Help Me with My Schedule!

Parents Forum
1

Hello I have a draft with my schedule for the next semesters with all of my prereqs to transfer from my CC to a Uni. I would love to receive any tips with what classes i shouldn’t take together. I would also love it if you re arranged my schedule to see what would be better. Thank you very much! Here is my current plan:
SPRING2016:
ENG121 english comp 1
BIO111 general College Biology with a lab
MUS120 Music Appreciation
MAT122 Triginometry

SUMMER:
Certified Nurse Aid(Get certified and start working to get clinical expirience)
PHY111 algebra based physics with lab

FALL2016:
CHE111 general college chemistry with lab 1
HIST US History
JOU Intro to mass media
BIO112 General college bio w/ lab 2

SPRING2017:
PHY112 algebra based physics w/lab 2
HUM World Mythology
CHE112 General college Chemistry w/lab 2

SUMMER2017:
CALC calculus1

I want to major in Bio If anyone was curious and these are the pre reqs at my CC that transfers directly to a uni near the CC.

2

Summer Semesters are 10 weeks by the way.

3

Are the courses at CC equivalent to the courses at the university? I know they transfer, but do they provide the same foundation as you move forward with your studies?

4

You really need to talk to the transfer advisor at your CC about this. That person will have the best information regarding course selection, and what will transfer to four year schools. You should ask about schools with articulation agreements with your CC.

5

There is no particular reason why those courses wouldn’t transfer, if it is a university that accepts students from Community Colleges. Most public U’s do, some private ones less so. Of course, a high GPA helps grease the skids…

6

What is your long term plan? To be a nurse? To major in biology and be a biologist? to major in biology and go to med school?

7

Ditto on talking with your college advisor. You need to know what your major will be in planning your courses so you will be eligible for courses in your major and on track for graduating in 4 years total. You need to find out the courses needed for a degree, not only for a major but the course breadth requirements for your U. You need to figure out the prerequisites for advanced courses in your major so you will be prepared when you transfer. Post #2 points out a relevant fact. Getting the credits is not the same as having the knowledge base for future classes. The transfer school may cover more/different material.

As above- it is very important for you to figure out what your goals with that biology major are. Your schedule indicates a weakness in math. Physics may require a lot of study, especially without the benefits of calculus based instruction. You must have placed into the precalculus math courses instead of calculus. I would not bother with a summer session calculus unless you plan to take the second calc course at the same school. There are differences in material presented and assumed learned at different U’s.

Hint- look at the major in the online catalog for the U you want to transfer to. Often there is a suggested list of when to take required courses. Use this to help you plan courses and schedules.

Another issue- a schedule can look good on paper but the reality may include conflicts in when classes meet and courses filling up at your desired times.

8

Just to explain a little more about the point made about foundational courses at particular schools.Two of my kids got 5’s on a science AP and would have been able to skip the intro foundational course at their universities, but chose instead to take the intro course. They were not alone: the majority of freshmen in their majors did this. The material covered and the order in which it is covered will differ from school to school. Taking the entire sequence at the 4 year university can be a way to feel really solid as you continue. (This happens with music theory, too.)

Another issue that there can be different chemistry classes, for instance, for different majors. For instance, nursing majors may have to take the premed general and organic.

Anyway, this poses a dilemma for students who are trying to save money by taking classes at community college, and hope to transfer to a 4 year school with only two years remaining.

In your particular situation, you may be fine- and I may be way off base- but I would echo the above posters and suggest you talk to an advisor and/or faculty member at your community college, and perhaps someone in the department of your intended major and/or advisor at the 4 year university you intend to attend. Your schedule may be perfect and save you money and courses at the 4 year, or it may be a waste of time, money and energy for some of the courses that you will want to repeat at the 4 year school.

This issue is not as relevant for majors like English or history, but for intensive content-based majors like the sciences, it can be a possible issue. I hope that in your case it isn’t and that you can move ahead at your expected pace.

However, since you are “stressed out”, another strategy might be to give yourself more time to finish, get all your gen eds done (and even then, some 4 years have certain required gen eds, for diversity, world awareness, writing, that kind of thing), and whatever foundational science and math classes you need to enter the 4 year school.

If you want to be a nurse, you can also consider the 2 year degree and then do an RN to BSM program.