<p>I hope this is the right forum for this thread. This fall I'll be starting college and am a bit concerned about my courses. I had an idea of what I wanted to take after snooping around this site for the better part of my senior year in high school, but after orientation my advisor sort of shoved classes down my throat. I'm just a bit worried that the classes I'm taking are either overkill or not liberal enough, maybe both. My advisor said she thought I could handle it, but everyone I ask says that I'm shooting myself in the foot. Also keep in mind that I will have a job at my school's museum (as an English major is this a turn off to the schools I'm transferring to?). I'll be taking these courses at a public fourth tier university in south Florida if it changes anything.</p>
<p>Fall '10
Human Bio
Human Bio Lab
English 1102
Finite Math
American Government
First Year Experience
Public Speaking</p>
<p>I'm thinking the last two won't be demanding at all, think I can get away with it?</p>
<p>Spring '11
Chemistry and Society
Chemistry and Society Lab
Intro to Creative Writing
Special Topics in English Lit (trying my hand at a 4000 level course, will drop with no penalty if its too difficult)
The Short Novel
Intro to Logic</p>
<p>How many units does it add up to? If it’s 15-16, that’s generally considered a regular load and should be manageable. If more, that really depends on how hard you want to work and how much background you have going into these courses. Also, you will have a period of time where you can drop courses without them showing on your transcript, just keep close track of the drop dates at your school.</p>
<p>What do you mean by saying the courses may not be liberal enough? </p>
<p>Having a job in the school museum should not affect your transfer prospects, no matter what your major, people get jobs were ever they can find one and there don’t tend to be many related to English.</p>
<p>It looks like you have 16 hours PLUS whatever “First Year Experience” is. I would not recommend you underestimate Public Speaking. For me it wasn’t an extremely difficult class but it took up tons and tons of time researching, writing, and practicing for presentations. Just depends on the place and professor. </p>
<p>With all that said I would vote against this schedule for your first semester. I’ve been where you are now. Assuming you’re a reasonably disciplined A student I would suggest you only take 14-16 hours max for your first semester. After that, you can make a well informed decision regarding whether or not to take 17-19 your second semester.</p>
<p>Every year there are a lot of smart kids who crash and burn the first semester because they’re learning to adjust. Overloading your first semester is an unnecessary risk in my humble opinion.</p>
<p>The schedule is certainly manageable to be honest. Be sure though, the amount of insight and knowledge that you honestly extract from each of those classes will be despondently low.</p>
<p>I took a public speaking class my first semester of college. I can say that it was probably the most exhilarating-yet earnest class of my first semester. It changed me, to say the least. When you stand in front of the class with confidence and enthusiasm, and give a fierce and solid speech, it does wonders to your character. Be able to control your tone, eye movements, and body language while gesturing to the crowd to convey an idea or to proclaim a statement is definitely a set of skills you have to develop by practice. It is also a set of skills that are amiable and absolutely essential to a great leader. Don’t miss the chance to develop them.</p>
<p>Speech class does entail more than actual speaking though. I surmise the professor will set a certain number of speeches each person has to present (for me it was seven), and each will have to do with a different topic. Examples of speeches I had to give were a “How to do ____” speech, a Commemorative speech, and a Persuasive Speech. Choosing the topic can be very difficult given a certain theme, and can take copious amounts of your time. On top of that, being creative is even more time consuming.</p>
<p>When you stack up so many classes together, you risk missing the essence-and perhaps enjoyment-of classes, because you spread yourself too thin.</p>
<p>Thank you for the responses. I was concerned that the schedule was not broad enough, to rephrase, so as to make my application more competitive. I’ve been trying to contact my advisor for the past few days to no avail. With 40,000+ students all of the advisors are busy all the time. The fall schedule adds up to 17 credits (labs and freshman experience count as 1 credit each) with the spring being 16. After reading your comments I decided to drop the public speaking class since I am painfully shy and it would not be wise to take it during an otherwise stressful time.</p>
<p>Without the public speaking class I’ll be taking 14 credits in the fall and after that I’ll probably switch my classes around for spring, too. I guess I’m getting caught up in the competition a bit too early and, honestly, overcompensating for my lackluster high school performance. Anyhow, thank you again.</p>