<p>My daughter was just recently accepted to UVA. How many classes would you recommend that she take? I don't want her to be overwhelmed....but want realistic advice from parents who have been there. Thanks!!</p>
<p>If she is worried about being overwhelmed, and has credits from APs etc. coming in, then she can take 4 classes (12 credit hours if they're all the usual 3 credit classes) the first semester or two. If she doesn't have credit going in (though that would be unusual for UVA) then she can still take 4 classes the first semester but she'll probably have to take six one semester of the remaining seven.</p>
<p>I took only four classes my first semester of college and I thought it helped me ease into things. You don't want to get used to that, though. The norm is 5 classes per semester and she should transition to that ASAP. No more than two semesters of 4 classes each...</p>
<p>The answer to your question may depend on whether your daughter is receiving financial aid or in some special program that requires that she be enrolled for a certain minimum number of credit hours per semester. At many schools, "full time" enrollment is 12 or more credit hours per semester; but in fact for students to graduate in 4 years it would normally take an average of 15 hours per semester (more in some majors).</p>
<p>In any case, you should probably think in terms of the number of credit hours per semester rather than number of courses, because courses vary in the number of credit hours (and class hours) they involve.</p>
<p>UVA will have guidelines for new freshmen for this. It is also going to var from school to school. At my son's school, freshman have a limit of 4 courses first semester 4-1/2 (includes an optional seminar) second semester.</p>