Hello, I am a freshman in college trying to get a few GE courses out of the way this summer at a local community college (most likely Pasadena Community College). Would taking psychology (3 units), sociology (3 units), & Spanish (4 units) all in one summer session be too much? Thank you.
What is your reason for taking them at community instead of your current college? Often times schools have set aside money for summer aid. I’d personally take them at the college I was already enrolled at to guarantee credit and to minimalize hassle by sending transcripts and such.
Make sure they all transfer in advance - if at a CA public it is pretty easy to verify online. Anyways, I would think Soc and Psych pretty doable in a single session. Spanish could be pretty intensive in a short period of time. If your not working and have the time it may be doable but Spanish might be my only concern.
Look into study abroad programs through your school first. Often they group the GE courses together and teach them in English in a foreign country along with an optional offering of the local language for immersion. I paid less than normal tuition for the credits I earned and that even included flight, room and board. If you take these GEs through the CC you may be limiting your options or taking a second course for a GE you’ve fulfilled if you end up doing study abroad later. If you find a program you like (and there are a ton that offer Spanish that are affordable) you might want to schedule something different.
You ask if it is too much, but it is only 10 credits which is usually part time. Is that because you plan to work over the summer?
Summer classes are usually condensed from 15 week semesters to 6-8 weeks so I would consider taking only 2 of the 3 classes. You will still be ahead as long as they are transferable.
My older son took 2 GE courses at Citrus college the summer of his Sophomore year in college and the 2 classes kept him pretty busy. The courses did transfer to UC Davis, but they were not included in his UC GPA so just be aware that if you are also looking for a grade bump, it may not help.
Unless the Spanish is your last semester of the language that you need, I would not suggest taking it in the summer. I would agree that two classes in a summer session is the equivalent of a full load in a normal semester.