I saw this in another threat but it was specific to computer science and engineering. I am an admitted student to Wash U, still considering. I really like the school but I have seen it come up on a few lists of “most stressed out kids” and “most difficult colleges” and things of that nature. To be honest, this concerns me a bit. I would go into ArtSci, most likely poly sci or history major. Just how hard is it to get a decent GPA in these courses? I would like to go on to graduate school later on. I went to a so-called rigorous (I say this only because this is what we consider it to be and I have never gone to another school to compare) private school, took almost every (4/5) AP’s offered and every (7) honors course. I’m projected to end with a 3.88 UW and 4.02 W and very good chance of valedictorian. I should also note that I have average ADHD. I know there will be a learning curve in terms of time management. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against working in college. It’s just a question of whether my understanding of hard work differs from a typical WashU student’s understanding of hard work.
Imo only the beginner science courses such as chem, bio, and physics are actually “difficult”. Despite all that, my pre-med friends all do fine in those classes given that they are graded on a pretty generous curve. I’m personally doing cs and finance and I’ve had no issue adjusting. I’m sure you’ll be fine if you put in the work.
OP, if you’re going in as a History major, it should be relatively straightforward. My son is thinking about a double major (History/Biology) and hasn’t had any issues on the History side of things.
A 5 on both APUSH and Euro will complete the introductory requirements for the History major/minor. The WashU undergraduate history advisor told him to take upper division history classes to get a head start. The class he took first semester was mainly juniors and seniors and he was the only freshman, but he got an A.
Some of the History classes are grades mainly on several essays with the occasional in-class quiz. There will be a lot of reading, but most History classes will not be intense as the Biology/Calculus/Chemistry offerings.