Two Harvard Crimson articles, one from 2006 and the other from 2023, describing the legendary Math 55 class showcase how much college has changed in less than a generation. '06: “This is probably the most difficult undergraduate math class in the country,” reads a page on the Mathematics Department Web site. '23: “Our slogan is, if you’re reasonably good at math, you love it, and you have lots of time to devote to it, then Math 55 is completely fine for you.” -- article published by the math dept titled, “Demystifying Math 55.” '06: Regardless of the course’s name brand value, Math 55 students face a single fact: It’s hard. Really hard. '23: Zoe Shleifer ’26, another current Math 55 student, also doesn’t get the hype. “It’s fun,” she says. “It’s just like any other class. You know, we go to lecture, and then we leave lecture, and then we do the problem set.” '06: Midway through October, the “Survivor”-like competition intensifies with the add/drop deadline looming frighteningly near, only five days away. '23: “We wanted to avoid a situation where some students felt excluded because of the way the course was taught a particular year,” (Professor) Harris says. '06: The class can’t stay this hard for this long, right? “I figure he’s just trying to get people to drop the class,” Litt says. He figured wrong. As class attendance steadily thins, the workload does not. '23: “To be as inclusive as possible is one of the things I was told before I walked in the classroom the first day,” says Harris. '06: Before the fifth Monday of the term, students who can’t seem to stay in the game start dropping like flies. “I thought it was completely unbelievable,” Harbater says. “Seventy started it, 20 finished it, and only 10 understood it.” '23: “The math department has been working hard to foster a more inclusive culture around Math 55. The overall feedback we have received from students about the last few iterations of the course suggests that this is beginning to bear fruit,” she continued, referencing reviews for Math 55’s Q guide reviews, which are overwhelmingly positive.