Picking a major is a tricky business. I'm kind of stress-sensitive and I want to pick something that's challenging but not overly stressful. Could you guys comment on the most stressful majors you've encountered in college?
While stress can largely depend on the individual, it's common to hear certain majors being referred to as particularly rigorous or requiring a lot of time investment. Here are some that commonly come up:
1. Pre-Med & Health Sciences: Many students aiming for medical school or health-related graduate programs find these majors challenging due to the demanding prerequisites, laboratory hours, and the pressure of maintaining a strong GPA for grad school applications.
2. Engineering: This is known to be demanding because of the challenging coursework, studio hours, and projects that are often to be completed within tight deadlines. This includes Civil, Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering.
3. Computer Science: High programming workload, project-based assignments with tight deadlines, and collaboration with teams can contribute to stress. However, the industry's high demand and competitive salary often balance this out for students.
4. Architecture: Known for long studio hours and large project assignments, coupled with a need for precision and attention to detail, this can be a challenging major.
5. Physics & Mathematics: These majors often involve complex problem-solving skills and lengthy problem sets, which can take quite a bit of time to complete.
Remember, while these majors are traditionally known to be challenging, the level of stress you experience can be influenced by many factors, such as time management skills, enjoyment of the subject matter, professor's teaching style, post-graduation goals, and even individual resilience. It can be useful to connect with students already enrolled in these majors at the colleges you're interested in to gather more insights about their experiences. College forums, online communities, and school events can be great platforms to get these conversations started.
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