<p>I'm gonna have to end up taking 20 credits, for my first semester as a freshman at Michigan State University. The classes I am taking are Intermediate Algebra, Bio, Chem, Japanese, and a stupid class called integrative social studies that is a required. It ends up coming up to 20 credits. And I don't think I can find any other way of doing it. I am premed so I have to take bio and chem, and math. And if I don't take Japanese every semester I won't graduate on time. And I have to take that required class.</p>
<p>Do you think I am screwing myself over and I should find a way out of this.</p>
<p>I think I might be able to handle it because the reason I tested into intermediate algebra is because I took the test online 5 minutes before it was its deadline and I had not had math in a year so I was rusty. I went over it again and with time it is pretty easy but I really don't want to test into a higher math so I can make my first year easier. I looked at the course description for int. algebra and the class covers some easy crap that I could get an A in with my eyes closed. I took Japanese 101 at a local community college and got a B in it with little to no effort and absolutely no studying so my class at MSU will be just a repeat so I don't think it will be too hard for me, and its fun so I'm pretty sure I won't have a hard time. And the integrative social studies class doesn't seem too hard.</p>
<p>Do you think I am already setting myself up for ruin or do you think that I can handle it. I am also going to be taking kendo, have a job for about 15 hours a week though it is prolly going to be in a library so I will have more study time, and I will be in premed club and probably Japan club, though how much of a commitment these require still remains to be known. </p>
<p>I do think you're in trouble, yes. I'm surprised you were allowed to do it. Don't most colleges have first semester advising? It's not like you're the first person ever to be in your program there, and I doubt everyone else did 20-credit semesters, so I highly doubt there's no other way to do this. Speak with an advisor.</p>
<p>"Do you think I can handle it" really depends on the person. I've taken 5 classes a semester almost every semester of college (which worked out to 20 credits at my current college and 15 at my last college) and it hasn't been too terrible. But nobody can tell you if you can be successful with your schedule but you - only you know how easily subjects come to you, how much you procrastinate, etc.</p>
<p>What might make your schedule a lot more challenging is having two labs for bio and chem on top of regular class time. And whether or not your classes are scheduled at times that are good for you. I personally found it much more difficult to do well, especially during midterms, when I had four classes in one day than when my schedule was more spread out. Just something to think about. If you haven't already registerred for classes, also try to avoid harder profs by looking them up on ratemyprof beforehand.</p>
<p>I haven't already registered for classes but I have pre-enrolled for a couple of them. I go to my academic orientation on thursday and friday and thats when I will get academic advising and they will help me pick the rest of my classes. </p>
<p>The thing is I don't see how it can work out any other way unless I take one of the classes during the summer. And so far I don't have any of my classes on the same day and from the times I have seen I will probably end up with 2 classes everyday and one day with 3 classes. </p>
<p>The thing is, everyone is scrambling for midday and evening classes where I am trying to get all my classes done before the afternoon latest 2pm. I am ALOT more productive during the morning than during the evening and after about 4pm I become lazy and lethargic. I also seem to retain more information during the morning than during the evening. So I won't end up with 4 classes on the same day. And I have already looked up professors at ratemyprofessors.com.</p>
<p>It's going to be work, but it's prolly manageable.</p>
<p>Since you're pre-med, I'm assuming you've had a good foundation for bio/chem/math during high school. Your math and science classes shouldn't be too bad. And if the Japanese class is a repeat (is it?), might work. No idea on the last class. Depends on the assignments. Some classes have very little actual ("graded") assignments. Instead, you only have to study for the exams. But if they're the classes that you need to be turning something in every other day, you could be in trouble. </p>
<p>With that said, you could always go down in hours at your job. You could also wait until second semester for the Jap club.</p>
<p>If they were five general courses, that would be fine -- it's what I usually do. But this appears to include two labs, which add more time to your schedule, plus a language, which -- at least at most colleges I know of -- is also usually longer. It's a lot of in-class time.</p>
<p>I took my Japanese class at a local community college through a dual-enrollment program at my high school. It was Japanese 101, and thats the first class my major starts out on at Michigan State University. I could test out of it on August 24 but I doubt I will as I want to start again from the beginning, nail down the fundamentals, and take it serious this time.</p>
<p>The reason I am taking a lower math, is because you have to take a math placement exam to test into a certain level of math at my college. The thing is I took the test at 11:50 something about 5-10 minutes the night before the deadline and thus I had to rush through it and I also hadn't taken math in a year because I couldn't fit it into my senior schedule and thus I couldn't remember a lot of the trig and up problems.</p>
<p>I think it would be beneficial to my sanity and my gpa to take the lower Japanese and Math class because I will already have my hands full with bio and chem.</p>
<p>And I will probably wait for Jap club, and just start off with Kendo and premed club.</p>
<p>I've read that it kind of looks bad if you only take 1 science course at a time. And if you do it that way you can't take the courses you need before you take the MCAT. </p>
<p>This is how it usually goes, with premed requirements.
Freshman Year-Bio and Chem with Lab, Math, English
Sophomore Year-Orgo and Physics with lab, some more math
Junior Year-English maybe some bio</p>
<p>Take MCAT after sophomore year during the summer or during my junior year.</p>
<p>^I think it looks better to have a higher GPA when applying to med school than it does to have a lower GPA with the same classes in a different order. If you only have to take Bio and Chem freshmen year, take one in the fall and one in the spring.</p>
<p>Those classes aren't bad. It seems like the classes you will need to do some work are Bio and Chem. Also, you should try to get into Calc I or whatever its equivalence at your university because it is not really that difficult. If you have taken calc in high school then calc I should be a breeze. </p>
<p>Is intermediate algebra the same class most people usually take in high school?</p>
<p>I took pre-calc and understood the material but did bad in the class due to me missing about 30 days during the semester due to some eye problems. </p>
<p>And I'm not sure if it is a class taken in high school, but I looked at some sample problems and it seems like childs play, something that would only take me a day or two to remember than it is easy sailing. And it seems that it might be a high school level class as I did all of the type of problems it requires in high school, and got an A in it.</p>
<p>I doubt I could test into calc though, as I did not take calc in high school due to schedule problems, but I am certain I could test into a higher math class. I think I tested into the lowest one as on a lot of problems if it looked like it was going to take too long to solve it, I just clicked C.</p>