<p>hey guys, im planning to attend UM-madison this fall and major in physics for my undergraduate study, but the problem is i wanna finish the degree in college of L&S in 3 yrs. I heard u could have enrolled in summer course and take extra classes, etc. But how specific do u do it? like how many credits (max) u could earn in a summer section?
Has anyone here completed a degree in <3 yrs before or currently doing this thing or have knowledge for my question? ANY input will be so appreciated. XD</p>
<p>You can take 6, or possible 9 credits in summer depending on the type of class. There are various summer sessions of different lengths from 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks, 6 weeks or 8 weeks, that begin and end at various times from May through August.</p>
<p>It also helps to come in with a lot of AP credit, and to take heavy course loads. My D could have graduated in 3 years if she had wanted, but she chose to do a double major.</p>
<p>@greennblue</p>
<p>thx for ur input.</p>
<p>would you say (based on ur D’s case) finishing a degree in 3yrs and head to grauduate study is more worthy compared to do a double major? or the other way around?</p>
<p>My advice to my own D was no matter what, do not try and get out in 3 years because. 1) have fun 2) have lots of experiences in and out of class and these take time and effort 3) take time to grow up 4) it does not make you more competitive in the next step 5) you risk your GPA by over scheduling 6) summer courses are perceived as less rigorous in many cases (especially if not at your home school). And, believe me she is in no hurry to get out of Madison, it’s a great place to be an undergrad. In my life I oversee graduate school (PhDs in the sciences) and MD PhD admissions, and people who graduate in 3 years never do as well in the process unless they take time off after graduating. Why? No significant experience especially in research!! Few specific examples they can provide of really significant experiences (summers too busy with classes). No time exploring other areas with those “extra credits” you can take. THE ONE EXCEPTION. People who can demonstrate severe financial need to save the year’s tuition, but summer courses are not cheap either.</p>
<p>I completely agree with JerseyProf: don’t leave early unless you must save money. The research and extracurricular opportunities are outstanding.</p>
<p>A double major usually won’t help you get into grad school or get a job, but it makes sense for a student with more than one strong interest. In my daughter’s case, she needed something to fill up her schedule, and one of her majors is considered by some to be less academically intense; the other one compensates for this potential prejudice.</p>