Full Course Load?

[deleted270468]

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Hi everyone
I was wondering how important it is to take a full course load (ie. 5 courses/semester) during the school year for grad schools?
I'm in my second year of undergrad and I have been taking 3-4 courses per semester so far.
Thanks

 

[Ganzheit]

Hi everyone
I was wondering how important it is to take a full course load (ie. 5 courses/semester) during the school year for grad schools?
I'm in my second year of undergrad and I have been taking 3-4 courses per semester so far.
Thanks

I would say that the primary issue is grades and quality of courses. Total amount of time to complete matters, too, so indirectly, that imply that courses per year matters.
Just focus on your grades and getting involved in research early.

 

[deleted176373]

Hi everyone
I was wondering how important it is to take a full course load (ie. 5 courses/semester) during the school year for grad schools?
I'm in my second year of undergrad and I have been taking 3-4 courses per semester so far.
Thanks

GPA is more important than time to complete. There are numerous other factors (working, transfers, change of major, etc) that can impact time to complete. So I wouldn't let that be a terrible concern, at the same time, I wouldn't take 10 years to finish your B.A. either.

Mark

 

[deleted270468]

Thanks,
I wanted to know because professional schools seem to make a big deal about taking full course loads.

 

[deleted270468]

.

 

[psybee]

do you mean while in grad school? we tend to take a full load, somethimes more. you tend to get really close to your cohort so it's often preferable to take a class with them than with another group at a later date...

 

[deleted270468]

I am referring to undergraduate studies.

 

[thewesternsky]

Not a big deal, except that they'll want to know what else you were doing that prevented you from taking a full courseload. (Working 20+ hours/week to pay for tuition would be an acceptable response, for example).

A note of caution: If you do ever take 5 courses/term, do NOT let your grades drop that term. That would be interpreted as a signal that you can't handle a full course load, which would almost certainly nix your chances at graduate studies. (Because if you can't handle 5 undergrad courses, you definitely won't be able to handle graduate courses, clinical work, research and TAing all at once.)

 

[Psych Dork]

I am referring to undergraduate studies.

Have you been taking at least 12 credits or are you a half-time student? Are you taking classes in the summer?

 

[deleted270468]

At my university a full course load is 5 credits/year, where a semester course is worth a 0.5 credit. I will finish this term with 3.5 credits for the year, and I'm planning to take summer courses. My only reason for doing this is poor course selection, but I'm using the extra time to get more research experience.
I have another question: how does taking 1st/2nd year courses in 3rd/4th years of undergrad look on an application?
Thanks guys for all your help

 

[Psych Dork]

At my university a full course load is 5 credits/year, where a semester course is worth a 0.5 credit. I will finish this term with 3.5 credits for the year, and I'm planning to take summer courses. My only reason for doing this is poor course selection, but I'm using the extra time to get more research experience.
I have another question: how does taking 1st/2nd year courses in 3rd/4th years of undergrad look on an application?
Thanks guys for all your help

Your credit system is different. How many hours a week do you attend class each week? How many hours does each class require? At my university taking 12 credits, which can be 3 or 4 classes, is full time, but most people take 4 or 5 classes. So, a 4 credit class requires 4 hours of class time each week. You could think of it that way. If you are in class at least 12 hours a week then it shouldn't reflect poorly.


I don't think it matters when you take the courses. I put off taking one of my general university requirements that most people take in the first two years until my very last semester. Mostly just cuz I really didn't want to take it, but I don't think it says anything about my academic abilities.