Comparison of majors between Ohio State and Michigan in the lobby of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center
Posted Feb 15, 2012, 7:50 PM UTC
034
Ohio State allows you to declare a major the second you are accepted.
University of Michigan says the earliest you can declare is after one semester.
MOTHERFUCKING FACTS!!!
13
By your facts, that means that 24 Michigan players have declared General Studies after their one semster, I'm not sure why I am supposed to be impressed.
Also, as an Ohio State Engineering student, I can tell you that you can declare as a pre-major while on campus, but that you are not accepted into the major until you pass prerequisite classes. I have no way of knowing whether this was considered in the creation of this board, but please don't pretend that this policy is paramount to "anyone can be an engineer."
Along these lines, even if you are a pre-major in Engineering, you are going to be taking two Calculus classes, a couple Physics and Chemistry classes, along with the required Freshmen Engineering sequence. I'm not sure what your personal experience with Ohio State's engineering classes are, but as someone who has been through them, I can tell you that they aren't a joke.
No administrator of student athletes in their right mind is going to allow football players to get their GPA hammered in their freshmen year by the engineering intro sequence and risk losing eligibility unless they can actually handle it.
I know it's fun to throw around school's stereotypes, but Ohio State is no longer the university that accepts anyone with an Ohio high school diploma. In 2002, our starting quarterback that led us to a national championship majored in Molecular Genetics and I believe graduated with Honors. Our current starting point guard is in my Honors classes, majoring in Bio with a Pre-Med track and a 3.8 GPA. On the other hand, by all accounts, Pryor was dumb as a rock.
All major football teams are full of students who are taking the easiest route possible to remain elligible (and aren't really there for the degree). Maybe Michigan should just take a look from their high horse and see that they are probably not immune.
I'm not knocking Michigan's academics, they are strong. But don't pretend that their football team is as strong as the student body as a whole. It's just not true.
2
If you dont declare you are lumped as "general studies"
3
This doesn't mean that all these freshmen are leaving their "General Studies" major. Denard Robinson's bio lists him as a Junior majoring in General Studies. In fact, according to this roster listing, freshmen can and are listed as "undeclared," not "general studies. Again, senior football player majoring in "General Studies."
I'm not trying to pretend that Ohio State doesn't have football players taking easy majors to stay eligible. I'm trying to say that Michigan does the same thing, which their roster seems to back me up on.
7
Also, some people go to different universities to study different things.
1
Also I would declare whatever... it is what you graduate with. EVERYONE is an engineering major, until they have to pass calculus and physics.
4
Calculus and Physics are easy. Thermodynamics is eating me alive.
2
I have no idea how things are now, but here's an article from a couple years ago regarding the whole "General Studies" degree at Michigan. As of 2008, 3% of all undergraduates pursued that major while 49% of people with General Studies degrees are student athletes.
Regardless, Michigan is an excellent school overall, and the fact that any student athlete is able to keep up with classes on top of the massive amount of time and effort they put into their teams is pretty damn impressive to me, regardless of what their major may be.
7
I'm not sure why everyone decided to take this board as a slanderous attack on Michigan's academic integrity of its student body. Anyone who attends a major football college knows that the major sports team's athletes are typically not the quality of student that would be admitted just as a general student. I went to high school with a girl who plays a major sport for Alabama that got in with an ACT score about 7 points below average for admission.
Your article backs up the point that a lot of athletes are in college to play their sport and stay eligible. Taking the easiest major is the best way to stay eligible for many students. There will always be those who put in the extra work and get a worthwhile degree and I applaud them, but Michigan should not pretend that they are different from everyone else when it comes to their sports teams.
Once again, Michigan is a great academic institution, but fans need not be up in arms when it is pointed out that their student athletes take the same easier majors that other colleges' athletes do.
3
Michigan only has 45 players?
6
That go to classes, duh.
10
To be clear I wasn't so much commenting on the differences in majors as I was the fact that this is right when you walk in the door of the football building.
6
I think it's funny how Michigan people are downvoting every post by a buckeye... getting your maize and blue panties in a twist eh?
6
Seriously. He shows logic and reason, and he's not putting UofM down AT ALL. But he's a Buckeye, so he gets downvoted.
7
He's not putting down UM at all...? I'm not saying the downvotes are appropriate, but how did you think this post was going to be perceived.
3
I'm a Buckeye, I get the rivalry... but this is an example of michigan fans sitting up on their self-built throne passing judgement... it just makes me laugh
1
Michigan is a much better school than Ohio State academically. It's not even really close. Granted, I don't know how much more difficult actual class work would be once you're already in the school---but if this graphic has any bearing, it could be speculated that Michigan's classes are much more difficult.
Heil to the Victors.
5
Michigan has traditionally been much better, however, Ohio State has really closed the gap over the past few years and is now about a step behind in the strength of incoming freshmen.
Ohio State once had an average ACT score of incoming freshmen of about 23, and have improved it to 28 over the past decade. Only Michigan (29) and Northwestern(>30) are better, with the rest of the Big Ten equivalent or well below. Keep in mind that Ohio State also had 10,000 additional undergrads than Michigan on its main campus.
Besides this, the board is not attacking Michigan's academic strength, it's displaying the difficulty in major of their FOOTBALL TEAM ACADEMICS. Michigan is constantly throwing around how different they are from other schools academically as though their football team isn't just like everyone else's: primarily taking a relatively easy major to ensure that they remain academically eligible.
EDIT: I have no problem with downvotes, but I would appreciate it if those who feel that this does not contribute to the discussion would kindly share their point of view.
1
The last part of what you said is true---I've seen many U of M fans say that kind of thing....
And sorry bud, OSU is a good school---but U of M is a world renown university. Ohio State is a solid state school, but comparing it to Michigan is folly. Michigan's one of the best business, law, and medical schools in the world. They rank among the top public schools in the country---I'd say Michigan is probably the fifth best public school in the country--- 1. Cal 2. Virginia 3. UCLA 4. North Carolina 5. Michigan--at that level though---any of those 5 are interchangeable.
5
I am not trying to slight Michigan, but rather point out Ohio State's improvement. Yes, Michigan has stronger academics, but Ohio State is not exactly in the basement of rankings anymore.
All credit where credit is due to Michigan, I just am weary of people stereotyping Ohio State and Michigan as opposite ends of the spectrum, it's simply no longer true. We have a lot of ground to cover, but Ohio State's academics are arguably 3rd or 4th in the Big Ten, with Northwestern and Michigan the top 2. (Note, I am basing this on the quality of admitted students, I haven't checked program rankings, so don't get mad at me Purdue, etc.).
For reference:
Business school MBA rankings (US News): Michigan-14th nationally Ohio State-25th nationally
Medical School: Michigan- Primary Care - 20th nationally Ohio State- Primary Care - 33rd nationally
So yes, Michigan is better, but Ohio State is not too shabby. I will gladly admit that, if only we could get a bit of credit for what we have accomplished.
3
Wisconsin and Illinois would like to have a word with you.
0
2
Like I said---those top 5 are interchangeable, and I pulled them from the top of my head...
2
Not trying to be a dick, but Michigan is ahead of UNC in your source. However, I agree that at that level it really is just nitpicking.
1
Which...which side is supposed to be better? They both seem pretty pathetic to me.
5
Where's the chart where they compare how many times the head coaches from each school have attacked another team's player?
That would be really interesting to see.
1
That also could reflect the increased academic rigor of Michigan in comparison to Ohio State.
Just sayin'.
Michigan is a better school than Ohio State. It isn't that much better.
Exactly. If, for example, a football player were an engineering major at Michigan, it would be very hard for them to stay eligible. At Ohio State, however, it would probably be much easier to do.
I'm just curious what you are basing this assertion upon. Have you taken coursework at both schools? Certainly Michigan has a strong Engineering department, but Ohio State is right around the top 25 in the nation. Are you saying that any engineering program outside the top 10 is easy?
As a current engineering major at Ohio State, I feel that I am qualified to state that Ohio State's Engineering department is no joke. You have to take your Calculus and Physics classes like anyone else (and let me tell you, a lot of kids fail). If you have taken coursework at both schools, and breezed through OSU's Engineering department, then I will gladly apologize and admit that any football player at Ohio State can be an engineer. Otherwise, your statement is somewhat silly.
No. I'm saying it's likely easier. There's a big difference.
I'm making the assumption that a significantly higher-ranked program is more difficult to do well in. For example, I'm assuming it would be harder to do well at MIT compared to Michigan for undergrad (this is about the same rankings gap between Michigan and Ohio State's engineering programs). Usually when higher caliber students are competing for grades, it is tougher to earn good grades, so I don't think it's a terribly off-base assumption.
Moreover, Michigan's engineering program is known for grade deflation, and I know that it is a huge time commitment for anyone, let alone a football player.