Overload?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hey parents,
You just can't get rid of me, can you? ;) I exist to pester you, sadly.</p>

<p>So I'm having a bit of a dilema regarding "overloading" on credits for next semester. </p>

<p>Background: UM requires seven honors courses by the time you get your degree, and I'm going to try (note the try; it's far from guaranted) to enter the PharmD program after 2 years (followed by 4 years profesional school). Under this plan, I need those seven honors courses by the time I get a PharmD (If I don't/can't get in after 2 years, then I'll just follow through with a BS Biology and need the seven by time I get that degree). In the four professional years, it is very hard to take non-Pharm courses, and it's recommended that pre-pharm students hoping to do the six year track have at least five honors courses done by the end of the second year (the other two can be fulfilled through research and/or internmships as is usually done by pharm. students). I'm taking 1 this semester and am planning on taking 1 next semester UNLESS I overload this semester. The other three I plan to take through the following two semesters or if absolutely necessary over Wintersession.</p>

<p>I'm signed by for 16 credits next semester (Bio/Honors Lab, Gen Chem 1, Calc, and Creative Writing [GE I need filled].) I'm taking 21 credits this semester (5 of them p/f, but I have to attend class [heavily penalized for tardies/absences], do hw, and spend an additional, mandatory 100 minutes per week in the language lab, so, it's still an extra 6.5+ hours per week out of my time), and I was looking forward to a more "normal" load, especially with Chem [long lab requirement] and Calc thrown in. However, the honors college is offering a 1 credit course on Nicaragua, which would count toward the 7 honors courses. I've met with the professor, and he's very nice. My concerns are 1) the extra time taken by the class (80 minutes instruction per week plus outside work) and 2) It conflicts with the meetings of one of my major ECs.</p>

<p>Just to give you an idea of outside of class involvement, this semester I am in Key Club (meetings during the week, service on weekends), Arabic Club, ADSUM (Disability advocacy group--the time conflict mentioned above), Honors Student Association, and Bible study (all have pretty regular meetings/events to attend--I'm also in the Pre-Pharm group, but the time commitment has been pretty much nil). I'm looking in getting a small (few hours a week) job and planning to do UG research next semester. I like all these activities so far and want to continue them. I like the current set-up of my 16 credit hour schedule a lot, but it's so tempting to get that requirement out of the way. I just don't want to shoot my pre-pharm GPA in the foot by taking it on, and I really feel like ADSUM is good for me because it keeps me aware of access issues.</p>

<p>Advice?</p>

2

<p>Anyone...?</p>

3

<p>Well, are you willing to give up your major EC for the semester?</p>

<p>If not, it sounds like the Nicaragua course is a no go.</p>

<p>If you are willing to miss the EC, would this mean you would have 17 credits for next semester, having handled 21 this semester?</p>

<p>If you've managed the 21 credits and the 17 still reflects something of a reduction in load, it seems like a good idea to go ahead and get another requirement out of the way.</p>

4

<p>Does the class sound interesting -- or are you just looking at satifying the requirement?</p>

<p>It sounds to me like it is a good chance to get one of those honors courses out of the way. A one credit course does not usually have a great deal of work involved. I would go for it.</p>

5

<p>Are you satisified with your prospective GPA for this semester?</p>

<p>If yes, then it would appear that the workload at 17 credits will probably not be an issue.</p>

<p>In that case, your decision appears to come down to Honors requirement versus one semester of ADSUM.</p>

<p>Is there any way to learn the results of the ADSUM meeting after the fact, say, from someone else who attends? Is there any way to assess your chances of getting a sufficient number of Honors classes next year? </p>

<p>If there is no way to do both or the rough equivalent of both, then perhaps consider: which one is more important to you? Which one has potentially the most negative effects if you don't do it? What is the worst that can happen under either scenario?</p>