<p>I'm planning on majoring in Political Science; Telebears II is about 4 days away (July 25th) and I'm curious as to how many of the 4-unit classes you guys would advise me to take. I was originally planning on 4, totaling 16 units, but upperclassmen are warning me against this. </p>
<p>Are there any fellow Political Science (or just humanities in general) students who would advise me to go for 16? Or should I drop it to 3 4 unit classes then take seminars and deCals instead?</p>
<p>It really depends on how good your high school is. Some people come to Berkeley and are shocked by the workload, while others come and find it to be pretty much the same as high school (I was in the second category). </p>
<p>It’s hard for us to decide which category you fall under without knowing your background.</p>
<p>My high school didn’t offer a steady load of AP’s each year, so I didn’t take a lot (only 2) junior year but ended up taking four AP’s senior year plus an honors course. I got all A’s and one B+ (in AP Lang) junior year, and all A’s senior year. I’ve passed every AP test I’ve taken; got a 4 in Gov and 3 in Lit but 5 in all the others. </p>
<p>I’d say I’m pretty used to having a busy schedule; I’ve maintained an unweighted 3.9 through highschool with decent e.c.'s. I only have doubts because my high school wasn’t all that competitive (I was the only one who made it to Berkeley non-sports-scholarship in my batch) and I don’t want to be overwhelmed. Thanks!</p>
<p>Find out the workload reputation of the courses you are considering. Unit count is not always a reliable guide for workload. Generally, courses with labs, computer programming, art studio, music performance, and large term projects tend to be high workload courses. Courses that are just lecture, discussion, homework, and tests tend to be lower workload (although if you are not good in the subject, they can be higher workload).</p>
<p>Also, some social studies and humanities courses can have a lot of reading. If you are not a fast reader, such courses can take up a lot of time.</p>
<p>it is always safest to shoot for a low load the first semester. It is not just academic difficulty, remember it is a big life adjustment, away from home, exploring who you are as an adult, temptations, learning balance . . . don’t get hammered on your gpa while distracted by those other factors.</p>