<p>ENES100 (3 credits) Intro to engineering
MATH340 (4 credits) Honors Calc III + Linear Algebra
PHYS161 (3 credits) Physics I
CMSC132 (4 credits) object oriented programming II
UNIV100 (1 credit)
HEIP143 (1 credit) Honors EIP program</p>
<p>16 credits</p>
<p>Any input would be nice</p>
<p>While each individual class isn’t too bad, I think (and I’ve seen many People of the Interwebs agree with me) that that’s way too many STEM courses to take at once. I’d try to switch out of one of them (whatever’s not required for your major) and fulfill a gen. ed. requirement like communications or plural societies instead.</p>
<p>With all due respect, the “people of the intrawebs” are most likely NOT engineering majors. Yes, for most people, the assessment of a STEM heavy course load would be fair, but for engineers, it is necessary - the required courses are defined pretty clearly in four-year academic plans by Clark (the engineering school).</p>
<p>FYI, yodelo, ENES100 is a fun course - the hovercraft design/build/competition. It may be a lot of work (not book work), but it’s not heavy on testing, so don’t worry about it. That brings you down to only three “tough” classes, which should be manageable as long as you keep to the good study habits that got you into honors and don’t get too distracted by all your new-found freedoms…;)</p>
<p>You are smart to take math first semester to keep up your skills, but you may want to find out if you should be taking the MATLAB (MATH206) class as well. It is online and only a few weeks (8/29-10/12) but is a corequisite for Math 241, which is the non-honors version of Calc III. If you are already familiar with Matlab, ignore this suggestion, but if not, you might want to find out if it is relevant for MATH340. It may not be, but I thought I would mention it, just in case. </p>
<p>Otherwise, no worries. You will do well with this schedule.</p>
<p>Yes it’s too much. ENES100 is one of the most annoying classes that takes way more time than you think. I suggest dropping the Physics.</p>
<p>Seems a bit ambitious for your first semester, but you know yourself better than us.</p>
<p>Interesting responses</p>
<p>@ameliab12, you have good advice. As an aspiring pre-med, it would be great to start my college career right with a 4.0, so I’ll probably switch one of my classes to an easier one. However, I still want to be on track with completing pre-reqs, so I don’t want to count out physics yet.</p>
<p>@maryversity, funny you should ask, because I"m signed up for MATH206 at the moment. I’m not familiar with matlab. However, I’m considering dropping the math class to ease my schedule a bit. I took a high school Multivariable Calc/Linear Algebra course, and I’m very comfortable with integration/differentiation techniques.</p>
<p>I guess I’ll look into taking a gen ed in replace of MATH340. Perhaps Communications</p>
<p>For those not aware, assuming yodelo is a computer engineering major (and I could be wrong but am using that academic plan for argument’s sake), the first semester freshman year course suggestion per the Clark School is 17 credits:
CHEM135
ENES100
MATH140
CMSC131
ENGL101
The second semester is also 17 credits with
CMSC132
MATH141
ENEE244
PHYS161
Oral Comm gen ed class</p>
<p>So, how the heck is 16 credits “ambitious”? </p>
<p>Looks like yodelo is placed out of Math 140 and 141 based on signing up for Math340, so rather than waiting to take the next level math until sophomore year, where it is planned for, it makes perfect sense to take it now so as not to lose ground on math skills while they are still fresh from high school. Computer engineering does not require Math241, which is the Calc III class, but it does require 246 which is the diff equations class. He may have been advised that 340 is a good option because it incorporates both…? So, that is the only challenge that I see - if everyone’s reactions to his schedule are really scaring him, he can talk to an adviser and maybe do 246 instead of 340.</p>
<p>Getting back to the freshman year academic plan, either he placed out of ENGL101 and CHEM135 or he is taking them second semester. If not placed out of CHEM, switching up which semester to take CHEM and which to take PHYS is not a big deal. </p>
<p>Most likely, he also placed out of CMSC131, so taking CMSC132 is also part of freshman academic planning.</p>
<p>In order to graduate in time, he has to take all the classes he is signed up for. </p>
<p>Yes, I understand ENES100 is a lot of work, and I said that, but some people actually do enjoy it and frequently identify it as the most memorable/favorite class.</p>
<p>Give the kid some credit. He is an engineering major AND an honors student. I would think he is quite capable of handling this schedule. My own incoming engineer is taking a similarly “ambitious” schedule - par for the course in engineering - and is not at all concerned.</p>
<p>Dang - didn’t refresh the screen before submitting - so my post was typed prior to yodelo’s input…still hold to my vote of faith in abilities…and that it is wise to take a math course while you are still “fresh” - but that’s just my opinion, for what it’s worth. Go with your own gut. I am just on the sidelines, cheering you on, whatever you decide.</p>
<p>What is wrong with you? Has anyone called out the OP? I don’t think so… Therefore freaking out over an anonymous internet post doesn’t make you a boss man.</p>
<ul>
<li>MATH340 is no joke (Just look at the reviews by people on ourUMD.com). </li>
<li>ENES100 is no joke either, given the long lectures that you can’t skip because then your teammates will dog you on their evaluations of you.</li>
</ul>
<p>I don’t care how talented the OP is; taking a light schedule and easing into college is better than taking all these hard classes and getting bad grades.</p>
<p>Thanks both @Orbit and @maryversity for your responses. I guess I should be more clear. I have exemption from CHEM135, ENGL101, CMSC131, MATH140, MATH141</p>
<p>So a normal Freshman Schedule would look like this:
CHEM135 (DONE) PHYS161 (TAKING)
ENES100 (TAKING) ENEE244
MATH140 (DONE) MATH141 (DONE)
CMSC131 (DONE) CMSC132 (TAKING)
ENGL101 (DONE) Oral Comm gen ed (Taking?)</p>
<p>So for me, it would consolidate into
ENES100 (3)
PHYS161 (3)
CMSC132 (4)
HEIP134 (1)
UNIV100 (1)
MATH206 (1) [5 weeks online]
=13 credits</p>
<p>I’ll take your advice and drop the math, and take a gen ed ie: Communications which makes it 16 credits. My only concern would be that I would be taking 7 classes which seems like a lot</p>
<p>Orbit, there is no need to call anyone out. If anything, blame me, and I wholeheartedly apologize. I probably created that impression because I stated my belief that he is a strong student and very capable - based on being accepted into engineering and honors (known from other threads). I was actually trying to be helpful, so don’t take it out on him. It didn’t sound like he was freaking out -he simply asked a question, looking for opinions - no need to dramatize.</p>
<p>You definitely have a valid point of easing into college, and that’s why it was good that he did pose his question. It’s good to hear input from a variety of sources so as to make informed decisions. Different points of view are good. I am from the camp that it is just as dangerous to take a schedule that is not challenging enough because that encourages bad habits. Been there, done that myself.</p>
<p>@Orbit, even though ENES100 takes a big time commitment, is it easy to get an A, if you put in the effort? On ourumd.com, it says 61% of people get As</p>
<p>No disrespect to anyone here; people who have commented have genuine advice. Yes, ENES100 is easy, but with a very big time commitment. </p>
<p>When you come to College Park, here are some tricks:
<ul>
<li><p>Brush up on your DC curcuits, Bernoulli’s equation, Kirchoffs Law for ENES100.</p></li>
<li><p>The Physics book is called Physics for Scientists and Engineers (randall knight)… this is a damn expensive book that they’ve broken up into like 4-5 volumes. But the trick is, you can find a free pdf version on 4shared.com… Search for the book AND the solutions manual so you can save money (unless your rich of course).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>There’s always the option to just take regular Calc III (MATH241) instead of the accelerated one… You could do MATH241H if you want as well.</p>
<p>FYI, I found this link on the parent forum and thought it was relevant…and good advice for doing well in school. </p>
<p>[Key</a> to Success in College | Begin College](<a href=“http://www.begincollege.com/key-to-success-in-college/]Key”>http://www.begincollege.com/key-to-success-in-college/)</p>
<p>thanks maryversity, albeit random it was informative</p>
<p>Yodelo,</p>
<p>I’m going to be frank with you. If you are pre-med then you are making a big mistake choosing computer engineering as your major. First of all you already made a pretty big mistake choosing EIP over ILS. I would highly recommend switching into Bioengineering or Chemical Engineering, as these two seem much more applicable to the field of medicine and will prepare you better for med school as well as the MCAT. Out of curiosity, why did you choose Computer Engineering and EIP?</p>
<p>On the topic of your schedule, your schedule doesn’t seem that bad.</p>
<p>Once again, I am compelled to give a dissenting opinion. There is no one correct route to med school. In fact, like undergraduate schools, med schools want a diverse population. It doesn’t matter what your major is as long as you do extremely well. You will do extremely well if you are taking classes you enjoy rather than classes you think you should take. </p>
<p>Actually, the EIP program is extremely valuable to aspiring physicians. Med school teaches physicians how to practice medicine, but they don’t teach you how to run a business. Being a physician gives you the opportunity to be self-employed - an entrepreneur, if you will. Learning how to run a business is therefore important, and not a waste. Not only does it make you more well-rounded, it will help you stand out from the crowd of all the pre-med stereotypical applicants.</p>
<p>I’m going to be in Gemstone and double majoring in math and CS, but I’m avoiding taking too many STEM courses first semester for two reasons: 1) I don’t want to push myself too hard all at one and then crash and burn (especially because I, like yodelo, have placed out of intro courses, so I wouldn’t be in many simple freshman classes), and 2) my brother, who graduated this year, told me to get as many gen. ed. requirements out of the way ASAP so that I’m not scrambling to finish them later when I should be worried about more important things (major requirements, work, internships, gemstone research, etc.). Also, the suggested courses for each major include two classes within the major during sophomore and junior years, which means four courses within my majors in addition to gemstone required courses (equivalent of university honors required courses for yodelo). I don’t want for straight years of math and CS, so I’m thinking of taking a science lab, communications course, or a random I-series. I think it would be wise for yodelo to do something similar.</p>
<p>It is certainly good advice to get Gen Ed reqs done asap, and yodelo’s schedule does cover that suggestion. </p>
<p>ENES100 is Scholarship in Practice
PHYS161 is Natural Science</p>
<p>So, two of his classes fulfill requirements for both his major and university gen ed…</p>