How to balance orgo I, bio II, gen. chem lab, and bio lab

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WeedOutClassesAhh

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OK, I know the most annoying groups of students are first-semester-freshman premeds, but hear me out.
First semester, I will be taking Arabic (5 cr), a required first year seminar class (4 cr), bio I (4 cr), and gen. chem (3 cr), and I really don't want to exceed 16 credits my first semester freshman year. Second semester, I'll have to take Arabic, bio II, orgo I, a gen. chem lab, and a gen. bio lab. Even if I drop pre-med, I might still major in biology or chemistry, which would force me to take these classes together anyway. Do you think it will be difficult to balance? If so, what do you recommend for me to change/do? Obviously this will also depend how my first semester goes.

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I took 17 credits for 4 semesters straight and got three 4.0's after getting a 3.3gpa in HS, you'll be fine. If you took any AP's you'll f;y through the intro courses, I distinctly remember getting >100% in the first bio core class (one exam the average was ~50 and I got a 98 pre-curve, prof was forced to give me >100). Just don't get caught up in partying like I did :nono:
 
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Max out at 16 credit hours and test the waters your first semester. Your intro classes might end up being a walk through the park, in which case you'd be set to keep on at the same pace. If you're struggling, lighten the load a tad bit second semester.

I've pulled 20+ credit hour semesters with a 4.0, job and EC's. That said, I do not consider myself to be intellectually gifted. Science has never come naturally for me. I have to study twice as much to obtain the same results as many of my peers. The reason I'm telling you this is because if there's anything I've learned so far about being a premed student, it's that it's not about how inherently smart or capable you are, it's about how hard you're willing to work and how well you're able to manage your time. If you have strong work ethic and time management, you can "balance" just about any courseload, including this one.

A wise man once wrote, "Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act!" (Dr. Seuss)

Good luck on your journey!
-Fox
 
I took 17 credits for 4 semesters straight and got three 4.0's after getting a 3.3gpa in HS, you'll be fine. If you took any AP's you'll f;y through the intro courses, I distinctly remember getting >100% in the first bio core class (one exam the average was ~50 and I got a 98 pre-curve, prof was forced to give me >100). Just don't get caught up in partying like I did :nono:

How many IAs did you get again?
 
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I took 17 credits for 4 semesters straight and got three 4.0's after getting a 3.3gpa in HS, you'll be fine. If you took any AP's you'll f;y through the intro courses, I distinctly remember getting >100% in the first bio core class (one exam the average was ~50 and I got a 98 pre-curve, prof was forced to give me >100). Just don't get caught up in partying like I did :nono:
no offense but the fact that you're even able to get >100 in a class clearly shows it probably wasn't that hard to get a 100 or just an A in general. ;)
 
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no offense but the fact that you're even able to get >100 in a class clearly shows it probably wasn't that hard to get a 100 or just an A in general. ;)
Tell that to the rest of his class
 
I took 17 credits for 4 semesters straight and got three 4.0's after getting a 3.3gpa in HS, you'll be fine. If you took any AP's you'll f;y through the intro courses, I distinctly remember getting >100% in the first bio core class (one exam the average was ~50 and I got a 98 pre-curve, prof was forced to give me >100). Just don't get caught up in partying like I did :nono:
Congrats haha. I took IB classes, but I probably won't get credit because my U requires a 5 in higher level courses to get out of evolutionary bio. But I haven't taken chem since sophomore year. Would you recommend studying a bit this summer to remember the basics more clearly? (I can balance an equation but I don't exactly remember what an orbital is or how to figure out the order and the exceptions to the rules. I know a mole is 6.022 * 10^23 :))
 
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