<p>How many classes are you undergrads going to take for the first quarter? I was thinking just three for myself, just so that I could get a feel for everything.</p>
<p>Also, do you guys have any idea what classes you wanted to take? I was thinking MMW (I'm ERC), a math, and a science. Is this a good idea?</p>
<p>I'll tell you this, one of the most common weaknesses of incoming freshmen is their ambition (which can also be their strength as well). Usually incoming students feel they can take on the world (after all they were accepted to UCSD), which causes them to enroll in as many classes as they can. My only advice is to pace yourselves. Test the waters out for a bit and give yourself time to breath. After all, you want your first experiences at UCSD to be memorable. For all the freshmen who are reading this post, ask yourselves these questions before you enroll in that fourth or fifth class: Will I be too stressed out with this schedule? Will I have to change my eating/sleeping pattern just to accommodate my schedule? Will I have time to socialize and make friends? Will I enjoy college life with this schedule? </p>
<p>So, yes, taking three courses for the first time is highly recommended; at least by me.</p>
<p>Thanks, I appreciate the advice.</p>
<p>I also take three classes BUT...</p>
<p>I say enroll in four classes at first and attend all four classes for the first few weeks then simply drop the hardest/least favorite class. You're able to do that without any penalty. It simply gives you a choice using hindsight.</p>
<p>igotin: the only problem with that is that they don't know how hard the classes are, how much homework is/isn't assigned, etc. :P</p>
<p>they say that for every hour of class attended, 3 hours of outside studying should accompany that (incl. general studying, homework, etc.) so if you're registering for 12 units, you're really committing to go to school for 48 hours a week. personally, i don't follow that rule of thumb--it's more like 1-2 hours for me but i learn quicker/study more efficiently than others, so don't feel overwhelmed by 48 hours/week because it may or may not apply to you. remember that in high school, you probably went for 30-40 hours/week and that didn't include studying.</p>
<p>i recommend what 16399 said. this comes in handy when you drop a class and end up with 12 units (still full-time). if you start with 12 units, drop a class, then you are really behind on your degree and you'll have way too much free time. 8 units of typical freshmen classes is like going to school for 2 hours a day, including homework.</p>
<p>as i said, i'm a quick learner, but in my first three quarters...
12 units: too easy. took long "naps" and socialized a lot.
16 units: more manageable. reasonable socializing time.
20 units: never ever do this. i started having only 5 hours sleep/night because i was taking writing + all major classes (my major is bio)</p>
<p>ucsdhopeful, so which choice do you recommend for me? I have work-study and I am undeclared major in the social science department. I want to do 16 units of classes and do work study at the same time. Is that manageable?</p>
<p>Hey like what if you don't know what your gonna major in? Do you just fill up three classes with all GEs?</p>
<p>again it depends on you. are you easily distracted or can you focus for long periods of time to do those readings/essays? are you efficient at studying? 16 units + workstudy might be kind of rough though for the first quarter. if you work hard you can certainly do that (although your social life might not be great). i suggest just doing the 16 + workstudy for a few weeks before the drop deadline, you can evaluate afterwards and drop a class or cut down on your hours (if that's possible, i don't have workstudy), if necessary</p>
<p>tieniscool: are you absolutely unsure or do you have a leaning toward a general area (social sciences, math/science, engineering, humanities/arts...). if you have some idea, try for a class or two in that area + one GE. if you don't, find some classes that interest you and take those</p>