Should I add a math component?

<p>I'm starting college in less than a week and i was hoping for some tips or opinions on my schedule.
Thus far I have
-General Biology I + Lab
-General Chemistry I + Lab
-Critical Reading: Pre Med I
-Global Public Health Development
-Freshman Seminar (1st yr Experience)</p>

<p>Unfortunately I missed going straight into Cal I by a few points in the math placement test so i'll be taking Pre Cal beforehand, there are a few spots open in a Pre Cal class and i find it important to keep up with at least some type of math. At the moment i'm at 13 credits, the Pre Cal will put me at 17. The Freshman req. i've been told is quite easy, and the Crit Reading is a requirement of a pre med interest group i'm in, which i've also heard is quite easy. The main dilemma is i've been told having two labs in the same semester may be quite a load, so will adding the math component to this semester be too much, or should i search for an alternative? Obviously, i've "been told" a lot of things, since i can't discern the fact from the fiction, hoping this public forum may help me come to a conclusion. Thanks in advance for any advice. :)</p>

<p>Pro math:
The longer you postpone the math, the harder it will be to pick it back up. If you postpone calculus for too long, it might keep you out of science classes that have it as a prerequisite. It sounds like you have already taken pre-calc in high school, so the class shouldn’t require too much effort.</p>

<p>Con math:
The time commitment of your course load.</p>

<p>If I were you, I would add the precalc class to my schedule and see how things go. You can drop the class later if you feel overwhelmed. Check the academic calendar to find out the last day to drop a course without penalty. (At my college we can drop courses three weeks into the semester without a written record. If we drop it in the fourth week or after, the course will show as “withdrawn” on our transcript.)</p>

<p>^agree. Some people can handle 17 credits, some can’t, and for others it just depends on the classes. If you can churn out a lab report, your lab classes shouldn’t be too bad. And it really would suck not to be able to take classes later because of that pesky math requirement.</p>

<p>If you’re pre-med, get used to a heavy workload now. It only gets tougher, and if you aren’t able to handle 17 credits in undergrad with labs, med school may not be the best fit for you; it’s part of why I changed my plans though I was originally set on going to med school.</p>

<p>Alright thanks to all that replied, i’ve ended up signing up for the Pre Cal course as i figured my course load will only get heavier as i go, so might as well start off with a solid 17. Once again thanks for the advice.</p>