"I‘m a software engineering student. And I love my major — really. I still remember my first week: I was so excited to start coding. But when I got my schedule, I looked at some of the subjects and literally thought: 'What is this doing here?'. I actually laughed out loud and was angry.
Let‘s be honest: some subjects are just… there.
They take time, they take energy, and they have almost nothing to do with writing code or building systems.
I‘ve survived 3 years of university. Here are the 3 most useless subjects I‘ve encountered — and how I got through them without losing my mind."
1. Philosophy (or: Why Do I Need This?)
I have nothing against philosophy. But why is it mandatory for software engineers?
I spent a whole semester learning about Kant, Plato, and the meaning of life. Meanwhile, I was still struggling with pointers in C.
Why it‘s useless:
- It doesn‘t help me write cleaner code.
- It doesn‘t help me design better systems.
- It doesn‘t help me debug anything.
I remember sitting in class, staring at the board, thinking: 'I could be learning Git right now. Instead, I'm writing essays about ethics.'
How I survived:
- I treated it as a 'brain exercise' — just something to train my thinking, not something to remember.
- I wrote essays about 'ethics in AI' — that was the only connection to my major.
- I passed the exam and forgot everything the next day.
Sorry, Kant. I‘m sure you were great. But I needed to learn recursion.
2. History (or: Why Do I Need to Know About Ancient Wars?)
I love history. I really do. But why is it in my IT curriculum?
I had to memorize dates, names, and battles from the 19th century. Meanwhile, I couldn‘t remember the difference between malloc and calloc.
Why it‘s useless:
- It has zero connection to programming.
- It doesn‘t help me understand operating systems or networks.
- It doesn‘t prepare me for a tech job.
How I survived:
- I treated it like a 'storytime' — just listened and tried to enjoy the narratives.
- I used it as a break from coding (which actually helped my brain rest).
- I crammed before the exam and hoped for the best.
To be fair, knowing history is cool. But it‘s not why I signed up for software engineering.
3. Advanced Calculus (or: Why Do I Need to Integrate This?)
Yes, math is important in programming. But advanced calculus?
I spent weeks learning about integrals, derivatives, and differential equations. And in 3 years of coding, I‘ve used almost none of it.
Why it‘s useless:
- Most programming doesn‘t require advanced calculus.
- Algorithms and data structures are much more practical.
- I could have used that time to learn Git, Docker, or SQL — things I actually use.
How I survived:
- I made cheat sheets with formulas and just memorized them.
- I practiced solving problems step-by-step (like an algorithm).
- I told myself: 'This is just a puzzle. Solve it, pass, and move on.'
I know math is important. But advanced calculus is overkill for 90% of developers.
What Should Universities Teach Instead?
If I could redesign the IT curriculum, I would replace these subjects with:
- Git & Version Control — how to collaborate with other developers.
- Clean Code & Refactoring — how to write code that others can read.
- Testing & Debugging — how to find and fix errors efficiently.
- Soft Skills — how to communicate with teammates and clients.
That‘s what students actually need.
For Comments
I know some people will say: 'But math is important!' or 'Philosophy teaches you to think!'
And they‘re not entirely wrong. But when you have limited time, you need to prioritize.
I‘d rather spend 100 hours on algorithms than 100 hours on calculus. And I think most students would agree.
What Do You Think?
"What‘s the most useless subject you‘ve had to study? Write it in the comments)"
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