<p>My daughter starts this fall at UChicago. Thrilled! Anyway, one debate is whether to take 3 classes or 4 in the first quarter.
Math/Econ major(s) with Comp Sci minor ... maybe. Wondering about stress, focus, load, etc. but also wanting to take a good class load because the next four years will be busy with lots of classes to take. Thanks for any advice.</p>
<p>Depends on what is considered the minimum for a full load is and if there are enough credits in the 3 classes.</p>
<p>My DD is a UChi 2d year. PM me if you want more details about anything. Her advisor told us that the students absolutely need some semesters to take 3 rather than 4 classes, but suggested we wait till winter or spring term when the kids get very tired over the school year. That made sense to us, unless you believe your daughter needs more time to adjust to the workload during the first term (or is a fall athlete). I also think some fall sport kids also only took 3 classes during the fall term.</p>
<p>Wow that’s a good question. I guess I am the rare parent who feels his son works too hard. Last year as a first year, he took four classes each quarter on a CS track. I was a little amazed. So there was 1 CS class each quarter with Calculus and two core classes in the Hum and Soc tracks. This is on top of 2 or 3 substantial activities. I have been gently prodding my son to enjoy himself a little more, but he seems to thrive with the schedule. He’s a very smart kid like all UChicago kids which puts him around the average in terms of intellectual capabilities, so it’s just that he is not intimidated by the work. I guess it depends on the individual. Your daughter will have to manage the time well with 4 classes especially with CS which can be very time consuming. I don’t think CS classes are that much harder than others, but you’ve got to put in the time to solve the problems. If you look at the graduation requirements, your daughter will have to take 4 classes at least 1/2 of the 12 quarters, so it will happen eventually. So after all that I guess I come down on the side of trying the 4 classes in the fall and winter, then maybe taking your 3 in the spring when the weather is good again and maybe your daughter will have a firmer idea of what extra curricular activities she wants to pursue.</p>
<p>Another parent of an incoming 3rd year(holy cow the time has flown!) math major and just from personal experience I vote for taking 3 classes for the first quarter. Going to college can be a huge adjustment, especially with the rigor of classes at UChicago. There will be plenty of time to take 4 classes in future quarters. </p>
<p>Welcome to UChicago and good luck!</p>
<p>I would vote for 4 classes the first quarter. There will come a time to take only 3, but the first quarter/first year is generally not necessary. Most of the first year classes are 3 quarter sequences.
The poster above who mentioned a fall sports athlete would be a good exception.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the comments so far. My daughter was at a two year college prep academy (last two years of high school, lived in a dorm on campus, etc.) prior to enrolling at UChicago - so hopefully has some of the adjustment behind her. No athletics planned other than maybe some club sport activity. BUT … social engagement is very important too. Thinking 4 classes is a good choice for fall …</p>
<p>Please double check this, but I believe that UChicago has a pretty lenient drop policy. So she could start with 4 and see how it goes. </p>
<p>Does Chicago has a pass/fail system for any classes? </p>
<p>^^ Yes but not for core classes and (probably) not for major classes.</p>
<p><a href=“http://college.uchicago.edu/advising/passfail-grading”>http://college.uchicago.edu/advising/passfail-grading</a></p>
<p>Strictly from a financial point, why would you pay for 4 classes and take only 3? Academically, why would you go to a world class university and not take as many classes as you can? In your personal life, a full load will teach you time management pronto. </p>
<p>The general consensus is that if you are even slightly uncertain about taking 4 classes as opposed to 3, you should start with 4 and make a decision by the third week whether to continue with 4 or drop one of them.</p>
<p>I also believe that simply taking classes is often falsely equated with education and learning. There are many other options. Students have sat in on classes they are not enrolled in and choose the amount of work they put in to that extra class. I have also explicitly asked an instructor for a class I am not enrolled in for access to class materials to go over later after the class ends.</p>
<p>Given the variety of options such as the above, the financial standpoint amounts to the fact that you are not paying for 4 classes, rather you are paying for the potential to have four university-granted grades per quarter on your transcript. So I think the decision to officially enroll in 3 or 4 classes should only depend on mundane considerations for personal goals that depend on such bureaucratic validation, such as graduate school . The experience of learning can be more effectively acquired in other ways.</p>