<p>We all hear of some of the "infamously impossible courses" of each subject area. For example, in chemistry/pre-med it's organic chem, in physics it's Quantum Mechanics, in math it's Real Analysis (or some redonculously high level of Calc). I was wondering if anybody could enlighten me of the hardest classes at this school. For example, what is the hardest class/greatest challenge in a field such as Poly Sci, IR, Woodrow Wilson (for Princeton's case), Sociology, Econ, Psych, English? What Philosopher's works are considered the most difficult to read and comprehend? Etc.</p>
<p>Your best bet would probably be to look at the CUE guide for classes (by department), and see which have the highest difficulty & workload rankings.</p>
<p>An accelerated Asian language gets my vote for the hardest class. Two hours a day plus language lab, and they cover the same material as many four-year programs.</p>
<p>VES 50 is also notorious.</p>
<p>For math, go no further than the hardest freshman math class (not only at Harvard, in the nation,) Math 55.</p>
<p>Hard English class? Ha ha there is no such thing. Perhaps a good intensive course in Joyce.</p>
<p>I beg to differ.</p>
<p>Every English class that I shopped this week was very intense, not only because the reading was dense, but because you're expected to analyze at a pretty high level.</p>
<p>The hardest class is the one in a field you are least interested in and are weakest in.
Apparently there are about 45 students in Math 55 this year.</p>
<p>Marite is definitely correct. LS1a (the new course) has a lot of dense reading, but I don't particularly mind. Plus, there are three-hour discussion sections/labs once per week. There's also an optional review session every Friday. There are also optional study groups three times a week, two hours each time. I love it! The professors' lectures are wonderful and they really go out of their way (a 300+ people class, by the way) to answer questions by E-mail and to meet with you in person.</p>
<p>My Korean class meets twice a week for 3 hours. I love that too. There's tons of vocabulary and speaking, but it's really great and there's so much attention.</p>
<p>I also am taking a Freshman Seminar in Korean History and we have literally 200 pages to read per week (and since there are only 4 people in the class, it's hard not to read it and get away with it). But the stuff is interesting so it's really cool.</p>
<p>I'm guessing the hardest classes here are definitely the ones you detest; however, unless you're doing premedical requirements (in which case, you should love science classes anyway or else you should seriously think about the profession), you can basically pick and choose whatever you want here.</p>
<p>My son at H. told me that they were told not to take Math 55 unless they were among the top 100 math students in the country. But, then again, perhaps those 45 fit that description!</p>
<p>From what I've heard, a lot drop out of Math 55. Are we still in the shopping period? Perhaps some of those will drop out.</p>
<p>Yes, it's still shopping period. So yeah, some people will likely drop out. Still, Harvard first-years are unabashedly overambitious, so more than a few will stick around.</p>
<p>Last year, 11 out of 25 were left after 3 weeks.
Correction to this year's numbers after 2 classes: it's 55, not 45.</p>
<p>saxfreq: most definitely. i have a pretty "good" courseload with my life sci class, my beginning calc (xa) class, my korean class and freshman seminar. several others i know are going nuts; they have physics 16, math 55, life 1a... and i was telling them, "do you want to burn out now or like a week later?"</p>
<p>Haha, yeah, I'll be honest; my academic advisor is advising me not to go forward with my current courseload because he thinks it'll be suicide. I think this semester is going to be sink/swim for most of us.</p>
<p>I'm not really sure where this 'Harvard students don't work hard' rumor comes from; from where I'm sitting, it's pretty false.</p>
<p>Definitely. I've been working pretty hard this past week. By no means have I had it "easy".</p>
<p>It depends on who you ask, but many would agree that Kant, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein and pretty tough to read for various reasons.
Plato's Republic is supposed to be read and re-read, and some are just hard to understand, like Sartre's Being and Nothingness.</p>
<p>
[quote]
like Sartre's Being and Nothingness.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hahahahahahahahahaha.</p>
<p>
[quote]
would agree that Kant,
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The Arthur Kingsley Porter chair at Harvard also happens to be a Kantian scholar. She makes the readings less abstruse (though you must still do the work), and is an articulate and incisive professor. The philosophy department is, taken as a whole, outstanding. Though the work is rigorous, professors understand that the material is difficult and they are more than generous in providing help. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein and pretty tough to read for various reasons.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I do not know if we have different standards, but they are not recondite. It is certainly dry, but hardly as difficult as contemporary philosophy of language or science.</p>
<p>Edit: From perusing Harvard Philosophy's syllabi, 'Quantum Mechanics and Determinism' (I think that is the title) seems most rigorous and difficult.</p>
<p>I'm scared :(</p>
<p>What is math55? What type of math do they do in there?</p>