Calling BS on 30 units!
But while 17 units is totally doable, I wouldn’t recommend it for your first semester out of high school. Stick with 4-5 classes, which is about 12-15 units. If that feels good to you, then you can increase Irvin the spring if you want.
I know people at my school who took up to 25 units, most of which were tough math and science courses. They were all international and were okay with getting a few B’s because they just wanted to graduate.
Then I guess settling for B’s (and probably C’s) makes sense for those who want to take 25+ units. For the rest of us who care about our GPA, 25+ units is absurd.
It’s definitely doable, but your first semester perhaps you’d want to go a bit lighter to get a feel for the rigor, the new environment, etc.
I’m doing 19 units semester (CCC) and will be doing 12 over the summer. Should have a 4.0 for this semester which included two math classes.
Also, online classes somewhere in the mix (if you learn that way and can keep yourself on page) are a good way to get an extra class or two into your schedule. For me, I’m able to do more than I could realistically do strictly on campus. I wouldn’t do it for classes like math, but easier IGETC/GE classes are typically fairly easy online, especially if you use RateMyProfessors to cherry pick the better/easier professors.
I would scale back to 13-15 for your first semester. Only then can you judge your time management habits and your ability to do well in college. Having said that, my very first semester of college I was working a minimum wage job about 25-30 hours a week, and did 16 units with a 4.0, and they were all basic intro courses like the ones you mentioned. I would say drop the French, because language classes by nature will take up more studying and practice time. You should be fine on the rest. Attend class, take notes, go to office hours and be a student – one who studies.
I took 20 units last fall and 12.5 units last summer. Although I got all A’s I would not recommend more than 15 units. You won’t have time for anything and you will likely have to stay in school for 10 hours every day. Those were miserable semesters for me. Also try not to take more than 3 math/science/programming per semester because they tend to have heavy workloads.
I did a 25unit, a 21 unit and a 20 unit semester. I got 3As and 3Bs last semester. This semester I’m getting 5 Bs 
I’ve heard of someone who transferred in 1 year taking 33 units (or maybe 31?) one semester. It’s not impossible especially with half-term courses, but I can only imagine how terrible it would be.
@kittyucd I would reflect on your high school rigor and go from there. If your the type that took 3-4 APs/IBs and had a job or leadership position(s) then I don’t think 17 units would be a major difference in load. On the other hand if you had trouble with a smaller load or have yet to experience such a load, then it’s in your best interest to get acclimated first.
That said, if your set on a larger workload: of the five courses you have listed, three or four of them traditionally have a larger than average content-workload so even then I’d move one or two to a later semester and knock off some other, easier classes in the meantime. After all, just like HS, not all classes are the same difficulty. (Even the IGETC ones)
What’s your major? For UC you need sixty units, so for three years that’s ten units per semester and for two years that’s fifteen. I really don’t see a reason to rush through CC in two years even though that’s ‘normal’. I took four years and some people take even longer.
There isn’t one good plan for everyone, since different majors require different course paths, but I would say four classes is good. You would definitely do English. You want to get that done ASAP, but note it’s hard to get into because of overcrowding. Most students will want to take math right away as well. The precalculus courses are hard to get into as well, however. The other two classes could be either major pre-reqs or something for IGETC/GE. For example, you could take a (basic) science class and a ‘fun’ class like the humanities or art history, &c.
Foreign language is harder in college than in high school, but if you have to take it, I would lighten the load. At my CC, foreign language classes are five units, and they require a lot of outside studying, so three classes would be more reasonable.
So for you I would defer either econ or history or both, but it depends on your major.
Also, less units is more free time, which is more time to get involved in clubs, student activities, and visiting professors. These three things are underrated, IMO.
Goldenclub, I think you were lied to. I guarantee no one in a California community college has ever taken over 30 units in one semester. There, I said it.
Well, turns out I was wrong again (what’s new). I happened to meet a counselor today for something else today and as I was leaving I asked if anyone had ever taken 30 units in one semester to her knowledge, and she said, “yeah, but it’s rare and not recommended”. So I guess it has happened before.
I’ve been skulking around the perimeter here for some time. I’m not quite sure why all the overwhelming hate in terms of taking 17 units at a CCC. The regular is 15. If OP has the time to do the homework, it isn’t that much more. Of course, I’m referring to humanities courses. OP has macroeconomics and math and french. Only OP knows how strong S/he is in those areas.
However I might suggest pulling French for a later semester and replacing with an easier course.
There’s also always the safety of dropping a course later.
@lindyk8 I think the main reason that people are trying to steer the OP away from 17 units, is just because it’s his first semester and has no idea what to expect. I mean how many times did you hear the same stories on this site where people talk about being overwhelmed their first semester, and it totally screws them up and they spend the rest of their time trying to play catch-up.
Ultimately everybody has to do what they think is best for themselves, but it’s way easier to add more later, than try to make up for mistakes made early on.
I hear ya. But for my daughter and all her friends, CCC was way easier then high school ever was. Of course, they made a direct transition from high school.
Maybe an idea would be for OP to ask some students how hard the CCC is. As you said, only OP can decide. She knows her motivation level. Also s/he is coming straight from high school, not transitioning back into academia, so may be used to the rigor.
Anyway, I just wanted to toss out the alternate view.
It all depends on course load. In my first semester I intentionally took 4 classes (13 units), but two with particularly hard teachers. It turns out that, with AP units and summer classes, that I don’t need to take 15+ units. A full-time course load is 12 units - not everybody needs to take much more.
A full time CCC course load is 12 semester units? How can you get 60 units in two years? My daughter’s at CSM was 15 units norm (5 3-unit courses).
My daughter just verified her CCC- she’s next to me. It says 15 units is a normal course load at CSM. She also looked up Diablo Valley: 15 units.
12 units is just the bare minimum for ft status.
BTW, even my daughter says first semester should not be 17 units. So I am outnumbered!! I amend my earlier statement.
12 units is the federal level to get financial aid.
I had between 15-17 unit semesters including summer/winter sessions to get my units.
I always considered 12-15 a full load, however I never took less than 17 units per semester. In the end I will graduate with a BA after two years of college. But that includes all summers and winters, and a beast of a load these coming senior quarters.
It can be done, if you have the right personality type.
@luckie1367 @lindyk8 Yeah, 12 units is only technically full-time. It is definitely the bare minimum.
You need an average of 15 units per semester to be able to get at least 60 units to transfer. Some people take more, some take less, but 17 units in the first semester of college is pretty unnecessary. If one has extra units, they may not need to take extra courses, depending on their major and whatnot.
In my case, I’ll only have to take 13-14 unit semesters + 5.33 units from AP credit + 7 units this summer to have about 65 units to transfer (with IGETC completed this Fall, and prereq’s completed by the Spring). I might end up adding in a course somewhere, but I don’t need it, and I know that plenty of people don’t have to take 15+ units per semester either.
It also really depends on the classes one is taking - having four 4-unit courses is probably significantly more difficult than having five 3-unit courses. It’s all really relative to someone’s specific scenario. I know someone who has so many AP units that he only took two courses his first semester, and three or four in the Spring, and is on track to transfer a year from now.