My major requires 197 credits and the major plan divides it into 6 years. I know that if I take 25 credit hours every semester I can do it in the regular 4 years.
I’d like to know how easy/hard it is for orientation advisors to allow students to take that many more credit hours. What does it take? What do I have to show them so they trust I can do it?
A little back info:
I'm not coming straight from high school, I had a few years educational gap.
I'll be a full-time student.
I have worked 60+ hours a week on creative/mentally demanding jobs before, mainly on startups.
I have worked full-time (40 hours) while also going to school for 20 hours/week
I went to one of the most demanding high schools I know. I had 21 different teachers on my second year, and classes 7am-1pm every day, plus 2pm-7pm once a week, plus PE 2pm-4pm once a week, plus tests every Friday 5pm-8pm.
I have had real-world responsibilities before, such as paying bills, looking after myself, cooking, laundry, etc, and it's not going to be the first time I live by myself
I don't have any AP credits (went to high school in a different country)
I am pretty organized and already have a setup/method for doing and organizing tasks (GTD, pomodoros, Omnifocus if anyone is interested)
I am planning a pretty balanced schedule, e.g. not too heavy on math, not too heavy on humanities – I have already laid out all the classes I want to take and I only have 1 overlap (1 hr, once a week, planning on missing one MWF+F class for a W only class)
I've always done pretty well learning with books and studying by myself, can't really study in groups
I don't drink/party – been there, done that, over it
What else? I’m not sure what advisors look for when allowing students to take extra credits. Do you? Can you point me in the right direction here?
Taking 25 hours is going to be beyond brutal, especially if your “major” is STEM-related. Good luck maintaining over a 3.0 with that schedule anyways, regardless of major. My advice, take 15-17 hours your first semester. If that’s relatively easy for you, and you maintain a 3.8-4.0 GPA (No easy feat, an A- is a 3.66 and there’s no A+), then you can ask your advisor for permission to take maybe 18-21 hours. Don’t go over that though, you’ll be doing essentially nothing but going to class and working anyways. And there are always summer classes if you’re this desperate for hours. Remember though, graduating really quickly isn’t always the most important thing, especially if your grades are going to suffer, which they definitely will if you do this. Grades trump all. What do you think an employer is going to be more impressed by in a recent graduate? A person who graduated from a 6 year degree plan in 4 years with a 2.9 GPA? Or a person who took the 5-6 years and has a 3.6?
I don’t think it would be even possible to arrange a class schedule of 25 hours per semester every semester for four years. It is hard enough getting a schedule when you have 16 or 17 hours.
Lol no not even slightly possible. Unless you have a GPA you can’t even take more than 17 hours, so freshmen aren’t even able to request additional hours. If it’s a 6 year degree, it’s a 6 year degree.
It’s not that there are things they “look for” in allowing you to take more than 17 hours. Every dept has a policy, period. We were allowed to take over 17 hours if we had a 3.0 GPA and we had completed at least 24 hours at UT. And they’d only let you take 21 max I think. If you dropped or failed a course even one time while taking more than 17 hours, they’d basically just deny you ever requesting it again.
Also, you’re not taking into account pre-requisites and course sequencing. I have to assume you’re talking about the Arch/Engr. degree. That’s 6 years IF you don’t drop or fail a course, because they are pre-requisites to each other.
I was an architectural engineering major at UT. I don’t think it’s a good idea to double major in architecture/engineering. Pick one and become very good at it. For example, if you major in architectural engineering, take extra electives such as masonry design. THAT is what will impress employers.
A freshman shouldn’t take more than 15-17. See how it goes. 21 is already insane and would require more than the dedication and regimen indicated above (which is, basically, what you need to have for a 3.7+ with 15-17 credits).
@smallkid9 is right. 20 hours (both a major and minor) will kill you.
What program requires 197 credits? my bachelor’s only requires 120. Are you in a master’s program?
sounds like you’re doing a dual degree program? if it’s anything like arch/eng, i’d say no way. i know single majors to each who pretty much eat, breathe, sleep their major, even with a typical course load. however, if you get maxed out at UT with the top number of hours they will allow and you feel like you can still do more, I’d suggest supplementing by enrolling at ACC simultaneously. You could possibly shave off some time AND money. That being said, 25 hours per semester, for all 4 years (AND getting the exact schedule of classes needed to make that happen) in no way sounds plausible.
