What to Learn from a Weed-Out Class

I had never considered majoring in a non-science field until my senior year of high school. I took an economics class to fulfill a state requirement for graduation and mainly chose it because of the teacher. During the year, I discovered my aptitude for microeconomics and macroeconomics, and I decided to pick up the discipline as a second major.

What I didn’t expect with my major was the possibility that my intermediate microeconomic theory course could be a “weed-out” class.

A weed-out class may be defined as a class that is meant to make a student rethink their major and/or career path due to heavier course loads, higher stress levels and a faster-paced environment. Usually, a class would fit this definition if it is a lower-level course, if there is more work for the class than the level predicts, if the following classes are major-specific, if many students are struggling and if some students drop the class.

Notre Dame has many classes that would be considered weed-out courses. The two courses on campus that specifically come to mind are Introduction to Psychology and Organic Chemistry. Intro to Psych fits the definition because it is an introductory level course that is required to take upper-level psychology classes. Organic Chemistry fits because many students struggle due to the increased workload compared to General Chemistry.

Weed-out classes may look like an obstacle that just has to be overcome, but they are points of reflection during a student’s college career. When faced with a difficult course, it is important to think about the following questions:

1. Why am I taking this class? Is it a major requirement, a college requirement or something that sounded interesting when searching for classes? If it is a major requirement, and you are determined to stick with your major, this may be a time of soul searching: power through the semester or continue discerning your major. If it is a college requirement, maybe it is time to look into other classes that fulfill the requirement. If it is something that sounded interesting, then it is important to remember that the drop period ends after fall break.

2. Why do I think that this class is a weed-out class? Is it more work than expected? Is the class more application-based than theory-based? Is there only one professor, and is the style something that you are unfamiliar with? Understanding why a class is a weed-out can help in changing how you approach the class. Maybe it requires more time per week, or maybe it means that you take advantage of the professor’s office hours.

3. Do I have the drive to do my best in this class? If you really want to get through a course, you can. There will be challenges, but the end is possible and usually better than expected. Not having the determination to put the effort into the work may lead to an unfavorable outcome.

Taking weed-out classes, whether intentional or accidental, is part of the college experience. All things considered, they are a means of checking that you are on the path towards studying what you want and what you love.

If you are rethinking your major or career path due to a weed-out class, remember to use the resources you have available to you! Talking to older students in the major, your advisor, and trusted people in your life will make the process easier to manage.

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