<p>So as some of you know, I'm transfering from the U of Iowa to Madison. Both big ten schools with solid academics. Madison, however, clearly has a better academic reputation of the two. </p>
<p>I'm taking only 13 semester hours of coursework this semester (15 first semester) and some days I don't have homework...rather I DO have homework, but I cherry pick the kind of homework I feel is necessary for my sucesss. Therefore, some nights I don't have any homework, some nights (or days) I have more than 6 hours. So far, I got a 3.8 first semester, and on my way to a 3.6-3.8 this semester, so the strategy hasn't backfired yet.</p>
<p>I've heard from so many people (mostly parents of kids from my high school who go to UW now) that Madison is "no joke" and that I'll have to "work really, really hard." So my question is: Is it really that hard? Can anyone tell me, from experience, what the work for an "average" 15 credit courseload is like? Does my homework at Iowa pale in comparison to the slaving I'll have to do get a 3.8 at Madison?</p>
<p>Type/difficulty of homework depends on type of course- writing papers, doing problem sets, lab reports, as well as your knowledge base and abilities. No matter where you go you do what you need to to learn the material. No one can know how much you will have to work without knowing you and both schools. If you consider it slaving to do the work, why are you bothering to go to college... Good luck.</p>
<p>^there is a difference between "working" and "slaving," I think, and that difference is either the content of the material (if you hate it=slaving) or the amount of time spent on it (more than 3 hours/night on a subject you enjoy=slaving).</p>
<p>Nay. Like you, many incoming students are pretty smart on their own. So they are mostly cruising at classes and partying at nights. How does the standard marketing slogan sound? :)</p>
<p>The truth is many students are as smart and hard working as you. So everyone has a decent shot at getting a C or worse, in one of those classes that curve. Depending on your prior academic background, you may experience a first semester shock at the amount and pace professors throw materials at you. That usually happen within the first three weeks when you think you flunk a quiz or exam. But once you make the necessary adjustment, the rest should be, like I say, cruising and partying.</p>
<p>I'm glad this post was started, it's a pretty important topic and I'm sure a lot of incoming freshman like myself are curious about workload.</p>
<p>I was originally going to ask what the workload was like compared to a high school honors student with lots of AP's but that has too many variables.</p>
<p>I'm simply going to ask current students, what's your major and how many hours a night do you study? (Inc. homework, studying, labs... curriculum related stuff).</p>
<p>Consider this- most UW students do not spend/waste their time on this CC website; therefore you are not likely to get an answer that reflects most of the student body, average or honors...</p>
<p>Yeah you're right, oh well I can hope.</p>
<p>biggest surprise i got here when transferring from a smaller state school...the pace is MUCH faster. they teach more subjects in less time, and you must know all of it. good luck</p>