Courses for next semester

[redrosesfi]

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Hi all,

I am planning to take Org1+lab and Phys1+lab next semester, which is a total of 8 credit hours. I am about 1.5 years out of undergrad and currently work full-time (40 hrs/wk). Any advice from someone who has gone through this would be appreciated. Note: I took Bio1, Chem 1&2, and Calc1 in undergrad. Anything I should anticipate?

Thanks for the help.

Edit: My job is 9a-5p. I plan to take Org2+lab during the summer, take Phys2+lab during the fall of 2013, and study for the MCAT Spring 2014.

 

[emicsu]

It depends on the school/classes. For example: my physics I class was graded such that 50% was hw, quizzes, etc. and 50% was exam grades. However, I had to spend an inordinate amount of time on the hw because it was graded for accuracy. My orgo I class grade was based on 3 exams and a final. I would be very cautious about taking this many credits with a full-time job. I took physics I and orgo I concurrently and the reality is that you must put in the time if you want to do well. Only about 0.0000001% of people just "get" these subjects w/o studying!! You could always see how it goes and drop if it seems too intense. The theme of studentdoc is that it's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Tough call without knowing you personally... Physics, are you good at algebra/calculus? If not, maybe don't take it with OChem... Ochem, how was gen chem for you? Most people are NOT good at both, people who hate gen chem usually like Ochem, and the reverse... You could be one of the brilliant minds who is good at both, it is possible, I am just saying it is rare...

Good luck to you on your decision and courses!

 

[CastleG8]

Ever since I began studying MCAT, I have noticed how much the work I put into Physics and Organic chem pays off when it comes to MCAT prepping. Don't just aim for the minimum, really get to know the subjects and it will help your MCAT score. I am glad I didn't randomly get the easy Physics professor at my school, who handed out 20% A's. I had to work extra hard for it and I am so glad now because I wouldn't have studied more than I needed for an A back then.

 

[MedWonk]

Hi all,

I am planning to take Org1+lab and Phys1+lab next semester, which is a total of 8 credit hours. I am about 1.5 years out of undergrad and currently work full-time (40 hrs/wk). Any advice from someone who has gone through this would be appreciated. Note: I took Bio1, Chem 1&2, and Calc1 in undergrad. Anything I should anticipate?

Thanks for the help.

Edit: My job is 9a-5p. I plan to take Org2+lab during the summer, take Phys2+lab during the fall of 2013, and study for the MCAT Spring 2014.

It's possible, but this depends on your expectations. If you plan on getting an A, working 40hrs becomes a riskier proposition. If you've got a solid math background, then I could see you pull this off as it will make your life with physics a little bit easier. In my anecdotal experience, people I know who took 8+ credits and worked full-time often (but not always) found themselves having to choose between dropping a class or cutting back on/quitting their job. I pulled off Calc I and II while working full time, but I'm not so sure that I could've done two classes while working full-time, unless one of them was an easy class.

Time management will be key. You also have to be willing to sacrifice some aspect of your social life if you find that you need to spend more time studying. Sometimes that still might not be enough and you'll find you need a more student-friendly schedule to do well. Generally, I figure each four-credit course will require around 12 hours of study time per week, so that's 24 hours of study time. This includes time spent in lecture/lab. You'll figure out exactly how much time you need spend once you're in the course (which could be more or less), but for getting a general idea of what your schedule might look like, I would start out assuming you'll have 60+ hours/week of working/studying.