Any past or present student of UCLA knows the immense differences between the north and south parts of campus. North campus, consisting of beautiful brick buildings, wide-open sculpture gardens, and cozy places to study, stands in stark contrast with south campus, characterized by clean-cut buildings, the lingering miasma of stress in the air, and the famous inverted fountain of Bruintism (see: being 'bruintized' in during orientation).
In addition to beautiful architecture, beautifully-clad people roam north campus in their artsy attire. I personally dress up more when I have a north campus class than when I have a south campus class; workout attire just doesn't go well with the hipster vibes in the sculpture garden.
The two different sides of campus not only differ in architectural decor and fashion, but also in areas of study: the north known for the humanities, and the south known for the math and sciences. These differences naturally lead to a friendly "division" between the two parts of campus at UCLA.
As a Biology major with an English minor, I've heard countless claims to why south campus is "so much harder than north campus," and vice versa. I've heard arguments such as "Anyone can write an essay in one night, while one cannot memorize four chapters of microbiology in one night." I've also heard the perspective on why north campus is harder: "It takes intense critical thinking to construct a coherent and efficacious essay, while one can memorize and regurgitate information about photosynthesis without actually using one's brain." Long story short, I've taken both Biology and English classes. Both are difficult. Both contain students that defend the subject matter that they love.
I write this article to fight for both sides of campus and to recognize that both are difficult in their own respective ways. In the melting pot of cultures, experiences, and talents at UCLA, everyone strives toward and pursues their own passions. I'm not saying that bioengineering pre-meds are in the same boat as dance majors. I simply wish to acknowledge that they both pursue their passions, put in hours, and work hard. Yes, they work hard and spend their hours in different ways, using different talents and parts of the brain. Yes, pre-med is difficult. However, I can't dance to save my life, and I'm willing to recognize that talent, dedication, and hard work are all necessary components for success in the dance major.
Just as people shouldn't compare south campus GEs like "Dinosaurs" to regular south campus courses like "Physics 1A," they shouldn't compare easy north campus GEs like "History of Rock and Roll" to other north campus classes like "English 10A." Am I guilty of walking towards south campus and saying "Ugh, south campus today," more than I do in north campus? Yes. First because I dislike the stressful environment, and second because I feel as if my south campus classes are harder than my north campus classes on some days. Regardless, I refuse to underestimate the difficulty of north campus. I will try not to compare the level of difficulties, because everyone varies in their talents and struggles in their respective area of study.
