<p>I agree that there is luck in landing the right core classes, but self selection does play a big part (and may have hurt the OP). </p>
<p>Unfortunately, different sequences have developed reputations as either being easy or hard, especially so within the SOSC and HUM areas, with pernicious feedback effects at work. Although it will never happen, I would love to see SOSC and HUM instead merged into a canonical six quarter mega sequence for all students, and eliminate the petty divisional and ideological splits. Despite starting a massive fight over text and faculty selection, it would really invigorate the intellectual level of the college. Some of the offerings are simply becoming too narrow to hold students attention who dont select correctly up front (e.g. I will take mind because I am going to be biology major two months later, staring at article who gives a shi ). Meanwhile, I think such attitudes would be harder to develop if everyone read say, Marx or Freud, because 90% of students are willing to admit (even if begrudgingly) that these thinkers have had a massive impact on history.</p>