<p>In the debate about engineering vs. the liberal arts, I think it simply comes down to doing what you love. Many people who choose to major in philosophy or psychology are perfectly competent in math and science; they just prefer their chosen area more. It works the opposite way as well. Many engineering students are able to think outside the box and would be successful in a liberal arts major but enjoy crunching numbers and equations. </p>
<p>If accepted to UofM I plan to pursue communications and sociology. I’m not ashamed to admit that I want to major in what are considered the ‘easy’ fields of study but by no means am I not competent in math or science. I am enrolled in AP Calculus, Physics, and English at my high school and maintaining an A average in each. I simply choose communications because I enjoy it a much greater deal. However, I understand that without liberal arts majors AND engineers there would be a great loss to the world. One is not better or harder than the other, they are simply different. </p>
<p>The true ‘easy’ thing to do is to close yourself off and become unaccepting towards everybody else. The harder thing to do is to realize that every area of study is significant and important in its own way.</p>
<p>Perfectly fine if you think that, but I believe that you are going to alienate a lot of people with that kind of attitude. </p>
<p>I think the world would be better off if there weren’t conceited people who think that their major is the best one. Like I said before, one is not harder than the other, they are simply different.</p>
<p>livelife, do you come from an affluent family because i heard one reason why some people major in liberal arts is because they don’t feel the need to earn too much money because they are rich.</p>
<p>Also when people say we need both liberal arts majors and eng majors, it’s a bit misleading, because U is not a requirement in life, and going into liberal arts usually entails being in worse financial situation than you would be in without going to college. An HS grad can learn whatever liberal arts in free time while doing a part time job and living cheap.</p>
<p>tentai- If your post was sarcastic and I didn’t catch it, I’m going to feel really dumb. However, I believe it was an honest question so I’ll answer. </p>
<p>I do not come from an especially affluent family. My dad has been unemployed for four years and my mom’s salary is steadily decreasing. I don’t know the exact number, but I believe our family income is around sixy thousand per year. I also live in a very small town where the average income is about half that. I’m well aware that becoming a journalist will not entail a large salary, but it’s always been my dream. </p>
<p>Just to point out, my mom is a veterinarian and my dad used to be a math professor at MSU and LCC, so it’s not as if I was never exposed to those fields. </p>
<p>But just imagine if all the books, newpapers, television programs etc. were gone. That’s all just as important. I’m sure somebody will reply and say, “What if all the computers and architecture were gone?” but it’s just my opinion.</p>
<p>It’s not like those things require college education, it’s just how the system is set up. Even if the university system was abolished all those things will continue.</p>
<p>Difficulty of major definitely depends on the person in question, but you can’t seriously believe that no major is harder than another; that they’re all “simply different”. Yea, you might have a one off case of a kid who has a brilliant mathematical mind but has terrible verbal/writing skills, and thus may find math easier than psych, but that is far from the norm.</p>
<p>“I’m still going on record as saying if there were no engineers we’d be worse off than if there were no liberal arts majors… hypothetically”</p>
<p>There is no point in speculating how much better off the world will be with only either liberal arts majors or engineering majors; it will never happen. I can think of some ridiculous situations, too, and use that as “proof,” but the engineer in me thinks that’s really weak.</p>
<p>Unless you like reading about engineering ALL the time, and you don’t watch movies, read ESPN, etc., then you need liberal arts majors to enjoy life.</p>
<p>Many engineers work on things that many people will find to be useless. In the same way you find fiction novels to be useless, others may think iPhones are. Just because you are an engineer doesn’t by default mean you contribute to society in everyone’s view. Don’t take credit for the work of the few (relatively) engineers who actually do change the world.</p>
<p>Edit: By the way, using women’s studies as your primary example of a liberal arts major is like me using iPhone development as a primary example of engineering - it’s just a stupid argument. If you’re only going to consider rigorous engineering, then you must also consider rigorous liberal arts in order to make a fair comparison.</p>
Your ignorance is astounding, and I am hoping that when you get yourself ‘edumecated’ you will see the error in your ways. So let me edumecate you, since you’re always interested in money ;)</p>
<p>I have, among other things, worked for a large multinational news entity and can assure you that the average NEW hire in my former company had a minimum of a specialized journalism degree and increasingly a masters (and usually from an institution such as Columbia.) Further, there is not in my direct experience much difference in terms of salary between the management team at my former company and the management team in an average engineering capacity. I speak from direct experience and exposure to such things. I have also consulted with one of the top four consulting firms in North America, and for what its worth, can attest that talent comes from a plethora of disciplines not exclusive to STEM but typically rigorous in depth.</p>
<p>That is not to say that all majors are created equal, or that, as giants points out, some aren’t quantifiable as more rigorous or demanding. </p>
<p>On a related topic, MLD, what would you call Da vinci? Liberal Arts-ist or Engineer? If you’ve read his notebooks, as many engineering students like to do (and art students, and history students, and premed students…) you might have difficulty answering that question. Which is a good thing!</p>
<p>Da Vinci is… a creative engineer, lol. IDK, that’s not really my point though… I guess I don’t really have a point.</p>
<p>And I only used women’s studies because when I was trying to think of a useless Liberal Arts its the first thing that came to mind. But don’t worry, I am sure there are more.</p>
<p>I also understan the basic concepts and the premise of liberal arts is important and it is good to be well rounded. That doesn’t change the fact I think they are less important than math/science/business/ etc.</p>
<p>MLDWoody, you judge a lot for someone who doesn’t know much about what he’s judging. Again, try to finish your freshman year before telling people about how easy/worthless classes you haven’t even taken are. Anyway, this is now a waste of time for me, so hopefully the OP’s questions were answered sufficiently.</p>
<p>viggy ive been pretty busy so i didn’t respond to your pm, but here it is</p>
<p>either a or b will get u an A, provided that you have some intelligence and most importantly the willingness to succeed.
I have some friends who placed out of calc I from AP but decides to take calc I as an easy A but ends up getting raped. There is a slight advantage to having some background on the materials at times, but at the same time it’s very easy to get cocky and fall behind.</p>
<p>For Orgo it was about an 80%, with a B- average (average % was like 64% I think). If Computer Science counts as a “science,” the average in EECS 203 right now is about a 75% I believe (which will either be a B or B-) and an A will probably be 90%+. The numbers for Orgo and EECS 280 are about the same, each with a B- average. </p>
<p>The worst curve for a class I have seen is Econ 401, which is 25% A-Range, 34% B-Range, 23% C-Range, 18% Fail (and this is a competitive class - it’s quite hard to get an A). The average right now is a 65%, and an A-Range grade is a 75%.</p>
<p>Not all the classes have a strict curve though. I’m in Engr100 where they have a straight scale similar to a typical high school scale, so it depends on the class. </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>Have you actually taken a Philosophy class, other than something like Intro to Philosophy?</p>