<p>Any comments on Federal Work Study would be appreciated. Is it flexible enough for an incoming Freshman probably taking 17 credits?</p>
<p>Any Social Stigma about having to have a job/Financial Aid?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Stigma? Why? it’s not a Country Club, it’s a college! Lots of kids work here! Included myself, I worked during my Freshman year for pennies at the Gym- I couldn’t get anything better at the time-. It teaches us responsibility, and keeps us out of trouble!
17 credis tough, is a stretch. this is a difficult schol and I would recommend between 13 and 15 credits the first semester, until you get used to the environment.</p>
<p>Whether or not 17 credits is too much depends on what the classes are. S took 18 credits his first semester (you can only do that the semester you take UW20 without paying extra) because he had 2 1-credit music performance courses. Those were like a break for him &, other than the time they took, not very taxing. He’s taken 17 credits every semester since then (because of music courses), has done well academically, and hasn’t found it too difficult. I wouldn’t recommend that someone take that many credits unless it involved something like music, which doesn’t require studying for tests, writing papers, etc.</p>
<p>shellfell: I would just add that exercise science classes can be tremendously fun as well and are only 1 credit each. I’m taking Self-Defense this semester, and it offers a nice break from studying two days a week.</p>
<p>Carly: plus, it’s an easy A and bumps your GPA from scratch.</p>
<p>^^multitasker - S feels the same way about his music classes.</p>
<p>Shellfell: because the Poli Sci and History and other Science classes are so hard, there is no crime in taking lighter courses to compensate and get a better GPA. We learned the hard way that we are no heroes by taking Only hard classes, lol!</p>
<p>Multitasker: that last sentence was deep! I need to learn that lesson and keep it in mind when I register for classes. Thank you.</p>
<p>Insomniac: Thank you, but it’s the real truth!
When one starts college the idea that every course is fairly easy becomes useless as soon as the first week ends! You realize that you don’t need to prove you are a genious by taking a million classes, but if you are going to do so, take at least 1 or 2 that they are at HS level, like music, speech or gym or all of them otherwise you’ll be forced to drop classes later on.</p>
<p>In S’ case, the music classes are in addition to the 5 other classes he takes each semester. He honestly hasn’t found academics at GW to be that difficult. He’d also be taking the music classes anyway since that’s one of his minors. But everybody needs to find a workload that works for them…that’s part of what the college experience is for.</p>
<p>good for your S! shellfell! She is really something. I’m so average, lol!</p>
<p>multitasker: sorry if my post didn’t come across as I intended. I was just trying to give a different perspective about GW academics so we don’t needlessly scare the newbies. I do agree, though, that students need to be careful how they assemble their schedules so it’s not overwhelming.</p>
<p>nah, shellfell! I appreciate your input. Your side of the story ver important. I had a much more overwhelming experience during te 1st semester, because intially I registered in UW20 (4cr), plus a science with lab (4 other cr) and the rest were 3 more courses which required a lot of work, plus working and trying to find time to study, I had to drop one class, so I think I did too much, which I regret now, since I needed to get my feet wet before doing so!</p>
<p>Social stigma? I don’t think so. Besides, many students hold campus jobs that are indistinguishable from those underwritten with Federal work-study funds. My daughter isn’t eligible for work-study but she works part-time in her college’s admissions office and performing arts center for extra spending money alongside classmates who are on work-study. The only reason she knows that they are is because they told her.</p>