<p>I was just accepted into UCLA and my AP scores provide me with 32 credits Freshman year and exempt me from roughly half of the GE requirements.</p>
<p>How hard would it be to graduate in 3 years as a Biochem major?</p>
<p>Look at all of the requirements for graduation in your intended major (including GE requirements, university requirements, major requirements, and minimum number of units that need to be completed), and map out a plan for yourself. That’s the only way to know if it’s possible or not.</p>
<p>Also, consider difficulties getting classes, scheduling conflicts, prerequisites, and when different courses you need to take are available during the year. For instance, if you’re trying to graduate in three years, you might want to try to take classes that aren’t offered very often or specific core classes that you need to take earlier, rather than later, if it fits into your schedule. That way, if a class you need gets cancelled or conflicts with another class, you have more flexibility and don’t have to stick around for another year or quarter just to get that one random class. Electives where you get to choose whatever class you want tend to be more flexible, so you can always work them around your core classes.</p>
<p>You could also consult your adviser after you draw up a three/four year plan, and see if there’s anything you’ve missed or should also consider.</p>
<p>There’s another aspect to consider: is the best choice to graduate in 3 years even if that is a possibility?
I entered college with 45 credits, and was considering graduating in 3 years and then going to medical school. That would have meant starting med school at age 20. One of the things medical schools are looking for is maturity, and that can be hard to demonstrate when you’ve got a year less under your belt, even though they can’t age discriminate.
If you’re looking at going to graduate school, the major aspect they’re looking for is research. Most people don’t get a chance to get really actively involved in research until their second year, so if you would not have as much time to develop research experience as the other applicants.
In any case, putting in a full 4 years would give you a chance to take more higher level courses, take a minor or double major, or explore something new.
The other issue is just having a college experience. How much is it worth to you to try to get through college in 3 years vs. spending time being a college student. When I started, finishing early and “getting ahead of the game” was my highest priority. That changed once I actually spent some time in college.
One factor pointing towards 3 years is money. College is expensive, so being able to cut out 25% of the expenses could be a big bonus.</p>
<p>In my case, I went in planning to do 3 years. After considering what medical schools are looking for, I decided to opt for 4. Once I changed to planning on grad school, I decided to take advantage of my school’s co-op program, so I will be spending 5 years, including 3 full-time, 6-month research experiences. I realized that it was more important for me, personally, to make sure I was making the right choice and that I was as prepared for it as possible. In the end, I will still end up taking only 7 semesters of classes instead of 8, and even within that, the credits I started with have also given me the flexibility to change my focus, add a minor in computer science, and take math classes to prepare for my grad school plans. Because of this and my scholarship, I didn’t have to worry about the money aspect in my decisions.
I’m not trying to tell you that you absolutely shouldn’t do 3 years; this might be the best choice for you. I just want to give you an idea of some of the options out there.</p>