<p>I'm confused as to how they work. Are you supposed to take a certain amount per year or are you supposed to plan them out over four years, fitting them around electives and major requirements? Or should you try to finish most of them during your first and second year? Are you allowed to take as many classes as you want as long as your schedule allows for it?</p>
<p>And if you plan on transferring, which gen eds are you supposed to take, considering that schools differ in their requirements?</p>
<p>In California, there’s the IGETC, so if you’re a transfer, if you complete the IGETC, you don’t have to take any more general ed classes at a 4-year university.</p>
<p>At least at my school, you don’t have to take the gen ed courses in your first two years, but since generally some of them are prerequisites for the rest of your major you’ll be taking those in your first year, and since you can’t take much of anything else until you finish the prerequisites you’ll generally end up taking most of the other gen eds at the same time.</p>
<p>At my school, you take them where they fit in, and your advisors will tell you to try and get them in as early as you can while still doing classes for your major.</p>
<p>Do you have a mentor professor? They should review the requirements as well as the courses for your proposed major. If you plan to major in the sciences, you will have labs that will have to be taken into consideration. Some gen ed classes are offered only during certain semesters. Check with your school to see if they have a mentor or advisor who will review this with you.</p>
<p>At my school you take them over four years. Your senior year, at least 50% of your coursework has to be in your major, but there are definitely seniors fulfilling requirements senior year.</p>
<p>I think you have to finish English 101 and 102 by the end of sophomore year though.</p>