How many credits are ok for a freshman?

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I'm starting college in a year. If I go to my safety school, where the academic standards are pretty low (but where I will get a full ride + stipend) I want to try to get multiple (over 2 majors) degrees and graduate in 4 years. I will basically come in as a sophomore except for like 2 gen eds. My majors will probably have some overlap, since I am going to try to get pre-med requirements and probably majors/minors/nothing in chemistry, computer science, math, and electrical engineering. </p>

<p>I don't want to make this a brag thread but I have done pretty well in high school. I am a quick studier and a fast reader, so I am good at STEMy courses, but I am really meticulous and procrastinating when it comes to papers so they take me ages. My dad took about 22 hours for a couple semesters in college and said it was fine.</p>

<p>Would a first semester of:
Some Communications class- 3 hours (for gen ed)
Some Math Class- 3 or 4 hours, hopefully I will have Calc 1-4 and LinAlg out of the way
Orgo I- 3 + 1 hr lab
CS seminar- 1 hr
EE 101- 3 hours, satisfies art GE somehow
A biology class- 4 hours
Some physics class- 4 hours, possibly 3 hr with 1 hr lab
For a total of 18-20 hours + 1-2 hr lab. </p>

<p>Is this doable? This would, afaik, finish all my Gen Eds and get me started in all of my ambitions. I will basically test out of a bunch of pre-med courses (general chem, bio, and math), so I hope that taking higher level courses as substitutes will be satisfactory. If you have any suggestions feel free to drop them on me</p>

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<p>Are you saying a post-calculus math class, organic chemistry, physics AND biology, plus a communications class, plus EE(electrical engineering??)…for your FIRST semester in college? That would be a freaking slaughterhouse of a first semester in college. That’s 21 hours, plus 1-2 hours of labs. That would be a bad idea.</p>

<p>I also find it hard to believe that this would take care of all of your gened requirements. What about social science and humanities requirements? What about college level writing requirements?</p>

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<p>AP classes knock out my writing, social sciences, and humanities. Communications and arts are the only gen eds left. And I forgot that I have to take another communications class, but they are in a sequence. </p>

<p>And if I drop the math class (which I would only need for a math major/minor) would the schedule be more reasonable? And the electrical engineering is like a pre-introductory class about the creativity of EE or some bull like that.</p>

<p>And I recently went to a pre-college kind of thing for 5 weeks before my senior year, and I was overwhelmed by the down time. I mean, they weren’t really college classes but there was still a TON of time to do stuff. I don’t really party or socialize much outside of women/ just chilling with friends so I need something to fill my time with.</p>

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<p>I figured it would be AP, same here, for the most part ;)</p>

<p>Common advice: Try it out and drop if it seems unmanageable… Because there is someone that started out freshman year with 24 units as well and wants to do multiple majors because she’ll graduate in 2 years, so it’s a possibility for you to find out and a chance for you to make your own decisions.</p>

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<p>You want to double major and finish in 4 years. You do not need to kill yourself taking 20+ hours your very first semester to do that. </p>

<p>What double major do you want to do?</p>

<p>Even dropping the math class, you’d still have physics, biology, and organic chemistry. What physics? Is it calculus based? What biology? Organic chemistry is not an easy class at all. That class can eat the souls of even very good students. The EE class may not be as simple as it seems. I’ve never heard of a EE course satisfying an art requirement. That strikes me as a bit odd.</p>

<p>It’s important to realize that college science courses are not like the high school science courses where they basically hold your hand through the whole thing. They’re challenging.</p>

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<p>No, I want over two majors, like a triple major. I was thinking computer science major, electrical engineering major, major or minor in math, and then possibly chem as a minor, major, or nothing at all. And I wouldn’t be killing myself. I like a challenge.</p>

<p>EE 101 Creativity and Design in Electrical and Computer Engineering is the name of the class, and it has no prereqs so I honestly don’t think it is going to be rigorous. No calc req, even. And “EE 101 is a 3-hour course that will satisfy the UK Core I. –Intellectual Inquiry in Arts and Creativity requirement.”</p>

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<p>Anyways, I’ll just put it out there that there is no need for 3 majors unless you want to show it off. 1 engineering major alone should do the job for getting hired…</p>

<p>Edit: and of course as the below post, internships and experience etc.</p>

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<p>I don’t really have any particular advice for the schedule. You seem to be pretty set on it, so just do it and keep an eye on the drop deadline in case you need to drop one.</p>

<p>With regards to the downtime–downtime really isn’t all for socializing. If you’re not into socializing all of the time, then there are MANY, MANY other things that you could be doing with your time that would be helpful for future ambitions (job, grad school, professional school, whatever). Rather than doubling up on all of your classes (really, 2 majors is plenty. Unless you think you are going to use all of those majors for some future career, it’s not going to impress anyone), you might want to consider pursuing internships, research opportunities, volunteering, getting a part time job or two, tutoring/TA-ing, etc. I had a friend that only took three classes a quarter, but she worked a part time job at night and did research in three labs during the day. She wanted to get her PhD so it was good experience for her to focus on research experience and lab work than to take 6 classes each quarter. Consider getting some solid experience because that’s what’s really going to set you ahead of the curve in whatever career you want to pursue, not having a bunch of majors and minors.</p>

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<p>I want to learn as much as possible during my time there, and I also want good job opportunities. And I think to be the best computer person I can be, I should know a lot about math, coding, how electricity behaves and computers are composed, etc. I might also go to grad school if I don’t go to med school. </p>

<p>And do you guys think that schedule is viable without the math class? I already learned some basic orgo for a chemistry competition and didn’t find it particularly hard, though I only scratched the surface.</p>

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<p>That is completely unnecessary. Many schools wouldn’t even allow that. There is really no feasible way you could possibly complete all of that in 4 years either. There would be some course overlap, but most schools won’t allow a single course to be applied to more than two majors. </p>

<p>All of that time spent completing that quadruple major/double minor insanity would be better spent focused on a double major, with some extra upper level, possibly even grad level courses. Or you could use that time to pursue internships or research opportunities, which are going to look a lot better on future job applications than a quintuple major or something.</p>

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<p>I always recommend a light schedule freshman year (or at least first semester) to give you a chance to adjust and enjoy college. My freshman year I took 17 credits first and second semesters, which was perfectly fine for me. Take the first semester to see how many credits you are comfortable taking. Most advisers recommend taking no less than 16 credits any semester so that you can graduate on time.</p>

<p>As for three majors and a possible minor (with a pre-med focus)? This is ludicrous! That is way too much - even for an academically driven person. It is best to give 100% effort on one major than 33% effort on each of three majors. College is a time that you should be -of course- giving your best effort, but to also be trying to find a job and networking within your niche. Having multiple majors won’t make you more employable, your work ethics and work history do.</p>

<p>There is also the problem of graduating on time. Most majors and minors do not overlap. I have a friend that is majoring in early education and minoring in music. Long story short, she will have to spend one to two years extra because of her classes. </p>

<p>From what I’ve read, you seem very indecisive. You want to go into computer science, but also want to do pre-med requirements?! Yes, you can major in anything for pre-med, but you have to focus on your pre-med studies. Pre-med is 50% academics and 50% networking. You can’t just walk into medical school, it has to be your main focus and long-term goal. </p>

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<p>All this is to say that it is better to focus and excel in one thing than to half-@$$ (excuse the expression) multiple things. Use you college years not only to have fun, but to also prepare for a career.</p>

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<p>I think you’re at a good amount of hours! I’m currently going into college with 19.5 credit hours, but i think your classes may be a little rigorous to start with xD</p>

<p>Are you familiar with Organic chem? It’s a pretty hard class from what ive heard, but if you could do it then more power to you :smiley: I would suggest maybe taking some of the harder classes and just replacing them with your gen. education classes instead. Maybe take art? Then if you feel unchallenged for whatever reason, volunteer at a hospital or do community service. These EC’s will help you get exposure to the medical field and it’ll give you something to do, along with looking good on your med.school applications. Regardless, you have another year to decide how you want to go about this, do what you feel is right and go with it. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>Are you planning to be in the Honors College? (you should)</p>

<p>Rather than triple majoring, it’d me simpler for you to major in two different fields (math is a given since you’re quite advanced, + another) and take complementary classes depending on your needs and interests.
Be aware that for med school you’ll now need 1/4th classes in humanities and social sciences, including 1 year of college composition/English/writing intensive seminars that CANNOT be waived by APs, plus minimum one class in psychology, one class in sociology, and more than one class presenting global and domestic diversity. In fact the top med schools really like it if you aced all your premed classes AND majored <em>in another field entirely</em> like French, History, or Psychology - Harvard med school “recommends” being fluent in a foreign language to boot, the idea being that you’d be able to read foreign medical journals, interact with patients whose first language is not English, and understand how medicine is approached in other cultures/countries. Of course it’s expected you’ll have math through linear algebra, 1 year of calc-based physics, biochemistry, 2 years of chemistry, 1 year of biology, neuroscience, plus science electives.
For premed, your best bet would be premed courses with a strong biochemistry major + another “original, I like learning for learning’s sake” major.
If grad school is your goal, any science major works for that, as long as you have as many advanced classes in that one field as you can fit in (see if you’d be allowed to take grad-level classes), then minor or take classes in whatever other fields you wish.</p>

<p>BTW a 1 hr/credit lab does not mean 1 physical hour, but typically 3-4 hours in the lab every week, worth 1 credit.</p>

<p>Your first semester should look like this (if you want a challenge - in parenthesis, the actual number of hours you’d have; * = premed stuff)
Honors Communications (3)
Honors Freshman seminar or advanced English class of interest *(3)
Honors Psychology or Sociology *(3)
Orgo I- (3+4)
CS seminar- 1 hr
EE 101- 3 hours, satisfies art GE somehow
THEN EITHER
A biology class- 4 hours OR
Some physics class- 4 hours, possibly 3 hr with 1 hr lab</p>

<p>Make sure the classes I listed as Honors DO exist as Honors. If your university isn’t very good, you’ll want that on your transcript.</p>

<p>In addition, make sure to join a variety of clubs/ ACADEMIC honor societies in your field, contact the career center right away to plan for an internship, use the Honors College to work for a professor on research so that as an upper class student you may conduct and present your own research…</p>

<p>That would keep you about 26 hours in class or lab, way more than the typical 16-18 so that’d be VERY challenging. You seem able to handle it, plus of course you’d always have the possibility of dropping a class. With the internship, the research, etc, etc, you would not have much “down” time…</p>

<p>Will you be considering applying more challenging universities too?</p>