<p>I'm attending UCF and I plan on double majoring in electrical engineering and computer engineering. I'm coming in with a lot of credit (dual enrollment and a couple APs) so I dont need to worry about general education classes. So I worked a tentative schedule for the next few years, and I found out I could graduate in 3 years, while taking nearly 18 credit hours each semester (19-20 my last year) and some summer classes. Honestly, I'm not that worried too much about it for the first year, because I'm really good with math and have plenty of programming experience (took AP Comp Sci). What seems a little intimidating is my last (3rd) year where I'm taking mostly upperdivision engineering classes. Here's an example of what my Fall schedule might look like for my last year (the toughest looking semester)
Senior Design I (3)
Digital Signal Processing (3)
Probability / Statistics (3)
Operating Systems (3)
Electromagnetic Fields (3)
Computer Architecture (4)</p>
<p>Does that even look doable? I don't have to take those particular classes together; I just randomly put classes down each semester depending on when they were offered and their prereqs. I could space out my classes more over 4 years instead so that it will be much much easier. But then I'd get this feeling like I sorta wasted my time with a double major when it wouldn't have been a problem doing one major in three years. Especially since I dual enrolled my family expects me to graduate early. What do you guys think about this situation?
And also, it would help to know what are generally considered the harder or easier electrical/computer engineering classes!</p>
<p>I was pretty much in the same position as you: AP/Duals give a very easy path to 3 years instead of 4.
Eventually I decided against it. If you have a merit scholarship, you would be very well-served to spend the time to develop better and gain good experience. Definitely worth much more than the opportunity cost of an extra year of work.
Not to mention you have to take summer classes and the like. Even with a 15 credit/semester schedule, I didn’t find 3 years to be worth it. You definitely have no good reason to rush.
Also, a double major like that is a waste. Take EE only and you can easily do CompE jobs as well. Take some useful electives instead of double majoring without a good reason.</p>
<p>I don’t know about at UCF, but at my school, that would be far into impossible land. Computer Architecture takes something like 40 hours a week on it’s own, and is considered a Senior Design class. Operating Systems is one of the harder upper level CS classes, probably coming in at about 20 hours a week on it’s own. If I took all those classes together at my school (and I’ll assume “Senior Design I” is some sort of TechCom class like it is here - otherwise I don’t know), it would be probably 90 hours a week of schoolwork. Simply not possible.</p>
<p>On the contrary, I think it’s best if you start tapering down your classes for the last two years so that you can end up with a couple 14/15 hour semesters. Just take the full four years. You can relax a little more and most important, you don’t need to take classes over the summers when your time is MUCH better spend in internships.</p>
<p>How big a difference in net cost and debt is there between 6, 7, and 8 semesters? How big a concern is that for you and your family?</p>
<p>Note that one intermediate possibility is to spend 7 semesters in school, possibly taking an extended co-op job in place of the semester not spent in school (e.g. spring junior or fall senior, connected with the summer between junior and senior).</p>
<p>Upper division engineering and CS courses with labs, programming, or term projects are often high workload courses relative to their credit unit values, so take that into consideration.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. I thought a lot about it and I decided that it would be better to take at least an extra semester, if not an extra year. I want to have fun while I’m in college and not burn myself out because of overloaded semesters. That way I can still study what I want, but have a little more room to breathe :)</p>