Is an engineering degree harder to get than a chemistry or math degree at the undergrad level?
According to Duke University: "Mathematics is the most rigorous and demanding of all intellectual pursuits." http://www.math.duke.edu/major/whyMajor.... Engineering majors have to take more units (180 units or more). As an applied mathematics major I have to take 90-100 units. Order of difficulty: 1. math 2. engineering 3. chemistry
Are business degrees really the "easy degree"?
First off, it's really about what's important to you when it comes to what you want to study. That said, I graduated with a degree in marketing and found a job with my university. It's no where near 80k a year salary, but I am salaried and I'm having fun with what i'm doing. I'm also not done with school because I really want to get into the Marketing Research side of things which requires a Master's degree. What it comes down to is you. If you want to explore both options, choose a school you like with both an Engineering and a Business degree program. Also, look at placement rates and the reputation of the college. If you can attend a college that has a great reputation for graduates, it helps in finding a job for after graduation. My college holds a career fair each semester and bring several employers looking specifically for business students. They hire quite a lot of the students graduating from the School of Business every year, too, and a lot of those jobs are management or sales related, with benefits, starting around 50k+ yearly, and several offer tuition assistance if you decide later on to pursue a Masters degree in a related field. I think a lot of people look at business and say it's an easy degree because there isn't all the complex math and science courses required for people who want to be engineers, or computer scientists, or doctors, etc. But it's hard in that there are so many variables and there is rarely one right answer. Business degrees can give you some experience in the filed, depending on the program, through case studies and research, but it's a lot of learning the language and theories of business. The real challenge is in being able to apply them and working with people--people being perhaps the biggest variable of all. While engineering will definitely work in your favor (and really, even if you look at civil, geothermal, or environmental engineering, there isn't a lot of chemistry required--my sister is looking at these three areas for her engineering degree), business is one of those degrees that gets written off a lot because it can be easier to obtain, but the difference really comes down to the person earning it. Ultimately, though, you need to be happy in what you're studying or none of it will matter. What's the point in paying for an education you can't stand? If it helps, start out as a double major until you figure out if you like one or both of them.
Has anyone ever taken an online math class? Are they easier or harder than in-class courses?
Online classes are great! And, they expect you to consult your textbooks during the tests. They're open-book tests. Schools know that those books will be open during tests! You get more in-depth answers from the professors, too, than you would in person.