<p>What kinds of figures are you asking for?</p>
<p>a chart that shows how many people get expelled, how many of them are from engineering, or what their high school GPA/SAT was.</p>
<p>Sakky, to be honest, people like you are the reason that humanities are considered easy. Math/science types have a tendency to be super arrogant because they feel they're the only ones working at Berkeley and everyone else is coasting through on math/science reputuations. Thats just how I feel about. Is english easier than eecs? Probably, but that doesn't mean its easy, it just means its less difficult. Sakky, really think about what you're saying, are you sure there aren't any long running bias that are clouding your oppinion?</p>
<p>Oh, come on GS, you don't think that when there is smoke, there is at least a little bit of fire? You don't think that what the Committee on Teaching found (as shown in the link I presented previously) proves my case just a little bit? </p>
<p>Look, GS, the fact is, there is truth to the allegation that the humanities tend to be easier, on average, than the math/sciences. And not just at Berkeley, but nationwide. This is something that has been documented by numerous studies. It's an uncomfortable fact, but it is a fact. </p>
<p>Nobody is saying that Berkeley humanities are truly 'easy', but you admitted yourself that they are probably easier than math/science. That's where it all starts. That's why some people have the attitudes that you dislike. I don't think that ALL humanities are easier than ALL math/science. But it is the case that the humanities do tend to have certain majors that are notoriously easy. </p>
<p>What I think should actually happen is that the humanities profs should all get together and admit that there is some poison in the system and work to increase the rigor of their programs and purge themselves of the profs and courses that are notoriously easy. By doing that for awhile, the humanities would rebuild their reputation. It wasn't that long ago when the humanities were considered to be just as hard as any other discipline. For various reasons (i.e. grade inflation during the Vietnam War era to help students avoiding the draft,etc.), the humanities developed a reputation for lighter work and higher grades. The humanities could reclaim its mantle if it wanted to. And I think that truly dedicated humanities students would want this to happen, because it would allow the humanities departments to purge themselves of lazy students. </p>
<p>Whether you think it is fair or not, it is those lazy students and those extremely easy courses that give the humanities a bad name. I agree that it's not fair, but what are you going to do. If I choose to publicly associate myself with criminals, then people are going to suspect that I am a criminal myself. It may not be fair, but that's life. Now, I'm not saying that lazy students are criminals, but the same sort of thinking applies. </p>
<p>
[quote]
a chart that shows how many people get expelled, how many of them are from engineering, or what their high school GPA/SAT was
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm afraid I don't have that. That's pretty darn sensitive information that I'm sure Berkeley would not want to have released publicly. However, if you are a Berkeley student, you may be able to convince somebody in the Office of the Registrar to release some information about that. You may need to get some help from ASUC, however.</p>
<p>I already said in a couple of posts that I suspect that most math/science majors are a bit tougher than most humanities majors, but that doesn't change the fact that some people say that humanities classes are easy. There's a big difference between being "less difficult" and being "easy." Plus, I think some people are inherently better at certain things, which shows up when you see some one with 800 on their verbal portion of the sat and 550 on math, or vice versa. I'll ask the eecs student who is having a really tough time if he thinks the English major is easy. I'm pretty sure he'll admit that its not. And I can't comment on the majors that you think are filled with slackers because I'm not sure which ones you're talking about (a suspect ___ studies). As I've said, I'm and english major, so I feel comfortable talking about the difficulty in that major, but I do know that none of the big humanites majors are "easy" in any sense. Maybe there are some small programs full of football players that I don't know about, but from what I've seen everythings pretty tough.</p>
<p>Well, GS, surely you must agree that the football players have to major in SOMETHING. Let's face it. Most of them aren't exactly geniuses, nor are they trying to study particularly hard. Don't get me wrong - it's not really they're fault. If I had a shot at getting into the NFL, I probably wouldn't study very hard either.</p>
<p>The same holds true of the men's basketball team. While I don't know what classes Jason Kidd took, he was doing something to stay eligible.</p>
<p>Yeah, the football players and basketball players have to take something, but I've never had a class with one and I have no idea what they take. It seems unfair to me to call out a large population of students based on the slacking/stupidity of a group of athletes.</p>
<p>I'm just using the athletes as symptoms of larger problems. Come on, GS, at least the athletes have an excuse for not being the greatest students. Like I said, if I had a shot at getting into the NFL, I probably wouldn't study very hard either. However, there are plenty of other Berkeley students who, let's be honest, are neither athletes nor particularly studious either. You know it's true. You've seen it, and I've seen it. For example, just walk down frat-house row and you will see guys who have barely lifted a finger for weeks, and probably spend more hours of the week drinking and partying than they do studying. These guys are majoring in SOMETHING.</p>
<p>Okay, getting back on topic.</p>
<p>No the Economics major isn't easy if you want A's. People actually have to study for the courses. Many engineering majors take Economics for their electives because it's related to mathematics, and yes, they have to study for Economics too.</p>
<p>hey all-
i was just wondering how difficult would it be for a community college student to get admitted to berkeley's econ dept?
thanks</p>
<p>First you got to get admitted to the university itself, then once you are here, you have to apply to the Econ dept. to get admitted to the major, since it is capped.</p>
<p>I'm intending to major in business. But I don't want to just leave economics behind as a major. What's the general opinion about getting a simultaneous degree in business and economics?</p>
<p>i dont know if you already know this, but at berkeley, you have to apply into haas (business) after your second year, and i know a lot of people start off as econ majors and enter haas after their second year</p>
<p>Well, nobody can really "start" as an econ major. Economics is impacted, which means that not everybody can declare the econ major. You have to prove that you're worthy to enter the major, which basically means that you have to get good grades in econ classes.</p>
<p>So plenty of people come to Berkeley hoping to get into Haas, but don't get in. Then they try to major in Econ, and they can't get into that either.</p>
<p>I thought going into haas you needed to be pre-bus? Is that just an advisory thing?</p>
<p>You can call yourself anything you want while you're trying to get into Haas. The key is to be taking those Haas prereq classes and getting good grades in them.</p>