<p>Right now I am thinking of these classes:
ESF (7 units)
Math 42 (5 units)
ItalLang 2A (if placed/allowed to take it - 5 units)
Yoga or some other fun 1 unit class that won't really require any work </p>
<p>As it stands right now, that would be 18 units. On the Facebook group and some other places, I've found that it is not really recommended to take more than 15 units for your first quarter to ease the transition and allow enough social life and whatnot, but how rigorous would a schedule like this be? </p>
<p>Math and Italian I should be able to handle (based on Course Rank reviews and what I know to be my own abilities), and I don't really count Yoga as a "real" class because it's really just to make sure that I'm not completely sedentary and more of a relaxing thing. The only thing that I could see as a problem would be the course load for ESF - I haven't really been able to find any feedback on that. </p>
<p>I'm kind of rambling now, but basically my question to any upperclassmen on here/people who could give input: is this a manageable schedule?</p>
<p>I know that nothing will be finalized until we talk to academic advisors at NSO and whatnot, but I do want to have an idea of what my classes will look like.</p>
<p>I think it’s pretty reasonable. I think you could manage with more than 15 units as a first-quarter freshman, but it’s fine if not. Your schedule looks pretty balanced; you’re getting rid of three GERs in a quarter, so it works :)</p>
<p>There is a reason why taking more than 15 credits is not recommended during the first quarter. Some students have trouble adjusting to from HS to Stanford courses. After the first major exams during my freshman year, counselors were sent to my dorm because a good number of students were having trouble adjusting to getting B’s and C’s for the first time in their lives. Some in that group overestimated the how many classes they should take. I suppose it depends how different Stanford is from what are used to in your HS.</p>
<p>That said, many students do just fine with 18 credits. I often took 18+, sometimes near the maximum credits allowed, and still did well, with time for activities outside of the classroom. I think it’s better to err on the side of caution during your first quarter as a student, then once you see how things go, you can take more during the following quarter. </p>
<p>Also note that you don’t need to decide on classes now. It’s rare for classes to fill up, so you will have time to meet with your adviser and talk about your concerns and what classes they’d recommend for your situation.</p>