<p>aero at my school is considered a joke</p>
<p>you must go to a sub-par aero school.</p>
<p>my condolences.
good day.</p>
<p>Aero at his school is a joke. It's far better at Cal Poly SLO. :)</p>
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Yes, we are. You're telling me it's hard to determine whether or not a Business Administration degree is more difficult than an Electrical Engineering degree?
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<p>I'm saying that yes, for some people, they've chosen electrical engineering instead of business administration because they're just lousy at administrating businesses. It's certainly possible that a lot of electrical engineers would find the people skills necessary to close a sales deal to be entirely elusive.</p>
<p>Likewise, I'm sure that if you plunked an elec into the Joffrey Company and a dance major into a gig at Intel, they'd each feel amazingly out of their element.</p>
<p>Same thing goes for other majors. My brother routinely cringes at the weird, guestimation voodoo I do at work every day to convert complicated structural principles into something a contractor can understand, just the same way I think his chip design is totally bizarre. We each find our jobs to be challenging but intellectually stimulating, though, and because we've seen at great length what the other one does in their job, and because we've flipped through each other's textbooks and have found them barely understandable, we've got a healthy respect for each other's field.</p>
<p>This thread is just a big ol' superiority complex. Observe the peeing contest in the immediately previous entries. This isn't productive, much of it is written by really inexperienced people who are just going off of what their uncle's boss told them.</p>
<p>Maybe the thread shouldn't be locked, but it should definitely carry a huge caveat as to its truthiness.</p>
<p>aibarr,</p>
<p>We're not considering who would have the hardest time if we did an occupational musical chairs. That's purely subjective. Objectively speaking, as Mr. Payne put it, some majors are simply harder than others. I would submit that the engineering, pure sciences, and mathematics degrees are the hardest degrees to earn. But, some people are ideally-suited for particular degrees. It's not a superiority complex. I would have respect for anyone who actually learned their material, no matter what degree.</p>
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aero is the hardest, because you have to know a lot of mechanical, some electrical, some materials, a little cs and more additional stuff.
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<p>Breadth does not, in itself, imply difficulty. Otherwise physics would indisputably take the cake.</p>
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Objectively speaking, as Mr. Payne put it, some majors are simply harder than others.
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<p>So, define "hard". Intellectually challenging? Well, what kind of intellect? Are we talking about ability to do math? Ability to do science? Ability to speak clearly and communicate our ideas? There's a whole bunch of theory out there about different types of intellect. I think we, as scientists and engineers and mathematicians and whatnot, have a tendency to be really elitist when it comes to the notion that the achievements that come with "our" intellect (math/science/logic/whatever) is more difficult than the achievements made in other fields, with other types of intellect.</p>
<p>I'm just saying that the notion of something being more difficult than something else is a lot foggier than we tend to define it over here in this corner, and that people around here tend to be downright insulting when it comes to discounting other people's hard work.</p>
<p>We can't objectively speak about this, because it's not objective! Difficulty is entirely <em>subjective</em>.</p>
<p>So when we get into a debate like this, it's fine for the first several pages. It's good, healthy debate. But then it devolves into insults and a whole bunch of conjecture based upon rumors but phrased as truth, and muddy subjectiveness of the perception of difficulty.</p>
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Breadth does not, in itself, imply difficulty. Otherwise physics would indisputably take the cake.
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<p>See? Like that!</p>
<p>We're not saying that only the smartest people are in math, science, and engineering. The hardest subject matter - on many different levels - is in the aforementioned. I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a physics major who could not complete a business degree or history degree or economics degree, and so forth. But, to do well in these fields does not always require a brilliant mind. It's been said that business is more about personality. I tend to agree. This would also hold true for other fields and other applicable personality traits.</p>
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The hardest subject matter - on many different levels - is in the aforementioned.
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<p>I think that in order to say that, you'd have to use a pretty specific definition of difficulty, and I just don't think that definition applies. I also think you're using a pretty narrow definition of "brilliant mind," but I don't think we're going to end up agreeing on this.</p>
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Difficulty is entirely <em>subjective</em>
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<p>You are seriously going to argue that there is no objective difference in difficulty between a EECS degree from MIT and a degree in Business from Georgia State University?</p>
<p>Investment banks, of course, don't agree with you. Neither do I.</p>
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I think that in order to say that, you'd have to use a pretty specific definition of difficulty, and I just don't think that definition applies. I also think you're using a pretty narrow definition of "brilliant mind," but I don't think we're going to end up agreeing on this.
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<p>Do not get bogged down by semantics. Hard is pretty easy to understand. Real Analysis is hard. Quantum Mechanics is hard. Brilliant minds are in every field.</p>
<p>why does it matter anyway how hard a major is? In the end people shouldn't people let what the love to do determine what major they go into? I am not claiming to be an expert on any particular major ( only a 2nd year computer engineer), but I think the whole discussion on what degree is hardest is merely entertainment and unavailing. But thats just me....:D</p>
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but I think the whole discussion on what degree is hardest is merely entertainment and unavailing. But thats just me....
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<p>haha yes, I like reading this thread from the sidelines. Nobody's ever going to win (this thread began in March 2005!!).</p>
<p>Oh and there's a similar thread going on in the College Life forum right now. This topic will never ever die.</p>
<p>Just to respond to the engineers boasting that they have to know a ton of math and physics and so are automatically harder than those majors, make sure you look at your course titles when you register for those physics and math classes next semester. I'll be surprised if you don't see "for Engineers" listed at the the end of them.</p>
<p>Most of those physics and math classes are watered down sooo much for engineers. I had a professor teaching a class meant for math majors (which he had taught many semesters before to engineers) who kept saying how glad he was to be able to mention abstract ideas and to do proofs without students reminding him it wasn't part of the curriculum.</p>
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I'll be surprised if you don't see "for Engineers" listed at the the end of them.
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<p>Prepare to be surprised - no such distinction occurs at my school (and I'd wager at most other good engineering schools). </p>
<p>And I don't think people argue engineering is difficult solely because of physics or math. Again, if this were the case, this argument would be moot (which some people are already claiming, though for a different reason): physics (or math) would indisputably be #1.</p>
<p>Edit: For the record, I also don't believe we can ever achieve an official list on which everyone will agree. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss it. It's like saying public policy matters (e.g. abortion, death penalty) shouldn't be discussed since there will never be a unanimous consensus. </p>
<p>If nothing else, it's fun. :)</p>
<p>I AGREE.
300th post!
300!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS SPARTA!</p>
<p>^ I hope you realize that people usually judge a majors difficulty on how mathematical it is. That's why EE is always somewhere at the top. The funny thing is that MechEng is said to be comparatively as difficult when coming from the mouths of EE's and prof's because they both share a lot of the same math. Yet it is perceived as less mathematical because its less abstract and has a significant phys chem component so is routinely left out of "rankings".</p>
<p>IMO I can't see how any engineering program with its "black-box" teaching method can be as hard as physics or math.</p>
<p>What I suggest is that if Y makes a claim such as X major is the hardest please tell us why. Is it because you can't cram as easily before a test with that major, how mathematical it is, how competitive typical students are, how little/much memorization is required, work load, emphasis on understanding etc.</p>
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Edit: For the record, I also don't believe we can ever achieve an official list on which everyone will agree. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss it. It's like saying public policy matters (e.g. abortion, death penalty) shouldn't be discussed since there will never be a unanimous consensus.
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<p>Public policy matters have important implications though. This... does not. If this topic is to be discussed, there should be at least some concrete facts to back up statements, instead of saying this major is harder because I say so. I have never actually seen a post going into the subject matter and really analyzing what specific topics are harder and which are easier, and most importantly, WHY that is the case. For example, what about digital signal processing makes it harder/easier than fluid mechanics?</p>
<p>So far, this topic resembles arguing over what color a room should be painted rather than abortion.</p>
<p>EDIT: Lacero got it.</p>
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I think that in order to say that, you'd have to use a pretty specific definition of difficulty, and I just don't think that definition applies. I also think you're using a pretty narrow definition of "brilliant mind," but I don't think we're going to end up agreeing on this.
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<p>Given constant student intelligence & constant work levels, what is the GPA received.</p>
<p>The simply question is this: If a single person (lets assume this person is average in virtually every intelligence) went to each major in the school and then spent the same time studying for each major....who would end up with the highest GPA.</p>
<p>I think that engineering would end up as one of the lower GPAs in the spectrum of GPAs generated by all the majors.</p>