Probably depends on the college...but what courses are typically 'weeder' courses?

<p>question above^- what subjects/major, etc. fall into the category in general? like the math/science courses maybe?</p>

<p>Organic chemistry, especially for premeds.</p>

<p>Calc II seems to have a somewhat bimodal distribution of grades, from what I have heard anecdotally.</p>

<p>There are some psych classes that are weeder classes as well.</p>

<p>Also, no offense, but do you really have to make a thread about everything…ever? Most of the info you get on here won’t even be applicable to you, and it’s okay to let some things be a surprise anyways.</p>

<p>Where I go to school the weeder courses tend to be the lower level math and science classes like Calc I and II, Gen Chem, and Physics I and II. Our intro level Calc classes are a bit different than most others though…</p>

<p>No, I don’t make a thread about everything. Yes, I had lots of questions that I just thought of tonight. Sorry if it’s bothersome to you, Roxsox. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I don’t really like surprised all that much.</p>

<p>With the exception of Organic Chemistry, weeder classes are usually freshman classes that aspiring engineers and scientists have to take. </p>

<p>These introductory math and science courses (ex. calculus, physics) require a typical student to put a great deal of time in for studying. Many students are used to coasting in high school and have not yet developed college academic skills, and as a result have tremendous difficulty coping.</p>

<p>Any course that teaches concepts that are relatively “alien” and require new ways of thinking could be felt to be a weeder course by victims. Some people complain about economics and accounting classes, which I guess would fall under this.</p>

<p>So for first semester if I’m thinking of taking courses in my freshman writing gateway class, history, econ, and music (lessons & ensembles, because I’m a music major), those should be ok. Although music ones require a lot of time practicing.</p>

<p>Here I think that for business the weeder courses are generally calculus, statistics, accounting I and microeconomics. Most people find at least one of those quite tough, and if you find them all tough and don’t do well you’re probably not gonna be admitted in to the business school. </p>

<p>I only found statistics to be tough but damn did it kick my ass. Hoping I got a B on it (took it as a summer course, just finished today).</p>

<p>You might have some music courses that are weeders. I know a lot of people with the mindset that a music major is “easy” and go into it solely for that purpose. They end up with a nasty shock.</p>

<p>Oh I don’t think a music major is easy. Lots of practice time. Lots of people that I’ve met say it’s really hard and that’s why you have to love it a lot in order to do all that work.</p>

<p>Weeder courses separate the STEM from the not STEM or the not cut out to be STEM.</p>

<ol>
<li>Can’t speak for the math classes since I placed out of Calc I and II. Calc III didn’t really seem that much like a weeder class (it was naturally just hard, and the instructor wasn’t really trying to fail anyone). Stats was pretty easy too.</li>
<li>General Chem is a pretty big weeder class. Especially when you take the lab portion of the class.</li>
<li>In my opinion, there’s too much hype about Orgo. They say its a weeder class, and it kinda is, but it definitely isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. If people say its really hard, its probably because they didn’t work hard enough. I found Orgo to be pretty easy due to working hard (unlike Gen Chem where hard work still didn’t help me out that much >:O). </li>
<li>Bio classes are also big weeder classes. My professor for Bio 1 curved the class so that the class average was a 75 (so basically half the people got a C or worse). </li>
<li>From my experience, physics hasn’t really been a weeder course. The life science version of physics is pretty laid back at my school.</li>
<li>Of course, this is about pre-med weeder courses. I can’t speak for engineering, business, etc.</li>
</ol>

<p>Freshman biology, general chemistry, differential equations (but not multi calc), and intro physics for my school. Mostly pre-med requirements for people who aren’t multi-talented in all the random math and sciences pre-meds are forced to take. Intro physics (I and II) is by far the weediest weeder course. It takes out both engineers and pre-meds by the dozens. And agreed with above, organic chemistry is not a weeder course. Most people who would be weeded out by organic chem don’t take it first year (maybe take gen chem instead) and get KO’d by the first year courses. Those who do take it first year obviously had AP/IB credit in gen chem and are mostly self-selected to well in class. Also, organic chemistry is easy. Forget what they say about understanding it, you can memorise it to the final exam. Nowhere near as hard as general chemistry >.></p>

<p>General chemistry was a joke. Don’t know what you’re talking about.</p>

<p>…and that just goes to show that there is certainly no consensus at all on what even common weeder courses.</p>

<p>@theespys69: Class average of 75? That’s not exactly uncommon…</p>

<p>I think that at my community college and future university, people would say it’s definitely general chemistry 1 - those classes are huge, a lot of freshman take it thinking they are pre-med or engineering majors, and when they figure out that it’s not easy, they withdraw or fail. It has one of the highest withdrawal rates. It is not an easy course, even though the material is typically easier than general chem 2. It is done this way because when you have 50,000 students, and half of them declare a major as something like biology, or engineering, you have to weed some of them out, because you don’t have the resources or space to offer a ton of general chem 2 courses, or orgo 1 and 2 courses. So as you go on in the chemistry sequence, the amount of sections for each chemistry course gets smaller and smaller. Then I know that general chem 2 lab is ROUGH - an entire semester of unknowns, and you work on your own all semester. No partners ever. So I’d say that lab is also a weed out course.</p>

<p>At my school it was Intro to Psych, Survey of British Lit, and Creative Writing. Everyonetakes those expecting an “easy A,” but these are purposefully made demanding to weed out those who aren’t really serious about Psych or English.</p>

<p>“@theespys69: Class average of 75? That’s not exactly uncommon…”</p>

<p>The average before the curve was like 60-65ish, and everyone’s grades were curved so that the class average was 75 (curved around a C). I’d imagine this is uncommon since even at public schools, most classes are curved around a B- instead of a C. And of course most private schools would curve around a B or B+.</p>

<p>Organic Chemistry.</p>

<p>At many schools, the median score ranges from B+ to A- or even A. Look at Dartmouth’s median for every class this year. </p>

<p>[Median</a> Grades for Undergraduate Courses - Spring 2011](<a href=“This page has moved”>This page has moved)</p>

<p>^ Axel, keep in mind the caliber of Dartmouth students. With average unweighted high school GPA’s of about 4.0 and SAT’s around 2200, the median Dartmouth student could likely go to their local state school and make the same A- in a class that’s curved to a C. </p>

<p>I can only speak for Wharton and Penn in general. </p>

<p>There aren’t really “weed-out” courses in Wharton. People with GPA’s below 3.0 actually can’t transfer out of Wharton anyway because other colleges at Penn don’t want them, so the hard classes would be “weed-in” courses, which is bizarre. </p>

<p>Even still, these are the hardest Wharton requirements: Math104(not in wharton but it’s required anyway), Acct101, Acct102, Opim101, Bpub250, and just about any Finance class. </p>

<p>At Penn in general: Chem101, Biology 1/2, Orgo, intro Engineering classes </p>

<p>Interestingly, Psyc001 is 100% fluff here. Plenty of high school kids take the summer version. Most people get an A. At other places this class is harshly curved.</p>