18 credits my freshman year first semester?

[Mikedavis]

hello!

I am going to be a freshman in college this fall and have already registered for my classes. As the title says, I registered for 18 credits, which is the maximum amount of credits I am take. I am taking principles of chemistry(I already took AP Chemistry and had a 4, but I will not transfer the credits). But it’s been 2 years since I took the chemistry and I’m a bit scared. Plus it has lab(1 day a week) for 3 hours and 50 minute classes for 3 days in a week. My second class is Calculus. I took calculus in high school, but I’ll not transfer my credits. I find calculus to be very easy and I was the top student in the class back in high school. It does have a lab and 3 days of class per week. The third class is Seminar(Symbiosis). It is my adviser that will teach the class and he is also a biology teacher. I don’t know what the class looks like or what it’s about, so I am very anxious about taking the class. It is a requirement and I can’t switch to another seminar class. The fourth class is Psychology for freshmen premed students. It does have lab along with 3 days of class. The fifth class is writing for freshmen. It only has 1 credit and I thought it would be really helpful if I take the class. The last one is a no credit class that is required by the college and it’s a wellness class. It is on Tuesdays and Thursfdays, days where I have no other class. I will also be volunteering for 10 hours a week in a local clinic.

Based on all the circumstances I mentioned above, I’m a bit confident that I will pull off straight A’s this semester. The only class I am scared of is the Seminar Symbiosis. I did my research on the professor and some students like him while others don’t. In total, I will start class at 8 am and finish at 3:50 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Side note: I was looking at the chemistry, calculus, and Psychology books and they all seem pretty easy.Given all the circumstances, do you think I am overloading myself with 18 credits and 10 hours of volunteer work?
Thank you in advance!

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[Pizza12]

I don’t think it’s overload.since you had AP chem and also aced Calculus already I think it’s doable for you

 

[acslater99]

If you feel like you can pull out all A's then sure go ahead and take the 18 credits.

Let me tell you this though, do not continue to make this a habit taking 18 credits every semester. Classes only get harder every year. I can't speak towards your level of intellect but just remember: you do not want to burn yourself out before medical school.

Good luck!

 

[Mikedavis]

If you feel like you can pull out all A's then sure go ahead and take the 18 credits.

Let me tell you this though, do not continue to make this a habit taking 18 credits every semester. Classes only get harder every year. I can't speak towards your level of intellect but just remember: you do not want to burn yourself out before medical school.

Good luck!

Yes, I’m definitely planning on taking it easy after this semester. I will take mostly 15 credits and 12 credits my jonior year, the semester when I’ll take the MCAT.

 

[Mikedavis]

You seem to have the answer to your question.

Yes, but people say that it’s too much so that got me on the edge.

 

[Benz MD]

College is much harder than highschool. I would NOT recommend taking 18 credit hours your first semester. Take 14ish- and become involved with a club on a campus, and get a good volunteering background. If you are taking 14 and earn a 4.0 then I would recommend to amp up the credits. Why take 18 credits? Cocky students who think they're going to get a 4.0 always end up losing it. Stay humble and don't overwhelm yourself with credits during your first college experiences. Trust me you're going to want to go out with friends and procrastinate. College is a much different environment than highschool.

 

[stickgirl390]

You remind me of myself. I also took AP Chem and Calc in high school and did well, and I also took a heavy course load during my premed years. Almost everyone I spoke to told me “not to get cocky” and that college would be much more difficult. While both of those statements are extremely accurate, only you know what kind of student you are. I took only science classes for two years straight, even into upperlevels and aced everything.

I personally think your first semester doesn’t appear too difficult. You should be able to handle it. Be cautious going into upper level sciences later on, but be confident if you know you can handle the work.

 

[71ubpmk]

You can always see how it’s going the first couple of weeks and drop a class before the add/drop deadline if you need to.


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[lull]

my biggest regret in college was not taking it easier on my classes and enjoying other hobbies

 

[Mikedavis]

my biggest regret in college was not taking it easier on my classes and enjoying other hobbies

But did taking many classes at one time affect your GPA? That’s what I want to know.

 

[glassesvar]

But did taking many classes at one time affect your GPA? That’s what I want to know.

Don't do it. You may be able to handle it, but are you really willing to risk it? Especially since you haven't even taken any college classes yet, you don't really know if you can handle it. Maybe do this your 2nd semester if you really want to. It's extremely hard to recover even after 1 bombed semester.

 

[$haBoy]

I'm also an incoming freshman this fall, and I'm taking 17 credits this semester. I'm taking bio II and chem I, both with labs, biochem, philosophy, and calc II (I was also top in my high school calc class, so kudos); which is pretty standard for those in my major. I'm going to see how things go, but I also plan on volunteering for ~8 hours a week. Long story short, plenty of kids at my college do that and make it through fine, and you're obviously smarter than the average person, so you should be fine imo.

 

[Mikedavis]

Don't do it. You may be able to handle it, but are you really willing to risk it? Especially since you haven't even taken any college classes yet, you don't really know if you can handle it. Maybe do this your 2nd semester if you really want to. It's extremely hard to recover even after 1 bombed semester.

I already took AP chemistry and Calculus, and found them to be very easy. The only class that I think is hard is Symbiosis Seminar and that is a required class. The thing I don’t really understand is the difference between taking 16 credits and 18 credits. I am so lost and do not want to give up on any of the classes I chose. I’m in a very difficult position! But thank you for the opinion, it really made me to question whether I want to risk it or not.

 

[Mikedavis]

I'm also an incoming freshman this fall, and I'm taking 17 credits this semester. I'm taking bio II and chem I, both with labs, biochem, philosophy, and calc II (I was also top in my high school calc class, so kudos); which is pretty standard for those in my major. I'm going to see how things go, but I also plan on volunteering for ~8 hours a week. Long story short, plenty of kids at my college do that and make it through fine, and you're obviously smarter than the average person, so you should be fine imo.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I feel calmer right now. But I have a question, don’t people discourage you when they say that 17 credits with 8 hours of volunteering is tough?

 

[$haBoy]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I feel calmer right now. But I have a question, don’t people discourage you when they say that 17 credits with 8 hours of volunteering is tough?

Yes, but keep in mind the advice/opinions others are giving you are only based on a small sliver of information about you and not the whole story. When a person tells you something they are automatically making assumptions about the type of person you are (intellect, work ethic, time management skills, etc.), and those assumptions may or may not be correct. That said, take everything others tell you with a grain of salt, and if you feel you really can handle something (based on your past history of performance, not cockiness or what have you) then I say go for it.

 

[Mikedavis]

Yes, but keep in mind the advice/opinions others are giving you are only based on a small sliver of information about you and not the whole story. When a person tells you something they are automatically making assumptions about the type of person you are (intellect, work ethic, time management skills, etc.), and those assumptions may or may not be correct. That said, take everything others tell you with a grain of salt, and if you feel you really can handle something (based on your past history of performance, not cockiness or what have you) then I say go for it.

So true! People make assumptions about me based on their personal experience. I say that I can do it, and I know I am not being cocky at all. Thanks!

 

[$haBoy]

So true! People make assumptions about me based on their personal experience. I say that I can do it, and I know I am not being cocky at all. Thanks!

You're welcome. 🙂

 

[JeSuisUnDoc]

Not your first, no. You need to learn how it is and figure out how you study before you start burning yourself out. Take it easy.


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[DrMcCoyDO]

I already took AP chemistry and Calculus, and found them to be very easy. The only class that I think is hard is Symbiosis Seminar and that is a required class. The thing I don’t really understand is the difference between taking 16 credits and 18 credits. I am so lost and do not want to give up on any of the classes I chose. I’m in a very difficult position! But thank you for the opinion, it really made me to question whether I want to risk it or not.

I took Calculus in high school, too, and did very well. Calculus in college is a bit more intense, and you’re expected to understand the material in incredibly more detail than in high school.