Heads up on some of the most brutal courses you’ll face in college.
We’ve asked around and done some extensive research, and have generated the newest addition to our top-10s. If you’ve gotten through them, congrats, if not, then find a friendly and hopefully helpful genius in your major to study with. These courses will pound you, chip away at you, and smack you in the face come test time. If you’re not going to the review sessions, then you should probably consider it.
Why do schools include tough courses like the following 10? Because it’s core knowledge you need, and a sort or small rite of passage you must pass through to achieve upperclassmen status. Unless of course you put them off.
Here goes: starting with Orgo….
- Organic Chemistry: called orgo, a threshold for getting most chemistry degrees.
- Multivariable Differential Equations: many engineering degrees include this problem-solving intensive course.
- Econometrics: abstract principles and regression analysis make this economics course tough for even the smartest budding young economists.
- Managerial Accounting: teaches you how to manage? Hardly, lots of unbalanced balance sheets.
- Calculus II: for those who love calculus, all 0.01% of us.
- Computer Science Programming: once you get through this, the CS engineering major gets a bit easier.
- Business Law: lots of reading, even more essay writing. NOT for all of us.
- Introductory Linguistics: seems interesting right? Until it gets WAY too technical and irrelevant to your everyday vernacular.
- Game Theory: sort of a strange language that economists speak, helpful for business strategy.
- Social Psychology: like Linguistics, it looks great until you sit down for your first exam.



Nice list, Greg. This certainly brought back memories from my undergrad days. I had a lot more success with organic chemistry than with phys chem (which I will point out is TWO four-letter words). I had to laugh at seeing differential equations (diff-EQs) on the list - as my roommate took that as an elective. She is still a friend all these years later - and she’s still freakishly smart!
I’m thinking about seeing if our local college offers linguistics and social psych classes - I never did take these and always wanted to. They still look good on paper.
Thanks for the feedback Beth!