<p>This semester (Fall 2012) I took it pretty easy. I took a freshmen seminar, ENG 101, FREN 101, and two half semester business classes that were a joke. This upcoming semester I plan on taking more challenging courses. </p>
<p>So far my schedule includes:
PHYS - Science of Music, inc. a lab
HIS - Early World Civ.
POLI - American Gov.
ECON - Essentials
STAT - Intro. (Half a semester)</p>
<p>I'm taking 18 credits as of now, which means my morning are full and I have classes from 8:30 to 5:30 on Thursday with 10-15 min breaks in between and a 45 min lunch.</p>
<p>In addition to these classes I plan on joining a business fraternity here on campus, which is like adding another class, and possibly joining a swing class.</p>
<p>I was planning on getting a job, but that now seems like an unneeded time consumer. </p>
<p>In your honest opinion, considering I'm a freshmen, would taking 18 credits, joining a frat and a club be an overload for one semester? Should I wait to join the frat and club next year?</p>
<p>I’m also a freshman taking 18 credits as a chemical engineer and taking 17 this semester. I’m taking on two part time jobs and 2 clubs, hopefully more next semester. </p>
<p>18 credits is a lot, but those courses aren’t half as bad as you think. The one key to success is knowing how to balance your time out. If you feel like you might have issues with time management, I would personally not try to take on all those extra activities, but if your time management is good, I think that you can certainly pull it off. Just remember to make out time for studying and doing homework.</p>
<p>I don’t understand the point of overloading as a freshman. From the looks of it, the majority of your classes will be gen-eds, thus I don’t see any reason for them to be taken right this very semester.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ve taken 18 credits in 2 years, and have been able to take (an excel in) challenging upper level and honors courses, maintain a part-time job with the university, research and present, alongside having a pretty lively social life. There’s no brownie points awarded for overloading… especially if doing so results in doing mediocre in these classes, or takes away from the courses that really count (like physics).</p>
<p>Granted, there’s no harm in registering for these classes, but the second you feel the schedule is running away with you don’t hesitate to drop one or more classes.</p>
<p>it’s not too bad to over load on classes that are comparable to AP classes. But it’s a huge mistake to overload on core classes that require a ton of work. I’ve had 2 credit classes taking more out of me than some of my 4 credit level classes. And I’ve had second level classes of the same subject being 3x harder than the first level. ask around to get an idea of what the classes are like, so you won’t have to learn it the hard way.</p>