I am a political science major on a pre-pharmacy track. I am heading into my second year of college and ended up regitering for classes that total to 19 credits for the upcoming fall semester. The classes are as follows: CHEM 102, BIO 152, ECON, COMPARATIVE POLI, PRE-CALCULUS, CHEM LAB/BIO LAB.
I was really lazy freshman year and barely pushed myself and ended up with a 3.2. I want to get back on track this year and catch up on my pre-reqs but I want to know if this is a disaster and terrible idea to take 19 credits with these classes. I don’t know when people usually apply for med/pharm school so I just want to make sure I am caught up with my pre-reqs soon. I am taking precalc because I got a C and it was my first C ever and I can’t stand it so I am hoping to get a better grade by retaking it instead of moving on to calc even though I understood the content perfectly
You’re a better judge of what you can handle than the rest of us. The list of classes doesn’t seem all that onerous. Is this for quarters or semesters?
It will depend on what you can handle. But based on the 3.2 last year and self-professed laziness, 19 credits may be too much as it will require discipline.
(Note that you only have 5 classes, which is typical despite the number of credits. I’d be more concerned if 19 credits were 6-7 classes.)
Your bio and chem classes both have labs and will require a lot of in-class time. You know what’s involved in pre-calc; assuming there are lots of items for grading and you can’t get behind in this if you want to raise your grade. Depending how Econ is taught at your school, it can be pretty demanding. Comparative Poli will mostly like involve a TON of reading.
I recommend you take fewer credit hours. It may put you behind for prerequisites, but after your first year I wouldn’t advise you to take that many credit hours in a semester. You won’t be able to do your best, and if you want to raise your GPA, it could be very difficult. If, however, your GPA isn’t important, and you just want to get in as many pre-requisites as possible, you could try it, but be ready to drop a class if you aren’t keeping up.
Hard to say, but I think the fact that Pre-calc is a repeat that you think you mostly understand should make it doable. Have you taken lab sciences at this college before? Are you a fast reader?
I’d suggest removing a science+lab. Can you take the science another year instead? Also are these the first semester of sciences or are they the second? Either way Bio and Chem are “tough” especially at the intro level. (Chem can be tough to understand the concepts. Bio is easy, but you have to know the material really well inside and out to get a good grade.)
It always depends on the individual. Interesting that you are weak in precalculus. Most STEM majors will be taking some version of calculus as freshmen. Will your math get in the way of doing well in chemistry? I was a chem major eons ago and know there is a lot of equation solving of various types. I see that the chem and bio have separate lab courses. You need to figure out how many in class hours per week this amounts to. Plus how many papers you will be writing and how fast you do those. How much time will you need to figure out the chemistry as well.
It could be good to start with many credits so you can drop a class.
What are the math requirements for chem, and is this one the “lower” option? i wonder if this will get you what you need for your degree and your future.
In another post, you implied attending VCU. VCU requires an an average of 15 credits per semester to graduate in 4 years, and sets a max limit of 19 credits under normal circumstances. Whether you can handle the standard max of 19 or not depends on a variety of factors including the particular student, the specific courses, and other non-academic commitments. That said, if you got lower grades than you had hoped last year, including a C, increasing to a very high course load this year is probably not a good idea.
Do the answer me, but ask yourself, and look deep inside yourself. Other than the hope you will be different than you were last year, is there any evidence you will be?
What were you like in high school? You are at VCU, so your grades and courses were fine, but not stellar. Was last year truly different than who you have been in the past, or have you always been a bit lazy?
I think 19 credits is a lot for someone with no record of success in college and no record of going the extra mile in high school. I think it is fine for those with a track record of busting their butt, and who is willing to stay in on some Saturday nights to do problem sets, to limit drinking (since that interferes with homework the next day) etc.
If you understood the content perfectly then why didn’t you get an A?
I see people say things like this all of the time and it bothers me a bit… I took 20 credits at my previous institution during the Spring and I managed with all A’s. It depends on the college you are attending, the rigor of the classes, your overall dedication to your work etc. It may become a bit hectic at times and you will need to persist through the stress and what comes with this schedule. First comes the worst, you drop a class during the beginning of the semester. Use your own good judgement.