18 Credit Hours Too Much?

[ClassicalG]

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Ok, so here's my situation...

I'm taking dual credit and this is my last semester until I graduate high school.

I have taken 6 credits this semester (maximum for dual credit): College Algebra and English Composition 1, plus all A's in both.

There is a big possibility I won't be able to take summer classes during college because of some time circumstances, so here is the schedule for next fall so I could graduate in 4 years:

Pre-Calculus(4 credits)

English Composition 2(3 credits)

Biology for Science Majors 1(4credits)

General Chemistry(4 credits)

US History to 1876(3 credits)

This seems standard with the Pre-Vet plan at the university I plan to transfer to from my local CC as their freshman year.

I already know all of the info in these courses, all though I know the scope of the course is different, so do you think that will help me?

What do you think? Is it too much of a course load?

 

[LetItSnow]

Not sure what you're asking.

Seems like a pretty normal college semester.....

Congratulations on being considered smart.

 

[ClassicalG]

Thanks for the comment @LetItSnow, it helped a lot!

 

[swiniazycie]

For your first semester? I would consider that a lot. My college recommended a lower first semester so you can adapt. However, if you think you can do it, there's nothing stopping you. 18 is on the high end, but like you mentioned you have some basic knowledge of all of those. I would ask some people at the University you're attending to get feedback on your professors. The general chemistry at my school was treated as a weed out, so grades and homework were higher.

 

[Pugsforlove2014]

I would take no more than 15 credits your first semester and then work up from there.
Take this next part with a grain of salt. Some humility would probably make life easier for you. There are people on here literally twice your age who are already full veterinarians. It's good to be proud of your achievements, it sounds like you've earned them. But you would gain more respect by being humble about it.

 

[Staffie]

Are you planning to be at a community college or a 4 year university in the fall? I'm not quite clear whether you're transferring to a 4 year school now or later. It might make a difference as to how rigorous those courses will be.

And I agree with the others. I understand that you were trying to give us some background on yourself and your academic ability, but the way you wrote about yourself came across as arrogant. You could convey the same information a bit more tactfully and humbly. Work on that skill. It will pay off so much. It's important to be intelligent and academically accomplished to get to professional school and do well, but you want to be making good contacts and be well liked along the way. Humility will help you a lot. I'm not trying to attack you, I'm just trying to help you understand that how you communicate is really important.

 

[Aegolius acadicus]

I took 18 hours my freshman year; first semester was an introductory survey thing, calc 1, gen chem 1, a linguistics class, and a german lit class. I also worked roughly 20 hours a week that particular year. Idk, I think you'll be fine with those particular classes, especially if you're already familiar with the material. Taking 18 hours only became an issue when I got to the higher level science courses; I dropped down to 14-16 hours for those after freshman year. If taking 18 hours your freshman year is what you need to do to graduate in 4 years, it seems like an okay plan to me, especially if it allows you to take fewer classes around your more difficult courses. Also, your age shouldn't be relevant at all to this question; it sounds like you're entering college with the same level of preparation as everyone else. As it's been said before, some humility would be good. The number one thing I've taken away from my time in undergrad is how little I actually know, and I was one of those people who were told that they were "gifted" and oh so smart all through high school. College was a good wake up call in that respect. Again, not an attack. I think a lot of college freshman have your attitude coming in, but it's a good lesson to learn.

**edit: I'm sorry if I came across as mean; I know internet responses tend to kind of blow things out of proportion, and that wasn't my intent. I get that you just wanted to have your question answered, and I'm sure that you've had some pretty cool opportunities being homeschooled. I do like hearing from people with different backgrounds and all, so I wasn't trying to be mean and drive you off.

 

[ResoluteMike]

Check that biology for science majors. That sounds like a survey type class. If you want to transfer or even apply to vet school, make sure you are taking the biology classes that count towards general biology 1 and 2.

 

[Promethean]

You should check to see if you can test out of any classes. CLEP exams are $80 each, for 3-6 credits each. There may be subjects that you already possess enough familiarity with to be able to take the exam and skip the class. You can cut a year (or more) off your time by knocking out credits by exam.

Also, what do you mean by too much? There were terms where I took the most my school would allow, 24 credits per term and found it doable. If you aren't working, but studying full time, 18 is not only possible, but I would consider it to be a normal course load. 12 credits is the minimum to be considered full time. 15-18 is what you need to do per term in order to graduate in 4 years.

If you are going to try to have a job at the same time, or do a lot of extracurriculars, you might find an 18 credit load to be a lot to bear, but people have done it before. Realize that each term, you are only committing to do the schedule you make for yourself that term, and you can usually drop a class up to a few weeks into the term, if you find that it is really too much. If you find out that you've bitten off a bit much at once, and you don't want to drop, just really hunker down and do it for the 16 weeks or so that it takes to get through it and do well. Then, don't do that much next time.

 

[Aegolius acadicus]

You should check to see if you can test out of any classes. CLEP exams are $80 each, for 3-6 credits each. There may be subjects that you already possess enough familiarity with to be able to take the exam and skip the class. You can cut a year (or more) off your time by knocking out credits by exam.

I definitely agree with this, and took advantage of it with several of my gen ed classes my freshman year. I would say to be careful with the classes you choose to test out of though. In my case, I tested out of both semesters of general bio and now kind of regret that. It would have been 10 semester hours of class and I think that could have been a real gpa booster for me, and they would have counted toward the pre-req or science gpa for some vet schools. That being said, I'm really glad I tested out of some of the history/social science things that I did; it made my schedule a lot easier to handle.

 

[that redhead]

There's always someone out there who has taken on more than you have and found it easy. I personally think that starting out with 15 credit hours is safest - gives you time to adjust to the new schedule, new routine, etc. of college. Two intro science courses (presumably with lab) will be pretty time consuming, so I'd either move one of those or one of the other courses to lighten your load a bit. If you found the first semester ridiculously easy, go for more next semester. Keep in mind you will need to start adding in vet experience and other meaningful experiences for your application.

 

[LetItSnow]

There's always someone out there who has taken on more than you have and found it easy. I personally think that starting out with 15 credit hours is safest.

Yes, but this person is "considered smart"!

 

[Felixor90]

Keep in mind you will need to start adding in vet experience and other meaningful experiences for your application.

QFT! Also, keep in mind that most schools aren't just about the GPA. It won't matter if you have a 4.0 and perfect GRE scores if you aren't a well-rounded individual. Taking 15 credits instead of 18 will give you more time to join clubs, make more friends (the kind you don't study with), and have fun during undergrad. All work and no fun makes you a dull applicant. 😛

 

[DVMDream]

Ok, I am going to say something completely different because it seems no one else has mentioned it, probably because the poster asked not to, but I think it is important.

You are 15, you are a kid. Your childhood only lasts for so long and then it is gone. You do not and can not ever get it back. I get wanting to dive into college early and moving forward with things, but seriously there is no rush. I'd recommend that if you want to go ahead and go to college take what you need as a minimum for financial aid (if you need financial aid) and go slow. Use the extra time to enjoy your childhood. If you don't need financial aid to cover school, then take a course or two here or there and spend some time to just enjoy being a teen. Most of your classmates will be at least 3 years older than you, if not more and while that age difference means little once you get into your early to mid 20's, it seems to make a large difference in the teenage years.

Also, there is nothing wrong with homeschooling. I have nothing against it, but there are going to be things that you weren't exposed to being homeschooled that are going to be a bit of a shock for you, especially at your young age. Just something to keep in mind.

Also, a question... you want to head to vet school I am guessing since you are on here. Do you have any veterinary experience. Many vets won't allow someone so young to shadow, you might find one or two and maybe you have and that is great! But keep in mind that it will be much more difficult for you to find and obtain the experiences needed prior to applying to vet school than it will be for your 20-something college friends. That might not seem "fair" but it is because you are still a minor and there are laws, rules and regulations for those types of things.

 

[Caterpillar]

Yes, but this person is "considered smart"!

I know the internet is not the best in conveying tone, but I'm getting the vibe that this is a snide comment. Please keep in mind that you're an adult (or so I assume) and our original poster is 14. Kids who are 14 are usually in 8th or 9th grade. They're young and excited. Be kind.

I say only take 15 credits to start and try to start getting veterinary experience. Experience is extremely important, and starting to gain it early is a good thing.

 

[DVMDream]

I know the internet is not the best in conveying tone, but I'm getting the vibe that this is a snide comment. Please keep in mind that you're an adult (or so I assume) and our original poster is 14. Kids who are 14 are usually in 8th or 9th grade. They're young and excited. Be kind.

I say only take 15 credits to start and try to start getting veterinary experience. Experience is extremely important, and starting to gain it early is a good thing.

The poster asked to not be treated any differently than any other 17/18 year old that is about to enter college. So, time to grow some thick skin especially if they are really going to get heading to college at 14/15, you are going to have to grow up fast.

 

[orca2011]

Ok, I am going to say something completely different because it seems no one else has mentioned it, probably because the poster asked not to, but I think it is important.

You are 15, you are a kid. Your childhood only lasts for so long and then it is gone. You do not and can not ever get it back. I get wanting to dive into college early and moving forward with things, but seriously there is no rush. I'd recommend that if you want to go ahead and go to college take what you need as a minimum for financial aid (if you need financial aid) and go slow. Use the extra time to enjoy your childhood. If you don't need financial aid to cover school, then take a course or two here or there and spend some time to just enjoy being a teen. Most of your classmates will be at least 3 years older than you, if not more and while that age difference means little once you get into your early to mid 20's, it seems to make a large difference in the teenage years.

Also, there is nothing wrong with homeschooling. I have nothing against it, but there are going to be things that you weren't exposed to being homeschooled that are going to be a bit of a shock for you, especially at your young age. Just something to keep in mind.

Also, a question... you want to head to vet school I am guessing since you are on here. Do you have any veterinary experience. Many vets won't allow someone so young to shadow, you might find one or two and maybe you have and that is great! But keep in mind that it will be much more difficult for you to find and obtain the experiences needed prior to applying to vet school than it will be for your 20-something college friends. That might not seem "fair" but it is because you are still a minor and there are laws, rules and regulations for those types of things.

I wanted to say something along these lines, but it never comes out as well. I'm a big supporter of making the most out of your college years (academically, socially, diversely, etc), and I honestly do believe that such a young age, it's going to be an entirely different experience than if you were starting at 18/19 years old. College is a huge opportunity for growth and while you might get some of that at the age of 15, I still think the type of growth you'll do when you're 18-22 will be entirely different than now. I sure as hell changed a lot.

 

[Caterpillar]

The poster asked to not be treated any differently than any other 17/18 year old that is about to enter college. So, time to grow some thick skin especially if they are really going to get heading to college at 14/15, you are going to have to grow up fast.

I personally wouldn't have said something like that to an 18 year old either. Or anyone, actually. I think Staffie did the best at explaining that the original poster's words about their intelligence could come off as arrogant. That was constructive criticism.

 

[DVMDream]

I personally wouldn't have said something like that to an 18 year old either. Or anyone, actually.

Congrats on being a different person?

You say or post something about how "smart" you are like the original poster did and you should expect some people to not take it so well. The reactions you get back will vary from even worse than what LIS said (which really wasn't bad) to what others stated about the arrogance. You are responsible for your initial statements, expect some not so nice comments from some people if you state things a certain way. Just because you wouldn't have responded that way doesn't make someone else responding that way "incorrect". It may not be "nice", but don't be full of yourself if you don't want people to say "mean" (LIS was sarcastic) things. And while I don't believe that the original poster meant for it to come out in an arrogant, full of herself manner, that is how it came out, you can't fault people for reacting to that... everyone reacts differently... whether that be rolling their eyes (which I most definitely did), explaining why that sounded arrogant, or responding sarcastically.

 

[Coquette22]

I know the internet is not the best in conveying tone, but I'm getting the vibe that this is a snide comment. Please keep in mind that you're an adult (or so I assume) and our original poster is 14. Kids who are 14 are usually in 8th or 9th grade. They're young and excited. Be kind.

At 14, I never would have described myself that way. I don't think it's over the top snide to point out that the OP could have phrased that better.

 

[LetItSnow]

I know the internet is not the best in conveying tone, but I'm getting the vibe that this is a snide comment. Please keep in mind that you're an adult (or so I assume) and our original poster is 14. Kids who are 14 are usually in 8th or 9th grade. They're young and excited. Be kind.

*eye roll*

You want to be soft 'n sweet 'n nice, good for you. I'm going to just call it like I see it. The OP is plenty old enough to learn the value of humility. I certainly would never have described myself that way at 14, and for that matter my 11-year-old wouldn't do that. It's arrogance, and it deserves to be called out. If someone came into my clinic looking for a job and said "I am considered smart" I'd laugh for the entire second it took me to crumple up their resume and round file it - better to learn some humility now than when applying for vet school or a job.

The OP specifically asked to be treated as an adult, and I wouldn't use kid gloves on an adult. Further, they responded to my original snark with some hefty snark of their own (I totally earned it, and wholeheartedly approve!), so I think she can handle it.

When I want your advice about posting, I'll totally come asking for it. Kkthx.

 

[Cephal0pod]

Ok, I am going to say something completely different because it seems no one else has mentioned it, probably because the poster asked not to, but I think it is important.

You are 15, you are a kid. Your childhood only lasts for so long and then it is gone. You do not and can not ever get it back. I get wanting to dive into college early and moving forward with things, but seriously there is no rush. I'd recommend that if you want to go ahead and go to college take what you need as a minimum for financial aid (if you need financial aid) and go slow. Use the extra time to enjoy your childhood. If you don't need financial aid to cover school, then take a course or two here or there and spend some time to just enjoy being a teen. Most of your classmates will be at least 3 years older than you, if not more and while that age difference means little once you get into your early to mid 20's, it seems to make a large difference in the teenage years.

Also, there is nothing wrong with homeschooling. I have nothing against it, but there are going to be things that you weren't exposed to being homeschooled that are going to be a bit of a shock for you, especially at your young age. Just something to keep in mind.

Also, a question... you want to head to vet school I am guessing since you are on here. Do you have any veterinary experience. Many vets won't allow someone so young to shadow, you might find one or two and maybe you have and that is great! But keep in mind that it will be much more difficult for you to find and obtain the experiences needed prior to applying to vet school than it will be for your 20-something college friends. That might not seem "fair" but it is because you are still a minor and there are laws, rules and regulations for those types of things.

This. A thousand times this. OP, I was like you-- I was homeschooled, taking dual credit classes, told I was a smart cookie, full of big dreams of graduating from college early and then getting into vet school early, etc. Then some life circumstances forced me to slow down and go the normal route, and man, I am so glad I did. Your teen years fly and then they are gone, and with them a very special time in your life. Do slow down and savor it, and allow yourself some time to mature and grow.

Now, am I saying don't bother with dual credit all together? Nope, it definitely gave me a leg up in a lot of ways, not the least of which was understanding what it truly means to study before my first year of actual undergrad rolled around. What I am saying is that it is a big jump to go from college algebra and English comp 1 to an 18 hour semester load that includes two hard sciences, a math, and two humanities. For the sake of your sanity and your GPA (which matters a lot for vet school-- guard it!), think about picking 3 of the five-- maybe intro bio, gen chem, and English comp 2 or something.

DVMD also made a really good point about opportunities; a couple of the coolest animal/veterinary experiences I have had thus far have an age requirement of 18. Definitely something worth considering.

 

[ClassicalG]

Hey guys, I know some of you thought that I was being arrogant about what I said. My best intentions were not meant to seem like that, and I am sorry for whoever I offended. The only reason I mentioned that information is that I thought that maybe if I talked about that information, then it may help you better in your decision making and thoughts on if there is a possibility that I could handle the mentioned work load or not. I came here for second opinions to reassure my own thoughts on it, and because of that information seeming like it was offending, which after I read it again I saw the arrogance, I have edited and removed that part of the post. Again, I am extremely sorry for hurting or offending anyone, so please don't think I'm rude or prideful, I just sometimes say things the wrong way when that is not my intention.

Thank you guys for the comments,

ClassicalG

 

[Minnerbelle]

There is no reason to apologize.

But I think there is something to be said about the importance of social maturity, which from both of your posts you seem to lack. I mean it 100% when I say that this is not meant as an insult or an attack, and that it does not come from a place of meanness. You say you want to be treated as an adult, but a lot of your comments do not sound like it is coming from a mature adult, and as it turns out I don't think you actually meant it. People have responded fairly normally if they were expecting to respond to an adult, albeit some a bit more snide than others, and you can't seem to take it.

And that is FINE. It is what it is. You just have not had the life experiences to allow you to have gained the social graces to match your academic grade. There is no shame in that. You are not a failure for not having the maturity of an adult when you are not.

Why is that important? Well simply because your social maturity is waaay more important in becoming a successful veterinarian than your intellect (provided that you are pursuing a clinical career). You need to develop that even more than your academic skills. So you really shouldn't be too eager to run too fast academically if your personal development is lagging behind. This is really important for your mental health. Veterinary medicine is already hard on your mental health to begin with. You don't want to go into it until you are ready in all aspects, not just intellectually.

If you think the way people have treated you here is mean, you should see how some people treat me at work. Clients can be really really mean. Like beyond abusive mean. It's not okay that they treat me like that, but unfortunately it is a part of the job. I need to be able to rise above that. And you will too! You need to learn how to do that, just as much as you need to learn the fundamentals of biology.

 

[1doggeek]

I was in a pretty similar situation to you - homeschooled, dual credit, started young. I don't regret starting college early and would absolutely do it over again, but I would have probably regretted starting with 18. You might not be "officially" in college when you are doing PSEO, but your GPA is going to follow you anyways! It's important to keep that "safe"! I started out with 15 and I've taken a semesters with more as I got used to the college thing. I would suggest looking at your dual credit years as "bonus" college, a time to kinda ease into it but still take time to be a kid and have other things to do in your life too. I went full time, but I know plenty of people who did part time as well, and it just kinda serves to take a little stress off the class load later on. 🙂 There's a lot of clubs and organizations you can participate in while in highschool that you can't when you're older, and I personally thoroughly enjoyed taking the time to do that. Grades aren't everything - start making connections and networking.

Also, there is nothing wrong with homeschooling. I have nothing against it, but there are going to be things that you weren't exposed to being homeschooled that are going to be a bit of a shock for you, especially at your young age. Just something to keep in mind.

Just wanted to respond to this too...totally depends on how you were homeschooled. I have homeschooled friends who had huge culture shocks and I have plenty of friends (myself included) who didn't feel out of the loop at all. There are many different ways to homeschool and there are plenty of ways to be exposed to things that kids who are not homeschooled are as well. 😀

 

[LetItSnow]

Hey guys, I know some of you thought that I was being arrogant about what I said. My best intentions were not meant to seem like that, and I am sorry for whoever I offended. The only reason I mentioned that information is that I thought that maybe if I talked about that information, then it may help you better in your decision making and thoughts on if there is a possibility that I could handle the mentioned work load or not. I came here for second opinions to reassure my own thoughts on it, and because of that information seeming like it was offending, which after I read it again I saw the arrogance, I have edited and removed that part of the post. Again, I am extremely sorry for hurting or offending anyone, so please don't think I'm rude or prideful, I just sometimes say things the wrong way when that is not my intention.

Thank you guys for the comments,

ClassicalG

No need to apologize; you didn't offend anyone. Just saying: modesty will go a long ways. The reaction you got from me is one that a lot of hiring vets would have. Or admissions committees. You don't want that, right? People will recognize your intelligence because it will speak for itself. No need to tout it. Yanno? 🙂

We have a 20-year-old in my class (or rather, she was 20 when we started). She's a nice girl and all, but I feel like vet school was a pretty awkward experience for her. Dunno. Maybe not. It's not like she's said that to me, but just in four years of observation I feel like it wasn't as positive an experience for her as it could have been, and I think a lot of it was age related. Being super smart, which you probably are to get where you've gotten, is completely detached to being emotionally mature. It's not really a race - I'd enjoy being a teen while you are one. I sure wish I could. 🙂

 

[LetItSnow]

Just wanted to respond to this too...totally depends on how you were homeschooled. I have homeschooled friends who had huge culture shocks and I have plenty of friends (myself included) who didn't feel out of the loop at all. There are many different ways to homeschool and there are plenty of ways to be exposed to things that kids who are not homeschooled are as well. 😀

No doubt. There are homeschooled people who socialize well, and there are "traditionally" schooled people who don't. That's obvious. But I think (at least, in personal experience, which is always hit or miss) a higher percentage of homeschooled folks struggle in that area. People are like puppies; they need early socialization training that is more often lacking in a homeschool setting than it is in a traditional setting.

It's not ripping on homeschooling to recognize that: it's recognizing a potential risk so that it can be appropriately managed. That's healthy.

So I don't think you need to 'defend' homeschooling. It brings pros to the table as well as cons. Socialization is definitely a risk (con), though.

 

[deleted676737]

Hey guys, I know some of you thought that I was being arrogant about what I said. My best intentions were not meant to seem like that, and I am sorry for whoever I offended. The only reason I mentioned that information is that I thought that maybe if I talked about that information, then it may help you better in your decision making and thoughts on if there is a possibility that I could handle the mentioned work load or not. I came here for second opinions to reassure my own thoughts on it, and because of that information seeming like it was offending, which after I read it again I saw the arrogance, I have edited and removed that part of the post. Again, I am extremely sorry for hurting or offending anyone, so please don't think I'm rude or prideful, I just sometimes say things the wrong way when that is not my intention.

Thank you guys for the comments,

ClassicalG

Just wanted to reiterate that no one seems to actually be offended or otherwise hurt by your post. Humility, I think, is absolutely an imperative social skill, but it tends to come with age; you're really very young, so you've got plenty of time to refine it. We just want to make sure that you realize that future employers or admissions committees may not be so enthused by someone boasting their intelligence so outwardly. 😉

And I truly do mean that sincerely. You're obviously a very smart, driven, and talented individual to be in the position that you are, especially given your age. You should definitely be proud of that and all of your accomplishments, but it's important to remain humble, as well, especially in a work setting. It can be a fine line to walk sometimes, but I'm sure that you'll grasp it as you delve further into your academic and professional endeavors.

For next steps, I think that it would be a wonderful idea for you to begin getting some real veterinary experience. Unfortunately, as was already mentioned I believe, your age may provide a bit of a hurdle due to liability concerns. When speaking to the clinic staff, I would definitely advise professional dress as well as emphasizing that you're looking to "shadow" or "observe" the doctor practice rather than "volunteer" or "work" - it carries a different connotation and implies a lesser degree of liability on the hospital's part, so that may make them more likely to take you on (although some places may have defined age requirements, and you may be out of luck for now in those cases). I'd also ask for something short-term - a couple of days to a week, perhaps - and go from there if you find that you enjoy the experience.