17 credits my second semester?

[idemandeuphoria]

I am starting my second semester of college in a couple weeks and I still have some wiggle room on what I can drop/add.

My first semester of college I took
Bio (3 credits)
Chem I w/lab (4 credits) - 5 hours/week
Calc I (4 credits) - 5 hours/week
Religion (2 credits)
Writing (3 credits)
Total: 16

I haven't gotten my final calculus grade yet, but if all went well, I got a 4.0. [Update: Got an A!! 🙂]

Right now I am scheduled to take
Another religion class (2)
Chem II (3) - 4 hours/week
Chem II Lab (1) - 3 hours/week
Calc II (4) - 5 hours/week
History GE (3) - the most failed course on campus, required to graduate
Elective (1)
Total: 14

However, I am not taking bio next semester and I feel like I should be! I really want to take another semester of calculus because I loved chemistry and if I want to minor/major in that I need to keep taking higher level math.

I'm considering changing my schedule to this:
Religion (2)
Chem II (3) - 4 hours/week
Chem II Lab (1) - 3 hours/week
Calc II (4) - 5 hours/week
History GE (3)
Molecular Bio (3)
Molecular Bio Lab (1) - 3 hours/week
Total: 17

We do not have the standard bio I and II at our school. Instead, the school just recommends a bunch of biology courses to take in order to cover our bases for med school admissions. Molecular bio is one of those courses.

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, I just want another opinion. None of my older siblings can give me advice since they all either majored in Finance or Applied Math haha. I definitely think it will be tougher semester if I changed my schedule...but I'm always willing to work hard.

Thanks in advance!

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[de Ribas]

I am starting my second semester of college in a couple weeks and I still have some wiggle room on what I can drop/add.

My first semester of college I took
Bio (3 credits)
Chem I w/lab (4 credits) - 5 hours/week
Calc I (4 credits) - 5 hours/week
Religion (2 credits)
Writing (3 credits)
Total: 16

I haven't gotten my final calculus grade yet, but if all went well, I got a 4.0. If I got an A-, then I got a 3.93.

Right now I am scheduled to take
Another religion class (2)
Chem II (3) - 4 hours/week
Chem II Lab (1) - 3 hours/week
Calc II (4) - 5 hours/week
History GE (3) - the most failed course on campus, required to graduate
Elective (1)
Total: 14

However, I am not taking bio next semester and I feel like I should be! I really want to take another semester of calculus because I loved chemistry and if I want to minor/major in that I need to keep taking higher level math.

I'm considering changing my schedule to this:
Religion (2)
Chem II (3) - 4 hours/week
Chem II Lab (1) - 3 hours/week
Calc II (4) - 5 hours/week
History GE (3)
Molecular Bio (3)
Molecular Bio Lab (1) - 3 hours/week
Total: 17

We do not have the standard bio I and II at our school. Instead, the school just recommends a bunch of biology courses to take in order to cover our bases for med school admissions. Molecular bio is one of those courses.

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, I just want another opinion. None of my older siblings can give me advice since they all either majored in Finance or Applied Math haha. I definitely think it will be tougher semester if I changed my schedule...but I'm always willing to work hard.

Thanks in advance!

Having 17 credits of which you have 2 labs, might be a little hard. Depends how hard labs are. All of my labs were extremely time consuming.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

Having 17 credits of which you have 2 labs, might be a little hard. Depends how hard labs are. All of my labs were extremely time consuming.

From the people I've talked to, I have heard that the chemistry lab is one of the most awful labs because you have to take difficult tests along with doing weekly pre and post lab assignments. The molecular bio lab is known to be pretty easy if you do the work and get a good TA.

 

[HomeSkool]

That looks like a very intense course load to me, especially for your second semester of college. What's the rush? My advice is to slow it down and take the 14-hour course load. No point in half-assing lots of things when you can whole-ass a few. 😉

 

[Catalystik]

View attachment 226924
That looks like a very intense course load to me, especially for your second semester of college. What's the rush? My advice is to slow it down and take the 14-hour course load. No point in half-assing lots of things when you can whole-ass a few. 😉

I agree, especially as your planned classes include a "most failed course" and two labs.

 

[de Ribas]

View attachment 226924
That looks like a very intense course load to me, especially for your second semester of college. What's the rush? My advice is to slow it down and take the 14-hour course load. No point in half-assing lots of things when you can whole-ass a few. 😉

I agree.

What else I notice even from SDN posts, that great students with 4.0 GPAs tend to overload them because they like to challenge themselves and like to work hard. But then, at some point they burn out.
Willing to do something is different than being able to do something.

Make you stamina last over UG and Med school, rather than getting yourself exhausted.

 

[LebronManning]

FWIW, the "most failed class" doesn't really mean anything. You are likely miles beyond the intelligence of your college classmates if you are seriously considering medicine and it's evident by your ~4.0 last semester. I took some courses in college that were "the most failed class" and they were cake, but I did see many people failing. This included Gen Chem 1 lol.

To answer your question, I think you can do 17. You might have less time for extra curriculars this particular semester but you have plenty of time for that beyond this semester. Getting a course or two done earlier than needed always pays dividends in extra time later in your college career. It will be difficult, but it's human nature for us to work harder under increased demands and take it easy when we feel relaxed. I think you will do just as well if you take 14 or 17 because you will subconsciously work much harder when you take 17. Personally, I did better in my tougher semesters because of the pressure I put on myself.

With all that said, you are going to be spending more time studying with the 17 credits. This will harm your social life, ECs temporarily, and maybe even overall happiness. The marginal benefit of that may not be worth it when it comes down to the entire 4 year plan of college. You gotta figure that out, maybe talk to your advisor. If it doesn't help you at all, don't do it.

Also consider, you're still like 2 years away from taking MCAT. I'd personally want molecular bio to be closer to when I take the MCAT then further. Its up there with Biochem as the most tested MCAT subject now.

 

[HomeSkool]

great students with 4.0 GPAs tend to overload them because they like to challenge themselves and like to work hard.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

FWIW, the "most failed class" doesn't really mean anything. You are likely miles beyond the intelligence of your college classmates if you are seriously considering medicine and it's evident by your ~4.0 last semester. I took some courses in college that were "the most failed class" and they were cake, but I did see many people failing. This included Gen Chem 1 lol.

To answer your question, I think you can do 17. You might have less time for extra curriculars this particular semester but you have plenty of time for that beyond this semester. Getting a course or two done earlier than needed always pays dividends in extra time later in your college career. It will be difficult, but it's human nature for us to work harder under increased demands and take it easy when we feel relaxed. I think you will do just as well if you take 14 or 17 because you will subconsciously work much harder when you take 17. Personally, I did better in my tougher semesters because of the pressure I put on myself.

With all that said, you are going to be spending more time studying with the 17 credits. This will harm your social life, ECs temporarily, and maybe even overall happiness. The marginal benefit of that may not be worth it when it comes down to the entire 4 year plan of college. You gotta figure that out, maybe talk to your advisor. If it doesn't help you at all, don't do it.

Also consider, you're still like 2 years away from taking MCAT. I'd personally want molecular bio to be closer to when I take the MCAT then further. Its up there with Biochem as the most tested MCAT subject now.

Thanks for the thoughtful response! Your post actually has me thinking that I should take molecular bio later on in college. I am LDS and I want to serve an 18 month mission. I would leave in the summer time. This would make it more like a four year gap between molecular bio and the MCAT. And I guess this will also be a problem for gen chem.

 

[HomeSkool]

I am LDS

I thought that might be the case when you put down a 2-credit religion course. As a fellow LDS person who served a mission, I can tell you I took Gen Chem 1 pre-mission and remembered virtually none of it afterward.

Are you at BYU? If so, who's teaching the molecular bio?

 

[LebronManning]

This would make it more like a four year gap between molecular bio and the MCAT

Yeah definitely don't recommend taking Molecular bio 4 years before MCAT. Bio is memorization 95% so you will definitely straight up forget factoids. Gen chem is something you will never truly forget and it will always come back much easier. Gen chem for me is like skiing lol. You just gotta start doing a couple problems and you start remembering everything. This is also true for bio but not the extent of chemistry. Probably because analytical information/techniques sticks better in our long term memory.

The mission is awesome. I always wondered, do AdComs see that as one hell of an EC (volunteering) or something religious that you "had" to do? I'd guess its the former.

 

[fi3451]

I am a student at BYU. That sounds like a needlessly heavy load. Also, labs are really time consuming so taking 2 labs a week would be difficult while taking 15 additional credits. Let me know if you have specific questions about BYU courses. I have taken most of the courses you will have to take.

EDIT: also if you are set on going on a mission I would definitely avoid taking too many science courses premish. I mostly focused on knocking out some of my GE requirements before my mission.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

I thought that might be the case when you put down a 2-credit religion course. As a fellow LDS person who served a mission, I can tell you I took Gen Chem 1 pre-mission and remembered virtually none of it afterward.

Are you at BYU? If so, who's teaching the molecular bio?

Yes I am! Brian Poole and Paul Evans are teaching next semester

 

[HomeSkool]

I didn't have either of them. Is Kim O'Neill still teaching there? I had him for Mol Bio back in 2001.

Also, is the history course AHtg 100? If so, I don't remember much except that a big part of why it's so failed is that 1) it's a gen ed requirement that has like 900 people in each lecture (so even a small percentage failing it translates to a ton of people), and 2) it's taken by a lot of freshmen who don't take it seriously until it's too late. I don't remember it being particularly bad...but I took it seriously.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

Yeah definitely don't recommend taking Molecular bio 4 years before MCAT. Bio is memorization 95% so you will definitely straight up forget factoids. Gen chem is something you will never truly forget and it will always come back much easier. Gen chem for me is like skiing lol. You just gotta start doing a couple problems and you start remembering everything. This is also true for bio but not the extent of chemistry. Probably because analytical information/techniques sticks better in our long term memory.

The mission is awesome. I always wondered, do AdComs see that as one hell of an EC (volunteering) or something religious that you "had" to do? I'd guess its the former.

As far as I know, I wouldn't mark it as volunteering unless it was actually a service mission (as opposed to proselyting) like in Russia or Mongolia. But I would still mention it as an extracurricular.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

I am a student at BYU. That sounds like a needlessly heavy load. Also, labs are really time consuming so taking 2 labs a week would be difficult while taking 15 additional credits. Let me know if you have specific questions about BYU courses. I have taken most of the courses you will have to take.

EDIT: also if you are set on going on a mission I would definitely avoid taking too many science courses premish. I mostly focused on knocking out some of my GE requirements before my mission.

Thanks for your reply! Yeah, I probably shouldn't do that to myself my freshmen year. I have a pretty active social life that I'm not ready to give up on yet. I am on the waiting list for Art History to get my Arts GE done. Now I'm thinking that I'll drop my one credit elective if I get into Art History. That will put me at 16 credits.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

I didn't have either of them. Is Kim O'Neill still teaching there? I had him for Mol Bio back in 2001.

Also, is the history course AHtg 100? If so, I don't remember much except that a big part of why it's so failed is that 1) it's a gen ed requirement that has like 900 people in each lecture (so even a small percentage failing it translates to a ton of people), and 2) it's taken by a lot of freshmen who don't take it seriously until it's too late. I don't remember it being particularly bad...but I took it seriously.

He is still teaching at BYU, but I don't know if he still teaches molecular bio. He isn't next semester at least.

Yes, I am talking about American Heritage...I'm not too worried about it. My friends that went to my high school said that it was about the same difficulty as our high school history classes, but you do have to dedicate a solid amount of time to reading/studying.

 

[HomeSkool]

He is still teaching at BYU, but I don't know if he still teaches molecular bio. He isn't next semester at least.

If you get a chance to take a course from him do it, and then some time that semester see if you can hijack the lecture to get him to tell his conversion story. One of the most powerful I've ever heard. Takes the whole hour to tell.

Yes, I am talking about American Heritage...I'm not too worried about it. My friends that went to my high school said that it was about the same difficulty as our high school history classes, but you do have to dedicate a solid amount of time to reading/studying.

That's basically all I remember about it 20 years later...

 

[HomeSkool]

As far as I know, I wouldn't mark it as volunteering unless it was actually a service mission (as opposed to proselyting) like in Russia or Mongolia. But I would still mention it as an extracurricular.

I just pulled up my old AMCAS application file and it looks like I listed mine as "Community Service/Volunteer - not Medical/Clinical". You're dedicating 100% of your time to the service of a philanthropic organization.

 

[Welshman]

I would opt for the easier course load and I would suggest saving Mol Bio for later. At my school Mol Bio was a graduate level course and the hardest Bio class I've ever taken though...

 

[TheBiologist]

Chem II, Calc II and bio might be hard, but I had almost the same thing with an additional neuro class my sophomore year. imo, I wouldn't do it lol, mainly because of the LABS. they are a ton of work and take a lot of time, at least at my school

good luck with whatever you decided, and remember i's not a race

 

[Welshman]

Also I dont see any reason to take calc 2 unless its required or you want to give yourself a hard time... Take stats man

 

[idemandeuphoria]

Also I dont see any reason to take calc 2 unless its required or you want to give yourself a hard time... Take stats man

haha I need calc 2 if I major in biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics, or anything like that. Keeping my options open right now 🙂

 

[Welshman]

haha I need calc 2 if I major in biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics, or anything like that. Keeping my options open right now 🙂

Sure, keep in mind however medical school don’t care how hard your major is, just that you do well. Andditionally, any degree that you get in undergrad save probably engineering won’t matter a hill of beans compared to your eventual MD. Finally, having a major that you view as a good plan B is like having feet in both camps while medicine demands a full commitment, it’s essentially a self fulfilling prophesy leading to one dropping premed.

That said “follow your dreams”...

 

[idemandeuphoria]

Sure, keep in mind however medical school don’t care how hard your major is, just that you do well. Andditionally, any degree that you get in undergrad save probably engineering won’t matter a hill of beans compared to your eventual MD. Finally, having a major that you view as a good plan B is like having feet in both camps while medicine demands a full commitment, it’s essentially a self fulfilling prophesy leading to one dropping premed.

That said “follow your dreams”...

Thanks for your thoughts! I really want to get involved with research that interests me, so that's a big factor in deciding my major. I want to love what I'm learning and be engaged in it. I don't see premed as something that I have to just endure. Of course, I want a solid GPA, but as long as I keep around a 3.7 I'll be happy! Also, I'm only a freshman, so I think it's okay if I'm not 100% committed to medicine yet. From what I know from volunteering and shadowing doctors over the last year, I am very, very interested in it though!

 

[Magus5454]

I had to take up to calc 3 for my major/physics prereq. That being said OP, don't overload yourself 2nd semester..but also don't do what I did and have nothing but upper divs left your last 3 semesters 😉

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

Do you work? Make time for some extra curriculars and get involved on campus.

 

[idemandeuphoria]

Do you work? Make time for some extra curriculars and get involved on campus.

Thanks for your reply! No, I am not working. I focused on school work, volunteering, and a balanced social life for my first semester. I probably won't work again next semester since I plan on working in the summer. Also, it's hard to know what extracurriculars I should be invested in right now since I will be leaving college to be a missionary after next semester...

 

[HomeSkool]

Thanks for your reply! No, I am not working. I focused on school work, volunteering, and a balanced social life for my first semester. I probably won't work again next semester since I plan on working in the summer. Also, it's hard to know what extracurriculars I should be invested in right now since I will be leaving college to be a missionary after next semester...

The most useful thing you can do right now is to do well in school. You're about to do a killer non-clinical EC, and you can round out your other ECs afterward. If you must do something, though, I recommend shadowing.

As far as major, you need to prepare as though you'll go straight from undergrad to a full-time job -- not med school. Why? In any given cycle, about 40% of applicants get one or more acceptances. Hopefully you'll be part of that fortunate minority, but they are the minority, so you should plan as if you won't get in on for first attempt. That means you should major in something that's employable at the bachelor's level to play it safe.

That said, engineering is probably the most immediately employable major, but it tends to be hard on the ol' GPA, which can kill you when you apply to med school. So do some thinking about the best way to balance immediate employability against GPA maximization.

You're wise to focus on gen ed requirements pre-mission.