"Difficulty" of 200/300/400 level undergrad classes?

[mcsangel2]

I dropped out of college the first time around, in the early-mid 90s. I was flaky, didn't know what I wanted to do, skipped classes, basically didn't care. (At least there were no SLs - first semester was paid by my parents then after that it's been all oop for me).

I stumbled into accounting in 1996, and I've been working in it ever since. I finally went back to school in 2010, for fun (language) and decided to try it again. I was close to finishing an AA, so I did that, and now I'm finishing my AS before I can transfer to the state university and get my accounting degree.

I found my arts classes much easier (even when they were time consuming) than I am finding my business classes. Not first year gen ed stuff, but basic business stuff specific to my major; in particular Economics 212 that I am in right now. Granted, I'm doing it in a 5 week summer session, but it is really kicking my butt. I did a general business class and excel class in the spring, that were time consuming but not hard (They were 100 level), and in the first 5 week summer session I did ECN 211 but even that one was not as hard as ECN 212 is proving to be.

I will get an A in it, but with more effort than I've had to expend before, and again I know it being a 5 week semester makes it tougher. I think part of my problem is because I was one of those kids that never had to study all the way through high school because good grades came easily. So I never learned how to study well/effectively. I am much better about it since I came back in 2010, and I am pulling a 4.0 since that point.

My question is...not counting gen ed requirements, but classes specific to your major, did you feel there was an obvious step up in level of difficulty in your classes as you went from the 200 to the 300 to the 400 level? Or were 300 and 400 pretty much the same, and it just depended on your teacher or the material?

I feel like I need to really prepare myself mentally for the classes to get continually more difficult if that's the case. I still have calculus and statistics to do which has me worried enough. I had kind of thought that the remaining business classes I'll have left at the uni wouldn't be as difficult as those math classes. I would really like to hear about your experiences.

[cosmos]

really depended on the class. I found 300 level Genetics easier than 100 level Chemistry, bc Chem was a weed out class, and I'm really good in Genetics/Stats. I also thought 300 level O-Chem was easier than General Chem as well. But I quit the major before taking many 300-400 level classes, so I don't know if thats true all around. I'm thinking if I had hit Microbiology and Anatomy, the classes probably would have been much more difficult.

In Poli Sci (the major I graduated in), all of the classes were easy regardless of level, so...

[gt7301b]

I didn't find there to be that much of a difference in the level of difficulty of classes once I got into my major classes, but they were sooooooo much easier than the core classes I had to take. I think a lot of it had to do with I was actually interested in the information.  (and some of the core classes are notorious for being weed out classes)

I did take some grad level classes (with in my major) that were more challenging than any of the classes I took as an undergrad.

[Deleted]

I majored in history. The difference came in expected page length of papers: 8-10 pgs. vs. 20ish. Other than that they were basically the same and were often cross listed.

[Deleted]

It depended on the subject IME.  The higher level classes were actually easier for me, especially in one of my majors since it was something I really liked (history).  I'm also far better at essay type tests vs multiple choice settings, and my higher level classes had more of the essays involved during exams. 

[lime]

It totally depends on the subject.

My grad/undergrad are in engineering and the 300s were much harder than the 200s. The 400s were also a step up and grad school was another tough step. We definitely lost a lot of students at each step.

[explorer2001]

My worst classes were 200 level physics, calculus 2, and a couple of 500 level graduate accounting courses (international tax through the law school, and multi-jurisdictional tax).

The classes all built on each other in my accounting program, so in 330 you needed to know what you should have learned in 230, 240, and 250. It wasn't ever hard, per se, but it was cumulative. Then again I was 18-23 when I did those programs and had minimal outside responsibilities, which honestly makes a huge difference.

One thing that really helped me was relational learning - basically this new thing is a lot like this old thing but different in these ways. Then I didn't have to memorize everything just how it was different. My straight volume and memorization based classes where the hardest.

Oh and pm me some time if you want the easy way to figure debited and credits. It's a half page of basic algebra and you will never have a problem with what is increased by a debit or decreased by a credit again.

[nsl]

I agree with the others that upper division classes in my major were certainly more challenging than lower division classes, but since I really enjoyed the subject they were far less onerous as well.

[StJess80]

Depends on the subject. I always thought the 100 level classes were the hardest.

[Deleted]

In my majors, 300-level classes tended to be broader (for instance "Survey of 20th Century Spanish Literature"), while the subject matter at the 400-level was very focused (like a seminar on the love letters written by one author). There were some exceptions -- Grammar 301 was a pre-req to Grammar 401, but neither was more specific. 401 was just more advanced.

Also, most 400-level Spanish classes were cross-listed with graduate-level courses, so there were grad students in them.

I don't think that 300-level courses were necessarily easier than 400-level.

I don't remember how 300s and 400s worked in philosophy.

[littlemisssunshine]

I went back to get my master's, but I had to pick up 6 undergrad classes as well since my bachelor's wasn't in the same field as my master's. The 100 level undergrad was a piece of cake, as was 200. 300 and 400 was not necessarily more difficult, just more work. They expect more reading, more projects and papers, but I didn't think it was that much harder. Also, the subject matter really made the difference in difficulty. Undergrad stats kicked my butt and proved much, much more difficult than all my grad level business classes. Actually I had to take it twice to pass.

Also, summer school sucks. The amount of work crammed into 5 weeks is awful.

[hbomdiggity]

For engineering, 300-400 is more in depth/complicated material, but 100s are weed-out courses. The material is more basic and not as hard, but the teaching method makes the classes difficult.

[holly116]

I have a finance degree and all my 200 level classes were business core classes. So basically, the weed out classes. Anyone could take them but you had to apply and be accepted to the business school to take 300-400 major specific classes. Calc also fell into this category. That being said, I found my upper level finance classes to be manageable because I really enjoyed them (which is why I majored in finance...). Also, I found that my major classes didn't build on each other as much. I took a real estate class, a couple of different types of law classes. Really things that just interested me.

However, the additional upper level accounting, stats and econ classes that were also required for finance majors really, really kicked my ass. I would seriously try and mentally prepare yourself for those classes. It will be harder than your lower level classes and will build on your 200 level classes.

I feel you on the summer classes too. I had to take my 5 semester credit hour calc class over summer session so I could apply to get into the business school before my junior year (I had transferred and changed my major a few times). And then, since I had wasted so much time earlier, by the time senior year rolled around, I walked in May's graduation and then took 18 hours of all 400 level classes over the summer to finish before starting my new job that August. I almost died. It has taken me a good decade to look back fondly on my college experience!

[Deleted]

Yes, at my school the higher numbered courses tended to require a lot more reading/studying and the test questions tended to be a lot more specific and involved a deeper level of knowledge. So a 101 course would be mostly multiple choice with a couple of essays and reading the book and attending lecture usually meant you'd do well. A 400 level course required reading the materials multiple times, studying notes in class, and really thinking through the concepts and making connections between different pieces of information and using critical thinking to draw conclusions.

I honestly didn't think any of my undergrad courses were unmanageable, but I definitely had to work harder at the higher level ones.

[Deleted]

Generally, yes, the higher level the course, the harder it was. Because my classes tended to be writing-based instead of exam-based, that meant the upper level classes had more and longer written assignments that required more original research and analysis.

ETA: I also wasn't in a program that had "weed out" type of courses, at least until law school.

[hocus2]

I found that the second level classes were the hardest. I think it was because these classes were considered "tests" for those who should go on in the major or not.  Overall I liked organic chemistry far more than the main 100 level class. I found my higher level biology classes more interesting (and to some degree more work, though not always) and therefore more enjoyable.

Some of the classes that kicked my butt were fairly low level. I think I had read over 1000 pages for my history classes. It was just hard to get it in.
 

[niq]

It varies a ton by department and school. There's usually a big "weeder" class at some point and everything past that might be hard but at least won't be a ton of work. For the weeder class was 2nd semester sophomre year.

That's in the sciences. I never took any humanities classes with just a crush of reading, so I can't really talk about that workload.

[hski2349]

I was an Applied Math major and I found the earlier classes were harder in the sense that they were weed out classes. The upper level 300 and 400 classes were easier for me because it was more application and focused. By the end of sophomore and junior year I had the flow down with college. I learned the ways of studying that worked for me.

[Deleted]

I really didn't notice a lot of difference in level of course--if I had interest and apptitude in the topic of the course, I did well. Sadly, I spent the first 5 semesters in a major that met neither requirement, ha!

[alleinesein]

Poli Sci major with a minor in Criminal Justice.

My 200 level (there were no 100 level courses in my major) poli sci courses were not hard but some of them had a ton of busy work. They were also huge lectures with a lot of students who werent poli sci majors and had no real interest in the class- they just wanted to get their social science gen ed requirement done.

I had to take 5 upper division (300 or higher) level electives that werent in my major as part of my gen ed for my degree. Not counting the upper division english class that I took they were all relatively easy for me but I also took classes that I wanted to take.

My lower division Criminal Justice classes were horrible. I took them online and it was non stop writing; one class had an assignment due every 4 days and each assignment was the equivalent of an 8-10 page research paper. The upper division classes didnt have much in terms of 'homework' but they were boring.

I have taken classes at 2 community colleges and 3 universities and found that all of the 100/200 level classes at all of the schools I've been to were just bogged down with needless busy work and the upper division classes had relatively little in terms of assignments but also less opportunities to be graded on knowledge (2 tests and 1 paper).

[gibbinator]

There is often more volume of work in the 3-4000 level courses, but diffuser tends to depend on the professor

[macmars45]

For the most part each level up was just more work. Longer papers and more reading. I probably wrote 5-6 papers a week. 10 pagers for the most part until 400 level, then 15-20 pagers.

[Marmee]

In Architecture I never thought they got more difficult. Maybe even easier as they progressed, especially grad school. It took s lot of time, physical effort & creativity but not neccessarily brain power except maybe Structures.. Non-Arch majors couldnt take upper level Arch classes so they were very specific. I loved college & grad. the only semi difficult classes for me were the general Ed stuff...level 100s/200s in stuff like languages or English. I hated those classes.

[M]

I doubled in econ and finance. 100 and 200 classes were more fundamentals and basics of the major. 300 classes were more specific and in depth about a particular subject. 400s were like finishing up courses where you write research papers.  The 300s were fun and interesting and I felt like they were easier but probably because I was interested in them.

But I think it's different for each major. I nearly finished another major in Poli Sci but didn't take the final 400 course where I was required to write a final research paper. Those course levels were based on levels of difficulty. As I went up levels...so did the number of pages my papers had to be and more difficult the courses got.  I didn't do the final paper because the professor heading it was a hard ass.  I took one of her 300 courses and I begged her to give me extra credit work and barely got a B out of her class. 

So I think it depends on the course, how interested you are in them, and the professor teaching it. 

[Deleted]

I struggled the most with my second year math courses (differential equations and advanced calculus). By the time I made it to third year engineering, it felt like profs were no longer out to fail people and weed out, and far more supportive in getting us through. Third year sucked for work volume, though - it was the only year I did 6 classes at once and I think 5 of them were engineering.

I think different majors and schools are very different experiences, though. DH went through math and then education; his education classes were technically 300 and 400 level and he had to write papers about his feelings. It was ridiculous.

[Deleted]

For me personally, I felt like my upper level courses were much harder than my lower level courses. My major was nutrition. The lower level classes were things like Intro to Nutrition and Nutrition Across the Lifespan. They were pretty basic. Upper level courses were things like Metabolic Nutrition and Nutritional Biochemistry. My H majored in chemistry and I think he would agree that his upper level courses were much more difficult.

Upper level courses were a tad bit easier in the sense that I usually only had 15-30 people in my class, whereas I had 400+ people in my lower level courses. But the material itself was still a lot harder.

[arterr0]

I was a BS Chem major (which was much harder than the BA chem major, at my univ at least). We didn't really have very many 300 level classes. Junior and senior level major classes were all 400 level. It basically went from 100 level, which was super easy if you had a strong chem base from high school, to 200 level (organic & analytical chem), which were moderately challenging, to 400 level which felt f-Ing impossible a good chunk of the time.

[steph96]

I really think it depends on the school and major.

I went for accounting and finance. I didn't have to write many papers. I found that the further along you were, the less "fluff" you had to do. Instead of having 30 small assignments to test our knowledge, we would just have a few big tests. If you have your basics down, it shouldn't be too terribly bad.

Statistics and calculus were tough. I would actually recommend taking one of those over the summer. I found that taking the hardest classes over the summer made it easier since I could focus 100% on that class.

[ellipses84]

I didn't notice much difference between 200 and 400 level classes, but the 400s did build on the earlier courses. I also think the professors play a huge part of it. I struggled most in 200 level physics and calculus classes. For calculus, one day, it just clicked and I completely understood everything and started doing great. For physics, I failed the first test (first time ever) along with the few other people in my major who were in the class. Our friends in the same class with a different professor were doing great. I managed to get a C, the worst grade of my college career, and I made sure to take the other professor the next term and got an A with less effort. I always tried to get a great study partner for any other difficult classes.

[heygrey]

we had set 100 and 200 level courses, but very few specific 300 level that had to be completed before a 400 level. in a small school with few majors, they only offered some classes once every two years so you'd take those 3rd or 4th year depending how the calendar fell. 300-400 level were definitely more difficult than 100-200, and like V mentioned, they got a lot more specific. i have a BA in Religion, specific to one particular denomination, and in 4th year we had an entire class on the doctrine of holiness. very, very specific topic. also, the worst class i have ever taken.

i was totally the kid who skated by without studying much, but still kept a consistent A- average and somehow managed to keep that up in college. i've thought a few times about getting my masters, but i know it would be a huge shock to me and i'd probably hate it because it actually requires work. academically ambitious, i am not