Course Selection - First Semester - Bio Major (BS)

College Confidential Community
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Hello.

I will be entering college come the Fall, and course selection is next week, when I go to orientation at my school. To prepare for my official decisions, I have been perusing the course catalog and reading my basic requirements list to see which classes I have to take (and where I have some space to pick and choose more eclectic courses).

Though I have been looking at these lists for close to a month, I am now desperate, as I am STILL unsure as to which classes to choose for my first semester!

While I KNOW that I want to get my entrance Mathematics class out of the way (because I tested into Pre-Calc but need Calc to continue with my other required Math classes), I am still unsure as to which other classes I should choose.
I was thinking about taking my entrance English class, perhaps a Bio course, and Art History I (because I am planning to have some type of Art minor, if things work out). A first year seminar (or FYS) is also required, but I may be able to take it next semester.

What I’m really here to ask is: Do any Bio majors (past or present)/parents of majors/etc. have any advice for first semester classes? The only piece of advice I have truly been given is to not take the really difficult classes first, to ease into the whole college situation. I want to balance my schedule with difficult, challenging, easy, and fun classes (consistently, if possible), so advice on the subject would be (pretty much) imperative.

I don’t know what I’m doing! Please, help!

Thanks for your time.

((:

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The courses you’re going to take are going to be pretty school specific. See if your school has a four year plan for your major, and take what they recommend, if you’re unsure of what else you should be taking. Or you can make yourself a four year plan and spread out all of the requirements you have to take over four years. For what it’s worth, I was a biology major, and at my school, students usually take Calculus, Biology, Gen Chem, and a GE their first quarter. Schedules might be changed slightly if students get AP credit for some of the classes.

What are the lower division requirements for your major (usually a year of biology, general chemistry, calculus, and physics)? It’s good to start getting cracking on those from the beginning. I’d recommend at least taking a biology class because introductory biology is usually a prerequisite for more advanced courses, and I’d recommend general chemistry too so that you can do organic chemistry in your second year (assuming your major requires that). You’ll need to take your math class so you can get back on track with math, and then I’d recommend taking whatever GE you like.

But of course, it all depends on what your school actually requires, not what other students have done. Making a four year plan with all of your requirements is usually a good place to start so you can get an idea of what you should really take now and what can be deferred until later, if you like.