As a freshman...

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>VandyHopeful - I'm sort of confused by what you're asking. Are you referring to a college on a quarter system (three "quarters" rather than two "semesters")? </p>

<p>What you seem to have described, however, seems far from impossible. I've changed my mind around a lot, but I'm pretty sure that I'm a pre-med, Psych major with a Spanish minor. Not only can I fit that in (with an entire semester I plan on devoting to a non-Spanish-language study abroad that doesn't count for my major, minor, or pre-med), but I didn't decide to be pre-med until a couple of weeks ago (I took no pre-med classes aside from Calc and the English requirement this past year; I'm a rising sophomore). Out of the 8 classes I took freshman year, 3 had absolutely nothing to do with any of the 3 tracks I plan to pursue, and I should have a few more electives left in my college career. Granted, I plan on taking Orgo over a summer and I may spend another summer abroad in Spain which will help a lot with the minor. But especially if you go to a school on the quarter system, where you get to take more classes during your college career than a school on the semester-system, you should be able to fit that in without a problem.</p>

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<p>I'd say 2 hours/credit is pretty much right on. This quarter I have a math class (5 units, 2-5 hours/week), a philosophy class (5 units, 3-7 hours/week), a seminar (4 units, 7 hours/week), a lab (2 units, 1 hour/week), and physics (4 units, 7-12 hours/week). Studying for midterms and writing papers may take extra time. The hours don't include hours in class, which would easily add up to another 20 hours/week.</p>

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<p>What kind of lifestyle/course work does a business major have?</p>

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<p>I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if I repeat... I'd take the normal schedule for the college, whether that's in hours or for a college that requires 16 semester courses - 4 courses a term. I wouldn't take more than two courses that last all year. If you hate your courses - not being able to bail is horrible. I'd try not to take all courses that have a midterm, a final and a paper due at the end of the course. There's too much temptation to leave everything to the end. Math, sciences, languages and many art courses usually require regular work without a big push at the end. Don't take all lecture courses or all seminars. iff there are freshman seminar courses take advantage of them - they are a great way to get to know professors. Take at least one course that's something you can't get in high school - something offbeat, not necessarily related to your major. And remember to have fun - join some clubs and activities and think about trying new things. Why not?</p>

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<p>As was pointed out by karthikkito, different majors require different numbers of units--for example, at UCSC the number varies from 171 quarter units for Psychology to 219 for Aerospace Engineering (from 114 to 146 semester units). Obviously, it will be much more difficult for the person who has to take the larger number of units to finish in 4 years than it will for the person with the easier load. The crazy thing about this is that generally the person who has to take the larger load also has labs that are longer hours but don't show up in the hourly requirements--for example, a 3-unit engineering lab may take 5 hours in class time. This means that the Aerospace Engineer may actually be spending something like 240 hours versus 171 hours for the Psychology major--or 40% more time overall. Keep this in mind when planning how many courses you will take in a semester--and in how long it will take you to graduate (which translates into additional tuition and housing costs).</p>

<p>As an example of this, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (a well-known highly-ranked engineering school here in California) graduates 0% of their students in four years--that's right, I said zero percent--it's on their website. Yet, over 92% of their students graduate within 7 years. </p>

<p>My son is about to pursue a Business major at Indiana University, whose business school is also highly-ranked. Possibly because of this, the business program requires 140 units minimum to graduate, versus the 124 units required by a non-business program. So the question is whether he will take the 17 1/2 units per semester to get through in 4 years, or plan to go an additional semester or two at a slower pace. I think we'll wait and see how the first semester goes (he's planning to take 17 units).</p>

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<p>I generally don't post back-to-back, but I wanted to address glucose101's question.</p>

<p>A typical business program would be: (in semester units) </p>

<p>62-64 general ed, divided up into math-6, communications-9, international studies-6 (may include a foreign language), English-6, other 35 to 37 split between arts, humanities, history, and sciences, and other gen ed. </p>

<p>62 to 70 units in business courses divided as follows: intro to business-3 to 6 units, prerequisities and basic core in accounting, finance, operations, logistics, marketing--22 to 25, economics-6, strategy and tactics, personnel mgmt, career planning -in business-9, and courses in specific major--20 to 24.</p>

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<p>Everyone is talking about how much time is put into studying, but I have to wonder how much effort is put into these hours? I know people who will spend maybe an hour or two on math homework and they work with major concentration. I'm the type who is always very unfocused (I don't know if it is because of the work I'm doing is boring or if I am just lazy, or both) and I tend to get distracted from doing things just because I don't want to do the work. When I do sit down to do work, I may get into a mode and be working hard for about four hours at most, maybe more if I have something due, like big paper or project. Like right now, I decided to be a big idiot and draft my own version of HP and the Order of the Phoenix as a final project for this quarter of my creative writing class. But I have other work to do and never enough spaced out time to sit down and get into a smooth mode. I have places to go, eight hours of school, sleep to catch so that I am not a zombie the next day. Although, I did stay up to watch Truly, Madly, Deeply until one in the morning last night, but that's beside the point. </p>

<p>Anyhoo, I am just wondering how much effort and ferocity is put into those "2 hours per class hour" of studying? Do you take a lot of breaks and sort of chill out while working, or are you nailed to a desk for five hours unless you need a bathroom break (and even then you take the textbook/computer/calculator and paper with you)?</p>

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<p>I took a college course last fall, and we were expected to spend a minimum of 12 hours per week studying. That just never, ever happened. As in I never, ever studied. Some people need to study 2-3 hours/day for some classes, while others just review before the class. While the latter is much less effective for students as a whole, I think devoting 3 hours per day to any one class (not counting during finals!!) is a great way to learn how to hate something.</p>

<p>Obv. I realize you can't get away with never studying ...at least not for 99% of the classes you take. I'm just saying that what is reasonable vs. what is reccomended needs to be considered.</p>

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<p>kk06 says "devoting 3 hours per day to any one class (not counting during finals!!) is a great way to learn how to hate something"</p>

<p>So ... 12 hrs. per week, divided by 7 days ... equals 3?</p>

<p>Huh? I hope that wasn't a math course :)</p>

<p>Seriously, though, if 12 hours a week is more than a student can bear, the student might be in the wrong field.</p>

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<p>I Think he's taking into effect that you have multiple classes. That you spend 6-9hrs a night. If he's not, i fully agree with you.</p>

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<p>Only read the first page, but I'll agree with what some said about the 2 hours of studying for every 1 hour of class being BS.</p>

<p>General statements like that are never true, and that one isn't an exception. I've just finished my first year of college and study time varies A LOT.</p>

<p>I had a class this semester that was a book review (read a seperate book and write a paper on it), a midterm and a final. I read, but it wasn't the biggest textbook and reading 30-50 page chapters doesn't take me 2 hours. Other than studying the week before the midterm and the final, I didn't do much work for that class and still got a 95 on my midterm, A on my book review and feel I did well on my final. I had a course last semester with only tests also, and it's similar. </p>

<p>I guess it depends on the person, but I don't spend all my time studying everything, I only do that before the test--maybe a week in advance (depends). This doesn't take up all that much time.</p>

<p>Now, there are classes where you have to read more and write lots of paper (my english and philosophy classes), and those I might spend over 2 hours per 1 hour of class time often depending on what was due.</p>

<p>So, it really depends on the class, the professor, etc...</p>

<p>I personally took 17 hours both semesters this year and it wasn't too bad. I took calculus, which I took in HS (didn't pass AP tho), so that was hardly any work for me first semester and that helped I guess since with more work it woulda been harder.</p>

<p>Honestly though, just judge according to what you will be taking. Also, if you can register for classes and see the professors, then check ratemyprofessors.com. This will give you an idea of the work the professors workload and grading, I thought it helped. Plus it strayed me away from the boring, horrible professors everyone despised.</p>

<p>I say take 15, but more if you feel you can handle it. </p>

<p>With the club thing, just do one that you think you'll enjoy and want to do. Otherwise, don't do one at all.</p>

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<p>mwbashful, I'll say what I've done with regards to working...</p>

<p>I am not very good at sitting around for hours doing work, it's just not me. Luckily, I have a good memory and can pick things up pretty quickly. So, because of that, studying notes and all that is a breeze. Sure, sometimes it takes a while, but it's not bad; I just read through my notes once or twice and I know them (I know the order, where everything was on the pages, etc, it's funny lol).</p>

<p>Yet, after reading something once, I'll go on my computer, check my mail, some sites, etc for 5 minutes, then go to whatever other work I have. If I'm writing a paper, same deal. If I have a flow of ideas/thoughts, I write until I'm done, but if I'm at a road block, I stop and do something else for a bit--even if it's just going to the bathroom or something.</p>

<p>I've also spread my classes out as well (which I suggest) so I'll have time inbetween classes to study for the next class. It helps A LOT. It's like my designated study time for that class. Since say from 11-1 I'm free and I have a 1:30 class. What am I really going to do for 2 hours? I'll study and eat food, and it's effective. I try to stay consistent and do that same tpye of thing day in and day out.</p>

<p>I think I'd cry if I had classes from 9 AM - 3 PM like in high school and then went home and studied for hours straight. I feel like I'm spending less time studying when it's spread out throughout the day. Plus, I enjoy spending my nights relaxing on my computer or watching TV sometimes (or writing papers, because I write best into the night for some reason), so I don't wanna be bogged down with work from 5 PM - 11 PM.</p>

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<p>If you want TONS of free time pick easy lower division courses with easy teachers and have your class all on the same day like T/TH. I did this and I had so much free time it was crazy. No work at all and only two tests the midterm and the final which were simple. With a schedule like that it alows you to join as many activities as you want. </p>

<p>Sometimes though you will see a course you like ex. a language course or an upper division course. Those type of classes may require homework,extra studying, and lots of tests. Something you might want to stay away from for your first year. </p>

<p>My opinion college is easier then high school you have the ability to choose your teacher, the time and the day you take your classes.</p>

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<p>awww i'm a GIRL!!!</p>

<p>and i'm quoting the prof - it was an online course, so there were no actual hours of being in class that you could do the math with.</p>

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<p>There are things you can do to increase the intensity of your studying and thereby reduce the actual amount of time you spend studying.
The key is to focus focus focus. Turn off the music, and use some of those comfortable foam earplugs to block out noise. You will have to study half as long to retain twice as much.</p>

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<p>A lot of things I've read on here are totally irrelevant to engineering majors. If you're an engineer, you're pretty much locked into a standard schedule for four years, with only a small degree of variability (at most schools). No way to just "choose teachers and times," "easy classes," etc - you take them the semester/quarter when you have to take them and with the professor that's offering the course...or potentially get a year behind.</p>

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<p>I don't think I spent that much time studying unless it was closing in on test time. I mean, I went to class and took notes, and did homework if the class assigned any, but outside of class I was busy going to concerts and parties and free movies and club meetings. Of course, there are times when you have to sit down and do homework for 2 hours straight or write a paper that's due the next day, but it's not a regular thing. I had a very respectable 3.46 gpa (and A's and B's) for the year as well.</p>

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<p>Does club sports take up a lot of time?</p>

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<p>same question as kinglin, im planning to play tennis recreational</p>

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<p>karthikkito, you mentioned that engineering majors follow a pretty strict schedule and there's not much room for flexibility. i'm an international student in texas austin starting fall this year (Eng combined with a liberal arts program called Plan II) , so i don't really understand - as far as i can tell, there are a few basic courses in maths and physics that engineering majors are supposed to take, but i didnt know you had to take them at very specific times. could you give me an example of how it's done in your own college? thanks.</p>