<p>Here is my schedule for freshmen year. I was wondering if 18 was too much or if you think I can handle it? Please keep in mind that I really don't want a social life right now so being stuck in a library or room to study doesn't bug me. I'm use to it. I also won't be working either so I'll be able to dedicate 7 days to study.</p>
<p>Intro to Business/ONLINE CLASS </p>
<p>Personal Finance/ONLINE CLASS- (I can do personal finance in my sleep. Its so easy)</p>
<p>Monday
Human Relations 5:15pm to 7:45PM </p>
<p>Tuesday:</p>
<p>Drawing and Composition 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Family Relationships 5:15pm - 7:45pm</p>
<p>Wednesday:</p>
<p>Business Law 5:15pm to 7:45pm</p>
<p>Thursday:
Drawing and Composition 1:00pm to 3:30pm</p>
<p>Do you think this schedule is one that I could handle? Is there any classes you see that might be really hard with a ton of homework? </p>
<p>How many hours a week do you think I'd have in homework? I have a full seven days to devote to school. </p>
<p>18 is too much for a freshmen. You need to have room to adjust to university life. Plus, you may not want a social life now but that might (and probably will) change.</p>
<p>Furthermore, online classes are a whole different ball game. Personally, I like them but you need to be very good at staying on top of things. As a freshmen, I’d stick to just one online I class until you become accustomed to a college workload. Stick to 16 or less credits is a good rule of thumb for freshmen.</p>
<p>Also, your drawing class is likely to take up a lot of time. Much more than you’d think.</p>
<p>By the way, don’t rule out a job. It’s proven that those who work 8-10 hours per week do better than those who don’t work. Studying seven days a week will likely cause burnout.</p>
<p>i used to love taking the night courses because I could work during the day. That being said, I took 18 credits per semester almost every semester in college. It might be a bit much your first semester when you’re trying to adjust to college life. Night courses are great but figure you’ll be assigned 2-3x as much homework at a time per night course since the classes don’t meet as often. Of course you do have longer to get it done, but just wanted to throw that out there.</p>
<p>I agree that it is better not to take 18 credits your first semester. Especially since you need to make satisfactory academic progress… unless you’ve successfully appealed?</p>
<p>Consider enrolling in all of those courses and then drop the “worst” class BEFORE the drop deadline. </p>
<p>I also agree that a work study job is helpful way to earn money and manage your time. </p>
<p>I’ve found that classes that meet once a week are a mixed blessing. Assignments are due once a week, so it’s easier these longer assignments to build up. Moreover, if you are physically/ mentally absent from class you miss twice as much material than you would in a class that meets more often. There are also some classes where 2+ hours of class in one sitting is just too much. These downsides tended to outweigh the benefits of once a week classes for me. </p>
<p>You drawing class might be a lot of work, but it will be a different sort of work than your other classes. The workload of your other classes depends on your school and the particular professor.</p>
<p>I think it’s generally a good idea to start out a little slower first semester of fr year to get the feel for things. That said, you could sign up for 18 and see how it goes. As long as you keep an eye on the date and be sure to drop a class BEFORE the time when you would get a W on your transcript, you’re fine. D1 did this as at her school students took 4 or 5 classes, but labs always counted as 1/2 a credit. She tried 5 1/2 on semester and ended up dropping back to 4 1/2, anther semester she stuck with 5 1/2.</p>
<p>oops, just saw that c_r already suggested this, so I second it ;).</p>
<p>I took very high credit loads in college–my last semester was the only semester when I took a “normal” credit load (16 credits), and that was because I needed to be able to arrange a schedule that would allow me to be away from campus for about six weeks for grad school interviews. I took one intersession course and than research and capstone internship requirements, worked while on the road, and was luckily to have very accommodating mentors and supervisors with whom I arranged this in advance. </p>
<p>All other semesters I took between 19 and 27 credits (mode: 21). It was intense and overwhelming at times, but I have no regrets. FWIW, most of my classes were psychology or social work (my two majors), but I was also a bio minor and so took a not-insignificant amount of bio courses. I wouldn’t recommend this with, say, a physics, chemistry, engineering, music, theater, or (probably) bio major, though–probably some others as well.</p>
<p>My D has taken between 22 and 26 credits each semestre and is now going in as a senior and is still taking 22 in the fall. She is doing a double major in Music Performance and Music Business. The performance major has a lot of extra work in as far as hours of ensembles, recitals and concerts. She is also an RA and has not found the workload to be overwhelming at all.</p>
<p>I think the workload probably varies a lot between schools and eras as well as majors, so it’s hard to give relevant advice. I personally took 18 credits every semester of my undergrad career, back in the dark ages.</p>
<p>D2012 mentioned that one of her HS teachers was strongly pitching that a freshman should take only 12 credits the first semester. I thought that sounded light, and suggested she formulate an initial plan of approx 15 credits (5 classes), then discuss with her advisor at orientation.</p>
<p>This particular schedule looks very doable. According to my son, Intro. to Business is a joke class. He took it as a filler class one semester (not a business major)—easy A. If you have common sense, it’s a breeze.</p>
<p>Drawing and composition will take more time than you think, but it’s not stressful.</p>
<p>Family relationships shouldn’t be difficult.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend a freshman to take 18 credits the first semester, but the OP’s schedule doesn’t appear to be too difficult. We’re not talking about Calculus, Lab Sciences, or heavy reading classes such as History or Political Sciences. </p>
<p>In the future, you should consider scheduling fewer 3 hour/once a week classes. Freshman year usually consists of strep throat, flu, sinus infections, and even mono. If you miss one of the those classes because of sickness, you’ve missed an entire week of info.</p>
<p>Depends. Are you considered to be in overload? Some schools simply won’t let freshman take overload. If 18 is considered within the normal band of full-time, you’re probably fine if you’re a good student.</p>
<p>Can I ask you why you have no plans for a social life? I mean, there won’t be a lot of times in your life when you’re together with a peer group and have the opportunities to socialize that you get in college. Do not underestimate the value of soft skills in the workforce and the opportunity to develop them in school.</p>
<p>My d. always took between 21 and 23, and didn’t find it overwhelming. But she was well-organized, and writes papers with some ease and facility.</p>
<p>Here’s a long post with some things to consider.</p>
<p>It all depends on the student. The typical, average college freshman would likely be overwhelmed. The motivated top HS student would not. The era doesn’t matter. Get out the violin folks- I took honors courses for 17-18 credits some semesters- plenty of extra in class hours for chemistry every semester. But chemistry was my forte and I was well prepared by my HS. The number of courses also matters. Your strengths also count- the math major may spend their time doing problem sets while the lit major writes papers. The number of hours spent could be a lot longer in the opposite field- the math major could take a lot longer to get that paper written while the lit major may take hours longer to get the math assignment.</p>
<p>This heavy evening load could work if you are a night person who then sleeps in. I see you are not planning a heavy full time college load on top of working a day job. You need to choose one fulltime endeavor- school or work. You can expect to need time to unwind after classes and would best function as a night owl. This can work as in the morning students are typically either off to classes or still sleeping. It would be harder to have to get to sleep early for an early morning start- most students are noisier in the evening and will be around for you to waste study time socializing. </p>
<p>You will also miss out on a lot of casual interactions and events when you need to be at class. This could mean not wasting time you set aside for studying. You could be out of synch with most other students who are ready to do something other than studying during your free afternoons before an evening exam. A lot depends on your personality and how important being with others is. A school that offers many evening classes will have other students taking them, those are likely to be students you get to know.</p>
<p>What does your college advisor say? I presume you will have worked on your proposed course list and schedule with him/her during your orientationbefore you are commited to your schedule. It can be easier/more efficient to have one long class once per week than to meet every other day, or it can be easier to have time to figure out questions et al without needing to wait a week. So many variables. Make a list of the pros and cons in your eyes. It does not matter what any other person- here or another student- thinks, this is a personal decision for your best benefit. You know your academic and other strengths and weaknesses, plus interest in the course material.I personally never took any of your prposed courses and would not have liked them, just as you would never choose the courses I did. </p>
<p>Attitude counts for a lot. If you are motivated and want to do this it will work out fine. It is better to get more classes out of the way sooner so you can have more flexibility later. Another advantage with more credits is that you can drop one and still not have too light a load to keep busy enough to prevent boredom. Another consideration is in how important you consider your overall gpa to be. If taking a course, such as the art one, is more for your enjoyment and you aren’t worried about a top grade you can afford to be less intense about it. Or you could take it pass/fail perhaps. Freshman grades are the least important ones on your academic record and the courses in your major count more for grad schools and employers. You will discover your limits- how will you know you can do it if you never try? Better to find out now and either take fewer credits in the future, drop a class or know you can handle it. Good luck.</p>
<p>These do not seem like killer classes (although I do not have experience in art classes). It doesn’t sound like any of them should have huge reading lists or big lab write ups. </p>
<p>I suspect you will be fine – but there are several things you can do to improve your chances:
a) make sure you know course drop dates so you don’t end up “stuck” in a class that ends up being awful.
b)read on the college website/student forum for the college to see if any of the professors you would have are known for brutal work loads (I suspect not)</p>
<p>c) Post on the student forum and ask for input from others who have taken these classes (Not “what do you think of this schedule?” but “Anyone have experience with Art 105? What was it like?”) so you get some specific feedback (maybe)</p>
<p>d) plan to attend any freshman orientation weekend or week that the college hosts. This may be an additional expense but it is usually well worth it – those “welcome freshmen” programs are specifically designed to get you up and running and informed on how to navigate the campus. Plus the friendships you will make will be invaluable. </p>
<p>e) think thorough your tracking plan. Will you use a day planner? An online schedule? A wall calendar? Get something up and going so you have a place to mark when assignments are due, etc. </p>
<p>I think you’re off to a strong start. Go have a blast! (and do make sure you join at least one campus group. You will need some friends – hiding in your dorm and working seven days a week is the weakest part of your current plan).
Good luck!</p>
<p>Higher than 19 hrs or so is possible if one does not do other multiple things in addition:
maintain 4.0
work
sport
volunteering
interning at Research lab or some other place
Greek
trips abroad
8…others</p>
<p>D. found that 18 -19 hrs was plenty for her while she was doing all of the above at the same time. Then she realized that she had to drop her sport, was a bit too much, so she dropped it.
So, know:
1 your ability
2 time management skills
3 graduation requirements
4 your UG duration (3, 4, 5, more years)
5 summer classes vs no summer classes
6 time limitations or your junior and senior years (need of less hours - 15 - 16 because of prep. for Grad. school exam, going to interviews)
7 requirements for your future after college (certain ECs requirements for certain Grad. schools / jobs)
8 additional cost of doing over certain number of hours? How many hours full tuition Merit award covers? Some of them do not cover summer.
… and plan accordingly</p>