<p>LSA seems to get dubbed as the 'bad college' at times around here and I don't know why. </p>
<p>As a prospective premed, I would take almost all my classes within LSA and I have heard many times that premed at UMich is very competitive. I know people may not be referring to the premed courses specifically when jesting at LSA, but what is the truth then?</p>
<p>I know UMich is heavily populated with premeds, many of whom are Asian, South Asian, etc. so what exactly are LSA premed courses? Are they really hard or average in difficulty? The average SAT I of LSA that I saw posted under UMich's 'facts' was 1360/1600, which is good for a state school, but what is the truth about LSA.</p>
<p>I'm just a little confused because I hear that premed is competitive at UMich while on the other hand I read 'L,S, and plAy'. lol</p>
<p>I’m still a senior in high school so I can’t really give you inside experience, but I think it just depends what perspective you’re coming from. I’ve heard “LS&Play” as well, but I’ve also heard “North Campus (Engineering)-Where fun goes to die.” Dozens of Michigan’s programs are ranked nationally and their hospital is one of the top in the nation. I wouldn’t worry a bit about not being perceived competitive enough for med school.</p>
<p>It all depends on how smart you are. I took Orgo and thought that was hard, but others found it easy, and near-aced every test. I’m currently taking Econ (401) and it’s pretty difficult too. I wouldn’t quite say “hard” but it’s not easy to get an A. </p>
<p>The average person at Michigan is no genius, so for a lot, these premed and some of the other hard classes will be very difficult. If you are very smart, these classes may all be easy for you. </p>
<p>I think generally when people say “LS&Play,” meaning that all the LSA classes are very easy, they’re not talking about ALL the classes. I know I wouldn’t do too well in Orgo II personally. </p>
<p>If you’re the type who’s trying to decide between Harvard and Michigan because Michigan offered you a big pile of money, whatever classes you take will probably be pretty easy for you. If you’re just the average guy Michigan admits, premed classes will probably be fairly difficult for you.</p>
<p>Depends on the courses you’re taking. If you’re an engineer or business student taking a bunch of women’s studies classes, then of course you’re going to jump on the LSPlay boat. If you’re a premed or math major, quite the opposite.</p>
<p>i agree with harr. it all depends on what your concentration is. if you are a psych or women’s studies major, then LSA will be a cake walk. if you are a biochemistry or math major, it’ll be tough.</p>
<p>it’s the L and the A part that gives it the rep. I mean, of course some of the math and science classes are hard, engineers have to take them. But if you just go to a random LSA course a lot of times you’ll look at it and go why is this important and/or why is this a class.</p>
<p>MLDWoody is basically right. From what I’ve heard from friends at Umich (I’m still a senior in high school so take whatever I say with a grain of salt) the Literature and Humanities classes are a lot easier than most of the science/math courses. Now whether you find value in all the courses is up for debate. In High School I loved the AP math classes and the AP History/Social Science classes . I was bored by most of my AP science classes except for Physics and parts of Bio. I still hate chemistry to this day.</p>
<p>I mean do I really need to know how to calculate the pH of a solution made by adding x moles of substance A to y milliliters of a z-molar solution of substance B if I’m interested in jobs in finance or consulting? Of course not. ViggyRam, most of the stuff you learn as an undergrad you won’t need as doctor, even the pre-reqs. So basically the courses are there to teach you how to think critically. My advice: take a variety of classes, you might just learn a thing or two. </p>
<p>And besides everyone knows Chemistry is just a pseudoscience anyway. It’s just alchemy in disguise :p</p>
<p>Well, I’d be a premed in LSA, so I guess I’m talking about the bio, chem, physics, math, english, psych, and the like courses. So, input on those courses would be helpful. </p>
<p>And, I guess if I go to UMich I’d be an above average UMich student. My SAT was 2300 and GPA is 4.0 but at an easy school. I’m basically worried that I’ll end up going to UMich with a mindset of ‘wow, everyone said LSA is easy so I should be fine’ and then get hit with reality.</p>
<p>Is there any sort of gauge to sort of predict how well I’d do?</p>
<p>I actually only heard of the term “L S and play” from one not-so-smart engineering student who constantly complain about LSA kids having an easier time.
I do recall meeting some freshmen last year saying they’re premed majors, in a very cocky manner.
However, I, like most people in general, don’t really care.</p>
<p>It basically comes down to “I’m a _____ (humanities, arts, or joke science) major in LSA and I am learning about ‘feelings’ or some civilization that doesn’t matter anymore” well “I’m an engineering major and I work my ass off day after day to get by.”</p>
<p>Hence the L S and plAy. But again, that’s not all the LSA stuff. I mean you gotta respect physics, math, economics, medical, etc. But I don’t really for screen arts womens studies, or philosophy.</p>
<p>"I actually only heard of the term “L S and play” from one not-so-smart engineering student who constantly complain about LSA kids having an easier time. "</p>
<p>I hear it from LSA students all the time, hardly ever here it from people who aren’t in LSA… Except online of 'course.</p>
<p>"We can hate on psych and women’s studies but I hear Philosophy can be difficult depending on the specific branch of philosophy. "</p>
<p>Almost every subject can probably be difficult. If it’s easy, take harder classes.</p>
<p>Philosophy serves little purpose IMO. What’s a difficult question, memorize these ancient guys no one cares about? Memorize these styles no one cares about? Why? Why not?</p>
<p>Even though I’m only a sophomore in LSA, I believe that it may not necessarily be the major that makes or breaks you (unless you want to go into a specialized field, such as nursing, accounting, or engineering), but what you choose to do with it. Why not study something that interests you, rather than slug along for 4 years majoring in something in which you have no passion. There’s no guarantee that you’ll be making six figures right out of college with ANY major, so why not major in something you love? This may seem misguided, but at a school with practically every major ranked in the top 10, your success at Michigan may depend on more than how math or science-based your field is.</p>
<p>The distribution is what kills it for lsa. They have to take so many credits of classes that they really dont care about, so obviously they would take the easiest ones. Also, its not so much the ease as it is the amount of time spent doing work. Engineers complain alot because they are always doing a lot of technical busy work. LSA students at least in the humanities tend to have a few large papers as their work. It doesnt mean its easier(although many times it can be), it just seems like LSA students are spending less time working.</p>
<p>I don’t believe engineering is “busy” work. I believe there is more of it and its harder. But I’d rather be programming, doing math, or solving problems all day than reading a fiction book that plays no importance in the world or learning about ancient philosophers.</p>
<p>And to the poster that said something about following your passion. That’s a nice thought. You can go ahead and follow ur LSA passion of literature or womens studies (designated scapegoat in this thread). I hope it works out for you. But in a world where understanding math, science, and computers is increasingly important I wouldn’t expect to have that great of a lifestyle.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that all liberal arts majors are incredible people destined to be writers, teachers, and world-renowned artists who change the world, nor am I saying that all engineers and science majors are all money-hungry, arrogant people. Both liberal arts and science majors contribute in different ways to society. </p>
<p>Also, I find it hard to believe that majoring in a certain subject will automatically lead to a high-paying job, even with a high GPA. If one doesn’t have good interviewing skills, then even the most gifted chemist or engineer may have trouble securing employment.</p>
<p>And one more thing. If you’re not going to become an engineer, a mathematician, or a teacher when you graduate, when would you use calculus or even organic chemistry in real life? So if we’re talking about applying classroom knowledge to real life, I’m not so sure that people majoring in the hard sciences are that much better off.</p>
<p>I tend to think being completely incapable of recognizing the value of variety in skill sets is a pretty big flaw both in terms of character and general intelligence.</p>
I’m pretty clear you’ve never studied philosophy – at least properly. You should trial-balloon that attitude you’ve developed about the field by a recruiter. You might be surprised that philosophy is one of the favored disciplines for employers, and for good reason.
Content shifts, and is exponential, far outpacing the capacity for delivery via instruction. Comprehending the logic of logic is timeless.
So the study of philosophy is valuable for the same reasons your core ENG courses are valuable – transferable approaches to analysis and problem-solving.
Don’t be too quick to hate on liberal arts. Every single commodity that requires an engineer and subsequently employs one is driven by the careful examination or manipulation of human nature, which is studied in the liberal arts ;)</p>