A science major responds

Ill admitIve never had a 3-hour essay exam. Nor have I had to write a 25-page research paper, or done 300 pages of reading in one night. None of these sound like a good time. But lets look at the reality of the situation. How long did you have to do that research paper? A month, maybe 2 weeks if youre really being pushed. In the sciences, weekly problem sets and weekly lab reports are expected. The average science student churns out 20-25 pages in labs and homework problems on a weekly basis. As for exams, its one thing to write for 3 hours straight. Its something quite different to stare at 3 problems for 3 hours straight, with no idea how to do them. The average humanities student would probably not be able to pass, much less excel in an upper level science class.