<p>Hi everyone, so I am a bit nervous yet excited to be starting at St. Olaf this coming September. As a freshmen I am to sign up for the majority of my classes (aside from english and first year religion) a week before class. Looking at my classes of Calculus II, English, Religion, and potentially a Biology or Chemistry course, I was wondering if it would be too much of a load to add a language course. I am majoring in Biology but I also have deep interest in dance and taking Japanese. Due to a surgery this summer it looks as though I will be crossing off dance for the school year to recover. Thus I ask you all, is taking 5 courses at St. Olaf too much to handle for my first year? </p>
<p>Actually, that’s not a decision you need to worry about for a few reasons. First, freshmen aren’t allowed to take five credits of class as far as I remember, something about the admin not wanting you to be too stressed. (Note, each course is one credit, some are .25 or .5 credits, usually phys ed classes. Labs are 0 credits.) In addition, the maximum number of courses you can take under normal tuition is 4.5 credits any year; if you want to take 4.75 or 5 credits you have to petition and pay extra money, and you can only do that once you’re a sophomore. I took 4.5 credits most semesters and didn’t find it overly taxing, but it depends on which classes you take. I think my hardest semester was when I only had 3.25 credits. The worst is when you have multiple lab classes in one semester.</p>
<p>However, I think you’ll definitely be able to take the language course because you take either writing OR religion your first semester, then switch for the second semester. I have heard of a few weird exceptions, but those are rare. So it’d be bio or chem, writing or religion, calc II, and Japanese, which I think is a very reasonable schedule. </p>
<p>I hope you have a great four years! I was a bio major too, just graduated a month ago, so lemme know if I can provide any more help!</p>
<p>Also, if professors can make or break a class for you, ratemyprofs is generally pretty accurate and if you PM me I can let you know what my experiences were with the profs I had.</p>