I am a freshman at a CC and about to start my 2nd semester. My first semester I took Biology 1, Comp 1, Psychology 101, and a math class. It was pretty easy and not too stressful. I pulled off a 3.8 GPA and was recommended for honors. I went to speak w/my adviser and she was telling me how I need to take more classes if I want to transfer in 2 years to LUC. (I made a appt. with a Loyola adviser because I don't trust my adviser) So this semester I'm going to take Biology 2, Chemistry 1, Comp 2, Precalc (I was bad at math in high-school) and most likely a Climate or Art class because it's part of Loyola's core curriculum. This will probably be 19 or 20 credits I believe. I will also be volunteering once a week at Northwestern Hospital and working part-time. I want to leave CC in 2 years and I will not stay there any longer so I need to start taking more classes. I will also be taking summer classes to get more credits out of the way. I just want to know if people think this is too much to handle. I don't want my GPA to go down from taking too many classes. What are your opinions, any are welcome, they are appreciated. Thank you. (Also should I enroll in honors at my CC or not even bother?)
Am I taking on too much?
- Thread starter Maali
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Honors at the CC will probably mean nothing to med schools, but if there isn't a huge hassle to do it, why not?
Do you think you can pull off all As with that course load? If so, go for it. If not, cut a class out. How much trouble did you have with your prior semester? Based on that, do you feel like you will be spread too thin? We really can't give you specific advice since you might be able to pull a 4.0 with 20 credits easily, or you could struggle with anything over 16..... If you want to play it safe, cut a class out.
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I say try for 5 classes. It looks like you did well first semester, but you only took four classes. You got a 3.8, which is good! So be happy about that, but to add a fifth class will be good as that is a "standard load." Four classes is light according to my advisor, as you wouldn't graduate on time utilizing that schedule repeatedly. Good luck.
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Most of the people I know who had academic difficulties their first year of college (4 year research university) had problems because of taking too many science/math courses at once. Chemistry is math intensive; why not save Chem 1 +2 for the summer or the next semester? If you struggle with math, taking chemistry and pre-calculus may be a problem for you.
Disclaimer: I took precalculus as a junior in high school; thus, I cannot definitively address the rigor of college pre-calculus. We did use a college book; I found it very easy but am naturally inclined towards mathematics.
Disclaimer: I took precalculus as a junior in high school; thus, I cannot definitively address the rigor of college pre-calculus. We did use a college book; I found it very easy but am naturally inclined towards mathematics.
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The labs for Bio and Chem with their write-ups tend to be time consuming. You didn't mention how much you plan/need to work each week. Many have done fine with the schedule you propose, but keep an eye on the official drop date, in case your choice to take five classes with two labs proves too challenging for your burgeoning time-management skills. Or resolve to cut back on work hours if need be.
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I totally understand where you are coming from. I have been taking over 20 credits for the past several semesters. (I am in music school, so our classes are mostly 1 or 2 credits. Just to give you an idea, my upcoming 21 credit semester is 11 classes.)This summer I will be taking classes while working and volunteering- and then finishing up my last semester with 24 credits.
Yes, life is crazy- and sometimes I have no idea how I am going to get it all done. But I can assure you that if you put your mind to it, you WILL succeed! As a matter of fact, ever since I decided to apply to med school (adding 4 extra credits per semester), my grades have gone up. Of course, I have absolutely no time for a "social life"- which is fine with me, but I understand this may not be alright with everyone. My biggest advice, is to take the little free time you do have and enjoy it. I use my Saturday morning to take a walk to the grocery store (doesn't sounds too exciting, but it's a great time away from my studies.). Best of luck! Hope this is helpful!
Yes, life is crazy- and sometimes I have no idea how I am going to get it all done. But I can assure you that if you put your mind to it, you WILL succeed! As a matter of fact, ever since I decided to apply to med school (adding 4 extra credits per semester), my grades have gone up. Of course, I have absolutely no time for a "social life"- which is fine with me, but I understand this may not be alright with everyone. My biggest advice, is to take the little free time you do have and enjoy it. I use my Saturday morning to take a walk to the grocery store (doesn't sounds too exciting, but it's a great time away from my studies.). Best of luck! Hope this is helpful!
