With over one hundred majors at the University, discussions and disagreements about which majors are harder or hardest are quite common.
We engineers tend to think we have it the toughest, and students majoring in just about every other major either completely disagree or just don’t want to hear it. But in all honesty, where do we get off making such claims?
Doesn’t every other student have to study, do homework and work hard all around just as much to get good grades?
Well, the numbers tend to indicate otherwise.
According to a study of attrition rates in relation to students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math majors (STEM) by Wake Forest University economics professor Kevin Rask, the average GPA of students at an unnamed northeastern liberal arts college majoring in STEM fell below the average GPA of all students.
He says the two primary factors affecting a student’s likelihood of continuing in STEM courses are pre-college preparation and grades received in STEM courses.
His study covered nine years of graduating classes, and his data substantiates his seemingly intuitive conclusions.
Students coming from high school with backgrounds already strong in STEM areas of study are likely to continue studying them.
Also, students who do well in their first, second and third STEM college courses are more likely to continue in that area of study.
His research is spurred by “widespread concern, both in the private and public sectors, about perceived declines in U.S. college graduates in STEM fields.”
The cause of the concern is founded in thinking that successful study and advancement in STEM fields is a prominent driving force of national success in the international realm.
Dr. Rasks’ work indicates decreasing disparity between STEM-professor grading and non-STEM-professor grading would be a significant means of increasing STEM graduates.
Trying to quantify the toughness of a major is difficult, but basing it on average GPAs is a pretty strong indication. Dr. Rask’s research indicates that majoring in a STEM major will result in a lower GPA.
But does this mean STEM majors are harder than others?
Yes and no.
His research indicates it’s harder to get good grades in STEM majors, but does that actually equate to more difficult subject matter?
It’s a difficult question to answer, but it’s not impossible. Unfortunately, a caveat accompanies the answer — the subjectivity of deeming something hard.
Does “hard” find its source in abstractness, tediousness, immensity, etc.?
Well, the answer can only be answered by the answerer.
Frankly, I hate homework and avoid it when possible — a possibility not common in engineering. That’s probably why I don’t think my major is “easy.”
I enjoy expressing myself, so spending two years in Tiger Band and writing opinion columns is logical, but I would hate to have to practice percussion multiple hours per day or take more than one class in mass communication.
Each person will point to something different as his or her root of difficulty, so arguing about who has the hardest major is pretty much endless.
This doesn’t change the fact that one’s GPA at graduation has a significant influence upon initial success in graduates’ careers.
So, what makes a major difficult? It could be the amount of work. It could be professors’ standards of grading. It could be the unfamiliarity with a subject.
Whatever it is, it seems to have adverse effects on students who choose majors in the STEM area.
If you’re considering arguing the difficulty of your major compared to another, consider the impossibility in proving something is “hard.”
Matt Lousteau is a 21-year-old mechanical engineering senior from LaPlace. Follow him on Twitter@ TDR_Mlousteau.
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Contact Matt Lousteau at [email protected]