Is 14 credits too little for freshman fall semester?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

<p>Schedule:
(3) BSCI207- Principles of Biology III
(4) MATH241- Calculus III
(3) CHEM146- Principles of Chemistry
(2) CHEM177- Intro Chem Lab
(1) UNIV100- Student Life
(1) CPSF100- Life Science Scholars Colloquium </p>

<p>The general number of credits is 15, so should I add another class like comm107? I feel like I'm already behind, and college hasn't even started yet! I currently have 41 credits from AP's, so it's not like I'm going to graduate late. I'm just worried that it might look bad to med schools because I took it "too easy" my freshman year. </p>

<p>I plan to get involved in a lot of extracurriculars, like the Pre-Med Society and the tennis club. Also, I know college is a whole new ball game, but in high school, I took a lot of AP classes (hence all the credits), so I'm fairly used to the rigorous work load. My senior year, I took 5 AP classes and got all A's, but I'm also a pretty big procrastinator, so I don't know if adding another class is advisable or not. </p>

<p>Q1: Should I add another class to my schedule? Balance and acclimation to uni life vs competitive transcript
Q2: Is participating in research my first semester a possibility? Should I consider that option instead of adding another class? </p>

2

<p>Simple, perfect solution - a class you NEED to take with MATH241 is MATH206. It’s a one-credit class that is an intro to Matlab, which is used in 241. It’s only a half a semester and gives you the one credit boost to 15 credits for the semester. Perfect balance of average credits with adjustment to college life. </p>

<p>You can do research starting freshman year <a href=“http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/whentodoresearch.php”>http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/whentodoresearch.php&lt;/a&gt;
Follow links for research opportunities in your major (I can’t tell from your course selection since there are several possibilities as a pre-med). I personally would not recommend doing research the first semester (it’s best time to form friendships and that takes time as does research)…at the end of the first semester you can apply for spring opportunities.</p>

3

<p>I second @maryversity‌’s suggestion to take MATH206, especially useful if you plan to also take math246 and/or 240/461 and/or if you want to start dabbling in bioinformatics (think big data meets medical research). Med school’s care a whole lot more about your GPA than your schedule density, protect that GPA at all costs. In fact, you’re following exactly the advice I recommend for incoming STEM freshmen:
-No more than 15 credits
-No more than 3 regular STEM classes (i.e. calc III/gen. chem/bio III)
-No more than 1 lab</p>

<p>It’s a great time to get the lay of the land and adjust to your new home for the next 4 years.</p>

4

<p>So as of right now, math206 is completely full, and there are 17 people on the waitlist. I don’t think there’s much chance of me getting in, so would I still be able to do well in Calc III if I don’t take the class? </p>

5

<p>Actually, you will get in so you need to get on the waitlist asap. 17 on the waitlist is nothing, especially for a required course. The waitlist may seem stagnant now, but it will start to move as the summer progresses and people add/drop classes/change their schedules. </p>

<p>The way the waitlist works at Maryland is that if it is a required class such as this is (it’s a co-requisite for another class), they will either open another section or open more seats. Since this is an online class, they will likely just open more “seats.” </p>

<p>FYI, in most required, big core classes that everyone needs to take, there are multiple sections available, so when the waitlist gets big enough, they open a new section. So, no worries about that.</p>

<p>As for the smaller/more popular/elective classes, if there’s only one section to begin with, they will not open more seats, so you play the waiting game in hopes someone drops. There is a chance you wouldn’t get into these small classes. </p>

<p>However, if it’s a bigger elective with a few sections already, they may open another section/more seats. However, the waitlist really does move, especially in the few weeks before classes start. </p>

<p>My son has been on many waitlists, has had number in the high teens (maybe even low 20’s), and has always gotten into all the classes he has needed. Maybe not with the prof he would have liked, but still able to take the class to stay on schedule for his major. No guarantees, of course, but never be afraid of a waitlist!!!</p>

<p>For future reference, if there are multiple sections of a class that you sign up on a waitlist for, you will be put into the one that has the first opening. You cannot waitlist another section of a class you already have a “seat” in. So, when you sign up for waitlists, only sign up on sections you actually can/want/are willing to take. Signing up for an 8 am section may seem like a good strategy because the waitlist is shorter, but you have to be willing to take an 8 am class, since that’s where you will likely get the seat…</p>