FlindersStudents

I am wondering what the differences in workload would be between a humanities topic and a science topic. So far I have always done humanities topics and found them to be quite hard, I am now thinking of taking a few science topics (physics for the life sciences and biology) and I was wondering how much harder they would be. A few people I know say that science is way harder than humanities and I would have to put a much greater amount of work in. Is this true ???

Theoretically, the work load should be the same for any topics that have the same number of units. So if you were tossing up between 6 unit Humanities topics and 6 unit Science topics, they should have the same workload.

However, I find that it depends on your understanding of and your entusiasm towards the topic. For example, last semester I found my English topic fairly easy and I did work hard on the assignments but I didn't find it as difficult to get through. However with my Sociology topic everything took a long time because I wasn't really interested in what I had to do and I found the assignments really hard.

Your right Ali, Theoretically 6 units in science should be the same workload as 6 units in the humanities, or anywhere else in the uni. However, in reality science subjects always have more contact hours and generally have a much higher work load. (this is my personal opinion anyway) there may be exceptions to this, take for example the earth sciences field trip. :)

And Kyle that's exactly why I said theoretically ^_^ I have heard several times that science topics have far more contact hours, but I don't know about the work outside classes. From my experience, Humanities topics don't have that many contact hours, but there is a LOT of work expected to be done outside of class.

I have always found that the old “science is more work than humanities” debate to be a little controversial. But here is my 2c.

I appreciate that humanities is supposed to have more out of hours work, eg readings. However I have completed both humanities and science subjects and I have to say I found that science had more out of hours work than humanities.

I did a 3 unit subject last year that had a huge amount of out of hours work, 1500 words due every week, an exam and two tests. On the other hand I have done humanities topics worth six units that only require two 2500 wrd essays.

I kind of take offence to the implication that humanities subjects are easy. If you want to succeed in any subject at Uni you have to work pretty hard. >:(

I don’t think anyone is saying that humanities is a easy ride, merely that science is harder.  ;)

It wouldn't surprise me that science has a higher work load. However, in Humanities topics, you have to do all the brain work to come up with ideas. In science you have to do stuff to prove other people's ideas.

Please don't shoot me down if that's an exaggeration. I haven't done science at uni level. I don't know whether it's like in high school where you don't discover anything NEW or whether you do research and discover new stuff. But I'm assuming you're still on the path of trying to learn what everyone else has already discovered so you don't waste time trying to discover it yourself when really it's already been discovered.

I'm going to take a breath now.. lol.

my head hurts after reading that. ****ouch****

I’m not entirely sure that you discover anything new in humanities at an undergraduate level.

I think that was well said Ali. :)

Lol neither do I Jimmy... but it's a completely different way of studying to science, isn't it? In fact I don't think we should even go there... stick to debating the work load. Even though I haven't studied science at uni I think science would have a higher work load, but I wouldn't call studying in Humanities easy. I think that's what I really meant to say.

I agree

I agree again. :)

I believe that there are subject in both science and humanities that are hard with a heavy workload, and there are subjects in both that are easy with a lighter workload. I don’t think that you can use a blanket statement to say that all humanities are easier or less work than all science subjects, you have to take it on a subject by subject basis.
 

I reckon that science shits all over humanities

Well that was an incredibly articulate response that clearly demonstrates your clearly superior intellectual ability compared to everyone in Humanities.

Seriously though its attitudes like that which ensures that the lake remains a somewhat formidable barrier between the sciences and the humanities.

arguing about if science is better than humanities is silly. They are different and they exist for different purposes. Besides some people are better at science naturally and some people are naturally skilled in the humanities. You can't draw direct comparisons.

I'm starting to feel a little sorry I asked this question   :-[

Hahahaha... no, don't. It's been an interesting thread.

One thing that you should note is that 'physics for the life sciences' is pretty damn easy. For someone to not pass it, they'd have to actively avoid it, imho. Lower level biology, well some find it easy, others don't.

I've done mostly science, but did a third year econ topic with no background in it. Waltzed through the tests, the exam and the tutes, I only lost significant marks on an essay but still passed the topic quite comfortably. Also took second year marketing management which, apart from the jargon, seemed to be mostly pretty obvious stuff.