@TrifectaRents thank you! The minor bumps were your typical freshman year challenges: missing home/friends, worries about the future. Also, academically he liked the extra challenge of some of the courses but he has never worked harder getting those As. . Everything came so easily in high school/all his life that adjusting to new study habits and figuring out how to manage his time & extracurriculars was a whole new challenge for him. But hence that’s what freshman years all about, right?! Again, kudos to the staff and Emily and the study groups for all their support!
@OurLadyRocks thanks for comments. Yes, it would be the rare student who doesn’t face those challenges in any college. I am trying to prepare our daughter for some of these but you have to experience them first hand to learn. Which school/major at ND is he interested in and which classes/profs did he particularly enjoy or not enjoy (if he has shared that info with you!). Great to hear the staff is so helpful. It is win win if experience goes well.Happy students lead to better recruiting in future and leads to happy alums (and parents).
@TrifectaRents yes he is pretty private & we are a close family but we are respectful of his privacy 
He was undecided but is leaning toward science. Classes on both campuses are challenging and seem to require equal amounts of dedication. We never heard any complaints or praise of any one specific class; it was more the overall worry of his own performance, which again is normal for so many of our kids at this age!? I think Gateway students specifically need to be reminded more often that they are chosen among the very few in the applicant pool to be there-that they are so lucky to have the chance that so many others weren’t given. Actually not lucky, blessed!!!
Mombham - thanks for your insight into your son’s experience with the engineering curriculum. Our son (7.0) is planning on majoring in Civil. His 1st semester schedule includes Chemistry, Physics and Calculus. Everyone I’ve spoken with said Chemistry and Physics should be not be taken in the same semester because of the rigor, not to mention the labs. Did your son take these in his 1st semester? Can you provide any insight regarding this based on your son’s experience?
@nashua27 Welcome to the Notre Dame community! Our daughter is a Civil Engineering major and will be a Junior this Fall. This is the link to the recommended ND 4-year curriculum for Civils: https://ceees.nd.edu/undergraduate/2020-and-beyond-civil-engineering-curriculum
It suggests Chem 10121 in Fall, Physics 10310 in Spring and Phys 10320 the following Fall semester. Calculus I, II and III during the first three semesters, respectively.
Any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know. All the best for the forthcoming move-in weekend!
Thanks for the welcome and the insight. I had seen the recommended class schedule. It was part of the source of concern along with comments from former engineering students. We thought, initially, his 1st semester would include Intro to Engineering Systems (10111). However, the Intro to Engineering Systems (10111) class is not offered to Gateways students. In its place, Chemistry at ND has been added. This means he will have Chemistry and Physics in his 1st semester. Would your daughter be able to share her experience (opinion) regarding taking both in his 1st semester? If she has the time, it would also be great to hear what value she would place on the Intro to Engineering Systems (10111). Thanks!
^^^^ It may be a good idea for your son contact his academic advisor and/or the Gateway program advisor to discuss his schedule.
Thanks! Have an email request in to them now for some telephone time.
@nashua27 You are very welcome. DD is on a ND study-abroad program this summer, yet these are her thoughts over FaceTime, no particular order:
- Intro to Engineering Systems I (Fall Semester) and Intro to Engineering System II (Spring Semester) are important courses, focused on teamwork, and your son should therefore take these courses as early as possible, following his transfer to Notre Dame.
- She took Chem 10171 (4 credits incl. lab) in her First-Year Fall Semester and PHYS 10320 Engineering Physiscs II (4 credits incl. lab) and Chem 10122 (3 credis, no lab) in her First-Year Spring Semester, as she had AP credit for Engineering Physics I. She strongly recommends not to take two 4 credit courses, which include two labs, in the same semester, in addition to Calculus (4 credits). She also emphasized that in her opinion it is important to have at least Calculus I completed in the Fall before starting Physics in Spring (which was certainly the case for her as she started with Physics II @ ND).
- She was surprised that a First-Year advisor would suggest the First-Year course of study you had mentioned in your posting. She suggested to review the proposed schedule with the First-Year Engineering Advisor at the College of Engineering directly during Welcome Weekend. She likes the curriculum as layed out on the website and believes that it is important not to deviate too much, as courses are building on each other in sequence.
- Lastly, she will be a Welcome Weekend Counselor, has several Engineering friends who came over from Gateway and would be glad to bring your son in touch with them to discuss and compare experiences. Please PM us if your son is interested.
Anyway, these are some of the points she had mentioned, hope they possibly may be of help.
PS: which recommended First-Year courses in his current schedule will your son take at ND and which ones at HCC? Ultimately it is not solely the overall workload to be considered, yet also the fact that Gateway students will require good grades in order to be able to transfer. Best of luck and success to your son!
Thank you, and your daughter, for taking the time to address some of my concerns regarding our son’s 1st Semester schedule. He is scheduled for 19 credit hours including CHEM and the Moreau Seminar at ND, and Calculus for Science and Physics for Science at HCC. From my most recent conversation with his Gateways Advisor, I understand that all prior Gateways Engineering students completed the same schedule and that all incoming Gateways Engineering students are following the same schedule. Although I have faith in the support he will receive, I continue to be concerned about the workload (i.e. Chem, Physics, Calculus together) and sequencing (i.e. Physics occurring in parallel with Calculus). It would be wonderful for our son to connect with your daughter at Welcome Weekend to learn more about her engineering experience and benefit from her guidance. If possible, I’d like to talk with some of her Gateways engineering friends sooner to more fully understand their first-hand experience with this schedule. I know she’s studying abroad this summer - and loving it I hope! Is there any chance she could connect me with 1 or 2 of her Gateways engineering friends by telephone before Welcome Weekend? Thanks, again!
Hi nashua27. Yes, the course load is intense that first semester. My son took calc., physics, and at ND, chem. With labs and electives it is 19 hours, if not more. I tried hard not to think about it and was VERY concerned about my son making a 3.5 (admittedly I’m pretty type-A), but the kids learn quickly how to manage their time. For the first time ever, my son would talk with his teachers/professors. He never did that in high school. The kids also worked closely with one another in study groups. I don’t recall my son saying anything about the kids competing against one another, rather there is a special camaraderie among them (maybe a little bit of we are smart and talented like the kids across the street???). Also, I believe all the kids last year had the opportunity to go to ND, including the kids who are pursing engineering.
I can’t recall if I said this in an earlier post, but what gave me great comfort during the year is that it is in ND’s and HCC’s best interest for the kids to succeed. I realize this isn’t very sensitive (of course ND and HCC want their kids to succeed), but since these kids are in a special program, I feel like there is an additional interest in their success. I suspect you all will look back like my son and know definitively that it was the right decision.
Your patience and supportive comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you. We are very excited about heading out in 9 days!
nashua27 - My son is moving on to campus next Thursday and is happy to get some of the Gateway kids and meet up with your son if he’s interested. We all want this program to succeed because it will reflect positively on our kids!
Thanks for the offer from your son! We get into town Friday afternoon. Would he be available to meet with Trev sometime in the evening? If so, can he recommend a location? Is there a way to get our son’s contact information to your son? Someone along the line mentioned PM (Private Messaging?) as a way. My limited technological expertise could use a boost! It’s going to be a great year! Warm regards.
@nashua27 We sent you a PM over the weekend. Did you receive the message?
Hi folks, I have not checked in awhile. Time flew. We are looking forward to being on campus Friday afternoon. I think there is a ND (HCC?) BBQ planned for that evening so hopefully meet some of you there. Our first to go to college (and at a unique program to boot) so nervous excitement. Good luck to all!
My son is applying for civil and I have some questions. I am new to this forum. Could you please pm me? I cannot pm you as I do not have enough comments. I hope I understand this correctly. Ugh
@Betty5201 Will your son be applying at Notre Dame with indicated Engineering intent or will your son be a member of the HCC/ND Gateway class this coming academic year? Thanks for clarifying.
Heading to town tomorrow morning with our D. We’re looking forward to the bbq Friday night and having the kids get together to hangout before move in. Is anyone bringing anything to the bbq? Our D asked but was told they were all set. Going empty handed seems odd for me ? looking forward to an AMAZING year for all the Gateways!!!