major is physics and i never study, don't have to work hard at all, and am at the top of the class. it just "clicks" and makes sense to me.

on the other hand, i find biology tedious and too much memorizing.
but i picked up another major in biophysics so that helps me get through it and understand the biological concepts/where they come from in a way that works with my thought processes.

i don't like the large class-sizes of the pre-med reqs AT ALL. in physics i have a personal relationship with nearly all my profs.

Must depend on the university. Even in my upper division classes as an econ major, we have 50-200 students in every class. 😛

I don't know, it's all relative. I don't feel like there are a lot of labs in other majors (especially required ones) that expect the student to work 40 hours/week for a B+ in a 2 credit hour class like engineering, but at the same time a few of my engineering classes are easier than the hefty memorization/competition that is biology at my school.

However, for people that have trouble with problem solving and pass out when they see an integral would run screaming from some of the "easy" engineering homework.

After three years of problem-solving/procedural learning based engineering classes Organic Chemistry was a joke, even though a lot of people struggle with the concepts in o-chem. At the same time, put a typical engineer with a high GPA in a high-level english class and watch them fail.

Well, that's because engineers love logic and objective information...english is subjective BS imo (no offense to any english majors) so of course someone who's analytical and objective will hate english classes. Hell, like I said my fiancee is an engineer and she said she would literally take 2 classes as opposed to 1 just to avoid a class that required you to write a term paper and she took the english comp exam at UCD to avoid taking a upper division writing class. Not sure if everyone's like that, but so far, seems like you engineers haaaaate english. 😛

To be fair, I'm taking that comp exam too...I don't have the time or patience for BS like english.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

My major is also engineering and this is what I think

Engineering classes are MUCH "harder" compared to bio (probably because I can learn bio just by reading but engineering requires me to sit and analyze for hours)

HOWEVER, engineering professors at our schools are a lot more lenient than physical science professors with grading.

So while material wise my engineering classes are harder, it's easier to get good grades in them? (if you put in the effort of course)

If that makes any sense...

 

[YeOldeMan]

...english is subjective BS imo (no offense to any english majors) so of course someone who's analytical and objective will hate english classes. Hell, like I said my fiancee is an engineer and she said she would literally take 2 classes as opposed to 1 just to avoid a class that required you to write a term paper and she took the english comp exam at UCD to avoid taking a upper division writing class. Not sure if everyone's like that, but so far, seems like you engineers haaaaate english. 😛

To be fair, I'm taking that comp exam too...I don't have the time or patience for BS like english.

Man how I hated English. Screwed up teacher, screwed up books, screwed up class. I analyzed "A" papers and tried to figure out how they got A's. To this day I still study them and cannot find out why they got As and I got Bs. Plus the "A" papers were just...wrong. My papers were a beautiful analysis of the books.

So while material wise my engineering classes are harder, it's easier to get good grades in them? (if you put in the effort of course)

If that makes any sense...

I know exactly what you mean, except for me it was the other way around. My school is an engineering powerhouse, and they are constantly in weed-out mode. Some of the theoretical work I did (especially in math theory) was totally counterintuitive and very difficult to comprehend, but the teachers were happy and logical people who made class smooth and enjoyable. The average engineering GPAs are in the low-2s, even though they are mostly computational.

 

[musicaldna]

So while material wise my engineering classes are harder, it's easier to get good grades in them? (if you put in the effort of course)

If that makes any sense...

I totally agree with this. Partial marks FTW!

For some of the science courses I took I was bewildered to learn that for those short answer questions, they look for specific points....if you don't have them,,, its a zero. Whereas, in engineering, I got marks whenever I wrote something relevant to the question that made sense.

The more intelligent stuff I write the higher I score.

 

[Narmerguy]

analogy 👎: an inference that if things agree in some respects they probably agree in others

See also: metaphor, simile.

Still drawing a blank.