tl;dr: Is mathematical maturity better obtained by doing hard subjects slightly out of your reach, or by doing more simple subjects to gain experience?
The end of the semester is close, and I have to pick my subjects for the fall. Being a freshman, I decided to do Abstract Algebra two semesters early, seeing as it seemed to fall closer to my interests. I am not able to clearly define what my mathematical interests are yet, but I start to see a trend where I prefer subjects that use a lot of discrete structures etc, while I tend to dislike subjects that forces me to memorize a lot of formulas, often omitting proofs, claiming we are to go more rigorously through them in future courses. (This was very much the case with HS-math and Calc 1, where in HS one simply memorized methods, we learned it a bit more rigorously in Calc 1, making it a very pleasant experience.)
I am doing fairly well in Abstract Algebra. Now, I do have the option of doing Commutative Algebra next semester. When I asked my professor about it, I was told that "while Abstract Algebra is the only course that works as a direct preparation for Commutative Algebra, the latter subject requires quite a lot of mathematical maturity."
Next semester the subjects Real Analysis and Calc 3 are mandatory for my degree. A third subject is optional (mandatory to have a third subject, which is optional), and I am wavering between Statistics, Discrete Mathematics and Commutative Algebra. I am already familiar with the most of the curriculum in Discrete Mathematics. Should I do Statistics to gain more "width" in my mathematical knowledge, or should I do Discrete Mathematics, which is more closely related to what I want to do in the future? Or should I go with Commutative Algebra, where I am confident my true interest lies?