"Informal" intensive Postbacc for summer.. can it be done?

[andresx]

School A is offering Gen Chem I & II plus labs at night all summer
School B is offering Bio I & II plus labs during the day all summer

Both are senior college/univ. Both are intensive programs: mon-friday ~ 3hrs/day. In theory I can register for both schools and complete 4 courses in a single shot. The big assumptions are that I will have the time to bust my a$$ studying all day/every day/including weekends during the summer, which I am almost ready to commit to..

What do you guys think? I've been out of school 3 years. Graduated with BS in engineering with GPA (& BPCM) ~3.7 & plan to re-take chem1 to get back into swing of studying, so overall I think with dedication it can be done (my summer plan that is).... Any pitfalls to it?. Always open to suggestions/comments/critics/etc...

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[Eidetic]

It is possible, if you want to hate your very existence for the duration. I took Orgo II Laboratory, Biochemistry, and Genetics one summer. My day consisted of going to class from 8AM-5PM, then studying until 10 or so. I pulled at least one all-nighter every week. Just take one class and enjoy your summer.

 

[andresx]

But it was doable? overall, did you feel you grasped all the material properly?. My options are:

1. Take classes. 4 courses during summer. Quit my job
2. Work full-time as an engineer + take classes at nite (2 courses).

So overall, "enjoying" my summer is a relative term since with both options I will have to invest lots of time..

It is possible, if you want to hate your very existence for the duration. I took Orgo II Laboratory, Biochemistry, and Genetics one summer. My day consisted of going to class from 8AM-5PM, then studying until 10 or so. I pulled at least one all-nighter every week. Just take one class and enjoy your summer.

 

[Eidetic]

Okay, in that case take all 4 courses. Intro Chem or Biology will not take more of your time than a full-time job. If you did that well in an engineering program, I doubt you'll have trouble retaining the information.

 

[LynnKat]

It's certainly doable, though not especially fun. I did Orgo with a lab and worked 40 hours a week one semi miserable summer. I did the classes during the day and worked at night. Since you're an engineering person starting with Chem is probably the smart move.

My only caution is that if you quit the job and then decide, you just need to concentrate on one course, it's going to be more of a wrench to drop one for the sake of the GPA.

 

[fireflygirl]

I would only take this option if you have thought about it seriously and have confidence in yourself that you an really just give up your summer and focus on beihin tng in class and studying for most of the day all summer long. I don't see any reason to rush but if it's important for you.....but just note that with that kind of intensity, it can be very easy to fall behind or just not perform well, especially if you've been out of school fo a while. I have seen plenty of people mess up their GPAs because they think they can handle the workload. I'm not discouraging you - after all, you know best what you think you can handle, but just know that juggling this level of intensity in summer classes is different than taking them in your UG.