10 Hard Classes

Looking for a challenging course this term? We’ve combed through the Q Guide and compiled a list of some of the hardest courses at the College this spring.

Social Studies 10b: "Introduction to Social Studies"

Although 76 percent of students enrolled in this course last spring rated it as "difficult" or "very difficult," 94 percent of them would recommend it. Their recommendations, however, don't really matter: Social Studies 10b is required of all social studies concentrators, one of the most popular concentrations at the College.

Chemistry 161: "Statistical Thermodynamics"

Ninety-four percent of students enrolled in this class last spring rated the course as "difficult" or "very difficult," and 95 percent of them would "definitely not recommend" or are "unlikely to recommend" this course. Here's a bit of advice from one Q Guide student comment: "If you have to take it, take it pass/fail."

Philosophy 151z: "Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics"

Although 75 percent of students rated this course as "difficult" or "very difficult" the last term it was offered, which was in the fall of 2009, 85 percent of students indicated they were "likely to recommend" it or would recommend it "with enthusiasm." One student comment in the Q Guide seems to reflect the general consensus of students who completed the course: "Tons of work, but totally worth it if you’re interested in the subject matter."

Applied Mathematics 120: "Applicable Linear Algebra"

One comment in the Q Guide urges potential students to "be prepared to work hard. Real hard," but as this is an applied mathematics course, we'll let the numbers speak for themselves: 81 percent of students rated this course as "difficult" or "very difficult" the last term it was offered, which was in the fall of 2009.

Economics 1126: "Quantitative Methods in Economics"

Seventy-two percent of students enrolled in this course last spring rated this course as either "difficult" or "very difficult," and only 23 percent would recommend this course without "reservations." Student comments were unavailable in the Q Guide as "no student responses were submitted or the course head opted to not display the text responses."

Physics 123: "Laboratory Electronics"

Although 88 percent of students enrolled in this course last spring rated it as either "difficult" or "very difficult," 77 percent of them would recommend the course. The comments offered by former students ranged from glowing reviews to outright condemnations. One student comment in the Q Guide is reflective of the mixed feelings students felt towards this course: "This has the potential to be the best class you take at Harvard, but it could very well be the worst."

Government 1061: "The History of Modern Political Philosophy"

Although 67 percent of students enrolled in this course last spring rated it as either "difficult" or "very difficult," 88 percent of them would recommend the course. One student comment in the Q Guide seems to aptly summarize the course's reputation: "Be prepared to give your life up."

Computer Science 225: "Pseudorandomness"

Here's your opportunity to study "pseudorandom generators, randomness extractors, expander graphs, error-correcting codes, [and] hash functions," in a class that 86 percent of students rated as either "difficult" or "very difficult" the last time it was offered, which was the spring of 2009. Seventy-five percent of students, however, would recommend the course "with enthusiasm" and the remaining 25 percent would be "likely to recommend" it.

Mathematics 55b: "Honors Real and Complex Analysis"

Although 100 percent of the students who took this class last spring rated it as "difficult" or "very difficult," two-thirds of them would recommend the course "with enthusiasm." Most students in the course take Mathematics 55a: "Honors Abstract Algebra" during the fall term, but according to one Q Guide response: "Don’t be afraid for a second to give 55b a shot. New blood is welcome." Be warned, however, the Mathematics Department asserts that "this is probably the most difficult undergraduate math class in the country."

Philosophy 129: "Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason"

Here's your opportunity to study "Kant's views on human knowledge; the role of mind in the production of experience; space and time; self-knowledge and its role in experience; causation; freedom of the will; the persistence of the soul after death; the status of metaphysics; and the relationship between appearance and reality," in a class that 95 percent of students rated as "difficult" or "very difficult" the last time it was offered, which was in the spring of 2009. Although students indicated that they found the class difficult, 100 percent of them said that they would recommend it.