Are Harvard or MIT students happier?
My son was an economics major at MIT. He took an econ class at Harvard via cross-registration just to see what Harvard was like, and because the class was offered at a more convenient time of day. He was astonished that the class had no math in it. How can you teach economics without math?? The Harvard econ class ended up being more applied philosophy than economics.
MIT students generally are much happier than Harvard students, just as most STEM majors are much happier than liberal arts majors. Why? In STEM fields, generally problems have a correct answer, which the prof usually supplies. Your challenge is to show your work, to show how you got it. If everyone gets the right answer, everyone gets an A. Students cooperate and form study groups, and help each other. In the liberal arts, by contrast, if you are looking for symbolism in Shakespeare, there is no right answer. If you get an insight that other students don’t get, you get the A and they don’t. You’re not competing against the STEM problem, you are instead competing against your fellow students. Not a good recipe for happiness.
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✍️ Dm: @ton_adres
✔️ @fulltuition
My son was an economics major at MIT. He took an econ class at Harvard via cross-registration just to see what Harvard was like, and because the class was offered at a more convenient time of day. He was astonished that the class had no math in it. How can you teach economics without math?? The Harvard econ class ended up being more applied philosophy than economics.
MIT students generally are much happier than Harvard students, just as most STEM majors are much happier than liberal arts majors. Why? In STEM fields, generally problems have a correct answer, which the prof usually supplies. Your challenge is to show your work, to show how you got it. If everyone gets the right answer, everyone gets an A. Students cooperate and form study groups, and help each other. In the liberal arts, by contrast, if you are looking for symbolism in Shakespeare, there is no right answer. If you get an insight that other students don’t get, you get the A and they don’t. You’re not competing against the STEM problem, you are instead competing against your fellow students. Not a good recipe for happiness.
©️ Quora
✍️ Dm: @ton_adres
✔️ @fulltuition