From introductory courses in math and science to languages that have come back from the dead to haunt living students, there are 92 UNM courses that have earned a failure rate as low as 20 percent and up to 55 percent, according to the Fall 2010 Course Outcomes Data (aka “Killer Courses”) compiled by the Office of Institutional Research.
Math 121
Twelve out of the 92 killer courses were math classes, which also account for five of the six classes with failure rates above 50 percent. The class is supposed to prepare students for upper-division math courses. It’s unclear whether this failure rate is the result of a shaky public education system, but students, even with tutoring and after taking the class numerous times, have a hard time passing the class.
Small-scale casting
This course didn’t achieve killer status, but it requires around 200 hours of work per project, entailing students to scratch and scrape silver and bronze all the while. The ensuing cacophony prompts anyone within a mile radius to flee. However, students who make the sacrifice are rewarded at the end of the semester with a tangible product, proof of survival.
Physics 160
This class material isn’t difficult to grasp, but it requires much sacrifice.
It has been said that teachers in these courses conduct the class with a somewhat egocentric bend, assigning homework as if this is the only course students are taking. Therefore, students are required to spend roughly 18 hours a week on homework, depending on their speed and level of motivation to complete it. The course had a 30 percent failure rate.
Organic Chemistry II
A continuation of the organic chemistry I, this class focuses on the chemistry of the compounds of carbon. While some may consider this riveting subject matter, the sheer amount of memorization this class entails presents a challenge more suited for thespians rather than scientists. While this is useful information to store away, the work that goes into building that mental database is probably responsible for the 25 percent failure rate.
Advanced Latin II
Latin 101 is listed with a 25 percent failure rate, separating the haves from the have-nots before successful students proceed to upper-division Latin. The work, which one student claimed physically assaulted and verbally abused her, is a demanding mistress, threatening subordinates who clearly took the course to satisfy masochistic desires.
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Not only do students have to translate from Latin into English, but they have to elicit poetic meaning. Fortunately, humans can’t die from lack of sleep, and these students seem to enjoy every minute of it.
