College Weed Out Classes
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Posted by Naomi Rockler-Gladen Aug 20, 2008 |
Ah, college weed out classes. These are introductory courses that are designed to scare students away from overly popular majors by weighing them down with excessive amounts of very difficult work. Here's what you need to know about these miserable educational experiences:
For some students, the weed out class is a rite of passage that stands between them and a major they're going to love. But for other students -- even those who make it through the weed out class with decent grades and a semblance of sanity -- the weed out class might be a message that this may not be the right major for you.
This was my experience with psychology. I took General Psychology my freshman year, as I thought I wanted to major in psych. The class was a typical weed out class, and it was miserable. The professor was unfriendly and unhelpful, and the TA was even more so. After getting a C on the midterm, I was determined not to let this class get the best of me. I got an A in the class.
However, I still let myself get weeded out. In the process of studying psych so intently, I decided that I really didn't like it much. If your major is the right one for you, you won't mind a little pain and suffering now and then as you learn the material -- and I was not getting anything pleasurable out of my hard, hard work. So I went shopping for other majors, and let myself get weeded out.
Besides, do you really want to be part of a department that seeks to get rid of prospective students? Sometimes, it's okay to let yourself get weeded out.