When incoming freshmen apply to UO, they usually pick a major they hope will be their future career path: mathematics, business, pre-med, etc. But sometimes, students realize their desired future career path is a lot harder than expected. Why is that?
Urban Dictionary defines a ‘weeder class’ as “a class (typically in college) that is characterized by having a large dropout rate due to rigorous expectations, such as hard tests, impossible studying requirements.”
For example, pre-med students are expected to take difficult courses like organic chemistry, along with high-level physics and math courses that are notoriously hard to pass for most students. This causes many students to switch to a different major, in hopes that they will still be able to have a successful career in a different field. As a result of the difficulty of these classes, they earn the title of a “weeder class.”
A “weeder class” can be detrimental for some students. Imagine taking a required class for your major, using every resource: tutoring, office hours, study groups – and still failing. It’s not because you didn’t care or try hard enough, but because the class was meant to kick at least some people out.
Some students, like Shamica Tendolker, a business major who decided to pursue these classes, said, “I feel like they rush through material and you don’t get the actual learning experience that I would in my smaller classes. “Weeder classes” are really test-heavy, and if you’re not a great test taker, I feel like it makes or breaks your grade in the class.”
These courses don’t exist in every major, and not every student recognizes them. When I asked students at UO about their experiences, some responded with confusion: “What’s a weeder class?” It was very refreshing to hear that not all students are faced with this issue.
There are good things and bad things about the concept of “weeder classes:” they’re competitive, they really push you to learn the material and they make sure everyone in those courses is dedicated. On the other hand, if you do decide to change your major late in your college career, you might not graduate in four years and will end up paying for more classes and tuition than anticipated.
David Peterson, a former physics major turned English major at UO, said, “I think they bear more benefits, as they help students, me specifically, rethink what they want to achieve and complete at college. If a student wants to keep persevering through a “weeder class” despite the challenge, it must be something they truly want to do with the rest of their life.”
Although it can be tough to completely change your major, it might work out for the better. Peterson said, “I took a physics class, and I guess it could’ve been considered a “weeder class”, and I’m honestly glad that it made me rethink things. I feel much better as an English major.”
Changing your major isn’t always easy – especially after you’ve invested time, money and a lot of your undergraduate identity into one particular field – but for some, it could lead to a career path that’s better suited for them.
