<p>So I will be going to stanford this fall and im wondering if i should already be worried about getting GERs/requirements fulfilled versus just taking the classes I'm interested in, many of which do not fulfill GERs. I have heard from current students that that it's good to take a light first quarter freshman year, which is what I'm doing...but will it come back to bite me in the a** later if i don't at least fulfill some more GERs?<br>
So far, im looking at 4-5 classes and only the IHUM and an Intro to Psych class will be fulfilling specific requirements. The others fall into the "activity" category (such as dance class, etc.).</p>
<p>advice from current students/alumni is appreciated!</p>
<p>hmm well while I agree that you shouldn't overburden yourself first quarter I do think you can take a decently moderate schedule (maybe 15 real units of work or something like that). IHUM is now 4 units (changed last year) which I personally thinks sucks for you guys cuz that extra unit pretty much only entailed a few more minutes of section a week. Anyways while I think taking one activity class is a great idea I don't think taking 3 is that wise. Instead look into introsems (has the booklet come out yet?) and maybe take one of those or take another class that strikes your fancy. If you want to double major or major in a major that has a large unit requirement (eg engineering) then it would be wise to start planning from the very beginning.</p>
<p>On a related note, what courses have a reputation for the lightest workload? I ask because I am supposed to take a reduced courseload for medical reasons, per the recommendation of my doctor, but I cannot as that would mean a cut in my financial aid. I could just repeat courses that I took as APs in high school, but I'd prefer to learn some new material instead of rehashing the old.</p>
<p>you don't need to retake classes. You can pull off 12 easy units-that shouldn't be much of a problem. Introsems can be really easy (though some can be hard). In general I suggest asking people before applying and asking them their experience. Go to courserank.stanford.edu and that should really help you look for classes that would fit your needs. PE classes can be physically tiring but not really mentally challenging.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input superwizard. As a follow up question, I am wondering approximately how many of the depth/breadth requirements we should aim to finish by the end of freshman year.</p>
<p>If you're going to study abroad, try to save some of your GERs for then.</p>
<p>Honestly I can only talk about engineering majors. If you're going to major in engineering then I would strongly encourage taking math your freshman year and physics (or chemistry depending on your major). There's actually an undergraduate engineering handbook that would be helpful for any prospective freshman thinking about major in engineering (google it and you should find it pretty quickly). </p>
<p>For other majors I suggest looking up your major on the bulletin (bulletin.stanford.edu) and to make a basic four year schedule (of course it doesn't need to be complete and don't plan on sticking to it exactly) that will give you a basic idea of how many core classes you may need to take your freshman year.</p>