Freshmen Courseload

<p>Take 4 classes. People take from 3-5, but 5 is really exhausting. Start with 4 you can always add more anyway.</p>

<p>To be quite honest, you will have tons of time to study. The problem most people face is how to manage that time, especially for freshmen. </p>

<p>Also, I don’t think there is an “AP-exempt writing class.” If you’re exempt, you simply don’t need to take the course. At least I didn’t. And I would also advise taking health (which is a joke of a class) freshmen year, just to get it over with, and more than likely tons of your friends will be in it making studying for the midterm/final a breeze!</p>

<p>Dude it depends on background I guess especially when it comes to Emory science courses. I took Bio 141/142 (based on your ability to not get tricked on exams moreso than knowledge of the exam topics) and 171/172 (organic chemistry, the difficulty of this class was hell, but it was awesome) simultaneously, and did fine. I outperformed lots of people inorganic despite not having AP credit (I only got a 3 on AP chem unfortunately, but did pretty solidly in orgo. as they are completely different. In fact I plan to TA one Soria’s SI sessions this upcoming year). Many of my peers had a similar courseload as you did and did very well, but then again, I’m an INSPIRE member, thus me and my peers have a great degree of experience and interest in science. However, many of my non-INSPIRE friends seriously struggled (many didn’t too, don’t get me wrong) doubling up especially when they had tough profs. for both bio and chem.
All-in-all, your schedule is doable, but I would probably choose an easy professor for either bio or chem (whichever one you think you’ll be weaker in). I had all hard profs. last year, and it was hell despite me doing pretty well.
Oh, as for the 18 hour thing. I think that’s incorrect. I think you aren’t allowed over 20 credit hours. I had 19 my first semester at Emory do to FAME, Freshman Seminar and a 2 credit orgo. lab.</p>

<p>i’m planning on taking jap 101, personal health, cs 170, and math 211. can someone tell me what they think?</p>

<p>Perhaps add a class. But you are fine, that is very similar to my friends first semester schedule (he’s a compusci major). I think he took Italian, some 200 level math, and cs 170, plus another course which I forget.</p>

<p>bernie i’m really ocd at times and have planned out the rest of my classes too, atleast tenatively. do you mind me if i pm you it so you can tell me what you think?</p>

<p>That’ll be fine.</p>

<p>bernie2012,</p>

<p>you said you took orgo and bio together freshmen year, despite your ap chem score being 3??</p>

<p>my case is quite similar: I really wanna try that path too, taking orgo freshmen year with bio this fall, but my ap chem score was only a 3…i thought only ap scores of 4 and 5 people can take orgo freshmen year…</p>

<p>how did you manage to take orgo?? thnx</p>

<p>I got into INSPIRE, so I got to take an advanced science course. Plus I’m not pre-med. If I was pre-med Jose would not have allowed me to take it because it gets really dicey trying to meet the inorganic requirement for med. schools if I don’t have any credit. Being a non-premed chem major made it work out a lot easier for me. If you are pre-med. and don’t plan on majoring in chem, then don’t do it. Even those with AP cred. for chem. 141(non-chem majors that is) credit find it a little tricky if they take 171/172.</p>

<p>So wait, does Chem 141, Biology 141, Math 111, and Freshman Seminar sound like way too much for a typical student to handle? I want to do pre-med, although I haven’t decided a major yet. I’m not a huge math/science whiz, though.</p>

<p>Don’t double up w/chem and bio if you don’t think you have a solid science/math background. With that said, if you decide against doubling up, it is advised that one takes chem. first. The bio dept. claims that chem. is relevant to bio 141, yet I fail to see how it’s critical to one’s success in 141 or 142. Taking orgo. at the same time was neat though cause I understood certain biological concepts on the molecular level. However, such an understanding is not too useful. Any relevant gen. chem concepts will be explained in 141 lecture. Gen. chem is almost completely irrelevant in bio 142 which is a molecular genetics course in which, despite the name, you mainly focus on figuring out the mechanics of a system for success as opposed to the chemistry involved.</p>