I’d say they are both tough, but for different reasons. Computer engineering involves a lot of classes. Like a ridiculous amount. You usually don’t have enough space in your schedule for a minor or any other classes unless you plan to graduate in more than 4 years, take summer/winter classes and/or take a lot of classes each semester. I would say biochem is tough because it’s filled with the more notorious science classes (organic chemistry and biochemistry are brutal for everyone). Plus, you’re competing with all the premed students who will destroy the curve because they are retaking the class because they got a B.
To the other poster, I don’t think you’re being condescending. I just hate obsessive students who retake classes because their grade was a B.
None of us have taken enough classes in multiple disciplines to be able to definitively answer, but most people do have opinions on the subject based on experience and observations of others, and textbooks, course material, exams, etc. from relevant classes.
I think a fairly unbiased way to gauge this is to look at the students who actually major in these fields. When looking at the students, who is busier? Computer Engineering students are far busier than biochem people (although the pre-med students will tell you otherwise [biochem is a popular major for them], i do not *see* otherwise).
Which is harder?, people want you to say that you cannot know for sure and that comparisons are not possible given how different one discipline is from another, but when you look at how much work is demanded by the students, how long the hours they must put into doing well, and even just looking at the kinds of materials they have to learn, i think it is not out of line to suggest that obviously computer engineering is much harder. There is a reason why GPAs differ so much between the two majors as well, this is one of the reasons.
By the way, please take what pre-meds tell you with reservation. Pre-med kids can often be very sensationalist. Organic chem is not bad at all, neither is (at least first semester, all i took) biochem. They are actually pretty easy compared to engineering courses. Like most things you may hear from pre-meds, it is not nearly as hard as they say it is.
Edit: Good to hear that maybe i do not sound as bad as i thought i did. I agree with you there though, those students can be irksome.
March 11th, 2010 | 
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I’d say they are both tough, but for different reasons. Computer engineering involves a lot of classes. Like a ridiculous amount. You usually don’t have enough space in your schedule for a minor or any other classes unless you plan to graduate in more than 4 years, take summer/winter classes and/or take a lot of classes each semester. I would say biochem is tough because it’s filled with the more notorious science classes (organic chemistry and biochemistry are brutal for everyone). Plus, you’re competing with all the premed students who will destroy the curve because they are retaking the class because they got a B.
To the other poster, I don’t think you’re being condescending. I just hate obsessive students who retake classes because their grade was a B.
None of us have taken enough classes in multiple disciplines to be able to definitively answer, but most people do have opinions on the subject based on experience and observations of others, and textbooks, course material, exams, etc. from relevant classes.
I think a fairly unbiased way to gauge this is to look at the students who actually major in these fields. When looking at the students, who is busier? Computer Engineering students are far busier than biochem people (although the pre-med students will tell you otherwise [biochem is a popular major for them], i do not *see* otherwise).
Which is harder?, people want you to say that you cannot know for sure and that comparisons are not possible given how different one discipline is from another, but when you look at how much work is demanded by the students, how long the hours they must put into doing well, and even just looking at the kinds of materials they have to learn, i think it is not out of line to suggest that obviously computer engineering is much harder. There is a reason why GPAs differ so much between the two majors as well, this is one of the reasons.
By the way, please take what pre-meds tell you with reservation. Pre-med kids can often be very sensationalist. Organic chem is not bad at all, neither is (at least first semester, all i took) biochem. They are actually pretty easy compared to engineering courses. Like most things you may hear from pre-meds, it is not nearly as hard as they say it is.
Edit: Good to hear that maybe i do not sound as bad as i thought i did. I agree with you there though, those students can be irksome.