This post sounds like what I would get if I asked a teacher what the culture was like at some big business firm (business world as portrayed in movies- golf, Type A personalities, etc). I spent 2 years at Big 4, and there is no more of that type of thing than there is anywhere else.

Sack up and get the experience you need to understand what accounting really means, and to make a good life decision on what your future is. Big 4 is golden on resumes, so your time won't be in vain. Figure out what industry you like, or find out the ones you hate so you avoid them should you make the jump to industry.

Finally, the CPA exam isn't hard in the way physics is hard. The concepts are quite simple really if you have an accounting degree, and its just an exam that tests your ability to devote time to the material. Cramming is not a strategy for this test. Stay disciplined with your study, and ideally carve 2-3 hours out every day for it for a few weeks or a month. Maybe sounds hard or impossible with your life schedule, but I PROMISE you can. If you do that, I promise you'll pass it. It's nothing to get depressed about, it's more something you can use to develop discipline for yourself.