<p>Total, yes, I know that 101 is more math intensive than 100. I just think it odd that even within a given class there’s such a wide variance in the amount of math required, individual teaching style notwithstanding. But then I’m easily bemused.</p>
<p>I do laugh at the OP’s concern about math; in some of the upper division classes, the question is not how well you can crank the math but how well you can understand the underlying concepts and apply them correctly. Again, teaching styles vary and with some their exams emphasize cranking the math, i.e., they test how well you can take the test, and others emphasize “do you get how this works?” The latter might frustrate the OP, who seems to conflate math-cranking ability with “being smart.”</p>