The Future? All input appreciated!

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I'll be attending Bowdoin College this fall. There are a few things that I would like to ask/voice and hopefully some of you guys have experience/can help me. Thanks!</p>

<p>(1) Bowdoin recommends that incoming freshman take no more than 4 courses their first semester but the option of taking 5 courses is still available to all. I'm leaning to taking 4 courses for the sake of adjusting to college life/course rigor/etc but the option of taking 5 courses appeal to me because I (a) eliminating all PreReqs and GE requirements and (b) gaining credit hours. In your opinion, do you think taking 4 courses or 5 courses would be good for an incoming freshman?</p>

<p>(2) Right now I plan to major in Mathematics or Economics OR Major in Mathematics and minor in Econ (or vice versa). Are there any Math/Econ majors or current students working towards these majors that could offer any advice? </p>

<p>(3) How much studying do you typically do, cumulatively, in a week? I know this answer will vary but I just would like to have an idea. </p>

<p>(4) Is there anything SIGNIFICANTLY important that you wish you would've known prior to attending your college/university? </p>

<p>I may have more later on but this is all I could remember for now. Thanks to any and all who responds. :D</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>I only took 13 credits (4 classes + 1 credit freshman course ) my first semester. I had a lot of free time, and in hindsight I probably should have taken another course.</p></li>
<li><p>Talk to everyone, and don’t spend a lot of time in the dorms.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Honestly, I would mix an elective in with some required classes and go for 5. I took 4 classes my first semester and was not challenged academically. If nothing else, take a College Success course to bump up your credit hours your first semester.</p>

4

<p>Bumpity Bump.</p>

5

<p>I’ll take a swing at this.</p>

<p>If you any AP credit, then why not take 4 classes freshmen year? It is sort of an adjustment semester. If you have AP credit, you won’t need to make up anything later.
Or, you might want to consider taking 4 classes that still adds up to 14 or 15 credit hrs - usually this is still easier than 5 courses. Or you could take 5 courses, but keep it relatively light (read reviews of them, no hell classes). Many freshmen, esp all the top achievers in high school, feel like they can take on anything and everything in the world. Not saying you can’t, but if you keep it light you’ll be helping your gpa.</p>

<ol>
<li>My school had a math/ econ combined major, if you wanted to do that. I don’t have any advice but sounds like a good idea to do math/ econ whichever route.</li>
</ol>

6

<p>1) This depends on you. How much is tuition an issue–you’re paying more per class when you take less credits? Are you coming from a typical public school or a top public/prep school? What kind of classes are you taking? </p>

<p>If tuition isn’t an issue and you came from a normal public school, I’d probably take 4. </p>

<p>2) Sort of similar I guess: I’m taking Accounting/CS double major–more of an applied version of your workload. </p>

<p>I’ve had to take quite a few math and econ courses. All I can really say is that a math major shouldn’t struggle with upper level econ (besides some conceptual aspects), but an econ major can always struggle with upper level math. </p>

<p>So make sure you’re taking just 1, max of 2, math courses per semester. Give yourself time you need to digest. It’s the harder of the 2 majors you’re choosing. Just like CS is harder than accounting. </p>

<p>Then again, isn’t Bowdoin a LAC? Does it have a really weak math program? Sorry if that’s some completely false stereotype but our CS/Math program is ranked very highly, so maybe I’m exaggerating the difficulty; at your school, maybe the lit classes are hardest. </p>

<p>3) In the Fall/Spring sessions, I’d say I study ~15 hours/wk; maybe 20 hours if I skip some lectures. I’d say a total of around 35 hours including lectures. </p>

<p>Always treat midterms like finals, especially the first one if there’s multiple midterms. </p>

<p>4) College isn’t as hard or as much of an epiphany as people make it out to be. Especially if you’ve lived away from home (boarding school, etc.,) before. If you loved learning before, you’re still going to love it. You’ll just be surrounded by more people that are like you.</p>

<p>And if you went to a top private high school, then college is easier.</p>

7

<p>^ I agree–I think it is a very good plan to take a 1 course reduction your first term and call it “Adjustment 101.” That gives you a better chance of learning what it really means to succeed in your other classes, rather than merely get by.</p>

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<p>This is probably really obvious/not significant, but ALWAYS go to class and try to sit in the same spot. The professor will recognize you (even in big classes) if you’re always there. If you ask/answer a few questions throughout the semester, you’ll make a very good impression. I just finished my first year and when I think back to when I missed class to sleep later, I always regretted it and always missed a lot of material. It’s just not worth it.</p>

<p>Also, make sure you aware of the grading rubric for each of your classes. Some classes will have a quiz every week, some classes have 4 tests throughout the semester, and some classes will only have a midterm and a final. So if you’re super busy or behind, know which classes get priority (i.e. the class you where you have a quiz tomorrow rather than the class that only has a midterm 3 weeks away).</p>

9

<ol>
<li>take 5, if its too much drop one before the deadline, also you may find one of your profs/classes to be a pain, this way you can drop it and still have 4 classes</li>
</ol>

10

<p>^^^That’s my definition of taking 4 classes: taking 5 and dropping your least favorite.</p>

<p>If you take 5 classes (which I don’t recommend), then take 6 classes and drop one before deadline.</p>

11

<p>yeah ive done that every semester and it helps a great deal</p>