<p>I just think that it varies so much from person to person. Some people will need more time to adjust and should have a lighter load. For them more credits would cause issues. It’s not to say they aren’t smart or can’t handle being at UW, they just need time to acclimate to the college lifestyle. They can absorb that $700 loss or whatever and carry on to have quite successful academic careers and you’d never know the difference. Other students can handle a heavier load, and might be bored with less classes. They should take a full load their first semester and they will thrive. I think there’s no way it can be a one-size-fits-all approach. </p>
<p>For the record, I took 14 credits my first semester and thought it was just the right amount. I knew people who took 14 and were bored/never had homework, and I knew people with more who were struggling and people with more who were fine. It depends so much on the person and taking a lighter load will not hurt you in the long run, for the reasons justtotalk mentioned.</p>