Hi -
I’m a sophomore in high school (homeschooled) and will be taking classes @ a local college this fall. I’ve taken one this summer but was wondering if my current schedule looks too heavy:
Finite Math
General Chemistry
Mandarin Chinese
Computer Science (I)
Software Development (I)
I’ll be meeting with my advisor before I register but just wanted input from anyone that has had a similar load. Thanks!
For a sophomore, five colleges courses is way too many. I don’t know where you plan on attending college, and that’s a must. It doesn’t even have to be naming all the exact schools you’re applying to. It can be very broad. Are you looking at state universities where it’s very easy to get in? Looking at Ivy Leagues where you’d need an elite schedule to get in? If your goal is to go to Harvard or Stanford or any elite school, your schedule looks fine, especially considering that many sophomores are not fortunate enough to take that type of schedule. However, if you’re looking at an easier school like a state university or even a private school that’s not so hard to get into, you don’t need that hard of a course schedule. My best advice, unless you hope to go to one of the best schools there ever was, is to just stick with one or two college courses if you’ve never done any before. This’ll put you on path to doing a typical college load by the time you’re a junior and senior.
My dream schools are MIT and CMU. I’m taking a class over the summer right now and it isn’t very difficult, so I do have some/barely any experience. I know my ECs will be taking up a good amount of my time, but I think I might be able to handle 5 courses? I’m meeting with my advisor tmrw to be sure, but thanks. I’ll probs drop 1-2 of them.
If that’s all the classes you’re taking its tough but maybe doable. If you’re taking high school classes on top of that, forget it, it’s too much. I’d suggest taking an easier semester your first time doing dual enrollment then increase it later.
Another thing to consider is your schedule is almost all STEM classes, which are more time consuming. I might substitute one for an easy humanities, especially if you still need English/Social Studies credits to graduate.
Also, how many credits is this schedule at the college? Generally the guideline is for every hour in class you’ll have you’ll have to study for 2-3 hours (but that vaires wildly depending on the difficulty of the college, the class, and your strengths).
A couple more suggestions. Don’t be an obnoxious high schooler in your classes. Be mature, and only bring up that you’re in high school if it’s relevant to the conversation. Finally, keep in mind that schools like MIT and CMU are probably not going to transfer your credits, so if you go there you’ll end up retaking a lot of stuff. It should hopefully be in more detail and harder at those schools though!
Oh, and my input comes from doing dual enrollment for my entire junior and senior year and earning over 100 college credits, mostly in STEM subjects. (Not bragging just giving some context)
That is a very heavy load for a full time college student. If you are also doing other things, including other h.s. courses or a lot of EC’s (college kids don’t do as many EC’s as high schoolers), plus you have to commute, it’s a lot.
This is too much. I did dual enrollment for 3 years during high school while taking college courses and did summers as well. I did half days with high school classes as well and had 49 credits by the end of high school.
Try starting off with some easier classes and take more difficult classes later on in high school. Have you taken high school level chemistry and Chinese? What’s your math background?
Thanks for the detailed response!
So I’ve done an easy semester there this semester and think that might be enough prep for a harder load? I don’t need many more humanities/English courses to graduate so I have lessened my focus on that, and I have a prior background to these particular STEM classes so I feel that might help. I believe it’s about ~15-20 credits.
And thank you for the advice - I def don’t want to be one of those kids and I won’t be ^^" And awesome job on the +100 credits! That’s amazing.
@JadeRock i’ve taken ap chem, 2 yrs mandarin, and math - algebra I, alg II/trig, geo, precalc
Why aren’t you taking Calc? That may be a more logical progression
And 15 credits is very different from 20 credits. 15 credits is a normal schedule for most college students (although yours is still very STEM heavy which is harder) 20 credits is a significant overload which noone would recommend your first semester.
i took the placement exam before i took precal and didn’t qualify then so can’t place into calc ;__; but i think the review will be good.
Ok I checked and it’s exactly 18 creds. The thing is I need these courses for some of my important ECs so I don’t know how I would be able to drop any of them. If I had to I’d probs drop CH or Soft Dev.
Are you taking any high school courses with them? If so that is easily too many especially when you add it ecs. 18 credits is often a maximum college load though your college could be on different system.