Is This TOO MUCH?

[Cofo]

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Next semester I am thinking about taking: Physics 1/with lab, Chemistry 1/without lab, Principles of Biology 1/with lab, American Government 2, and English 2. So...is 17 hours doable? Need advice please. How difficult would this be? Anyone else ever try anything like this? That is 4 pre-reqs for d-school....maybe I should drop the principles of biology? Heeeeelp!

 

[blankguy]

Next semester I am thinking about taking: Physics 1/with lab, Chemistry 1/without lab, Principles of Biology 1/with lab, American Government 2, and English 2. So...is 17 hours doable? Need advice please. How difficult would this be? Anyone else ever try anything like this? That is 4 pre-reqs for d-school....maybe I should drop the principles of biology? Heeeeelp!

It is doable but are you sure you can handle such a course load? Three lab sections a week? Talk to your adviser. It generally not recommended to take 3 courses that have labs. You need to make a gut check.

 

[sarah_bellum]

Last Spring, I took Orgo II, Physics II, Bio II, Physiology, and an hour of research credit. I was in the lab 5 times per week. It's entirely doable.

 

[Regmata]

You will be fine

 

[blankguy]

Doable and being able to handle it are two different things. You can do it but end up with mediocre grades. Not everybody is capable of handling such a course load.

 

[sarah_bellum]

Doable and being able to handle it are two different things. You can do it but end up with mediocre grades. Not everybody is capable of handling such a course load.

I'm honestly not trying to be a jerk here, but those people who can't handle 17 hours are probably not cut out for the @ 25 hours per dental school semester.

 

[blankguy]

I'm honestly not trying to be a jerk here, but those people who can't handle 17 hours are probably not cut out for the @ 25 hours per dental school semester.

I think this whole adventure of going to dental school doesn't happen overnight. People will build up to that point. Dental schools know that people generally do not handle over 16 credit hours in college every semester but they can judge that if you do well in 16 credit hours per semester they can put that individual in 32 credit hours per semester and do well in it.

The point being is you don't have to overload in college, dental school will take care of that.

 

[SuperDuper]

Next semester I am thinking about taking: Physics 1/with lab, Chemistry 1/without lab, Principles of Biology 1/with lab, American Government 2, and English 2. So...is 17 hours doable? Need advice please. How difficult would this be? Anyone else ever try anything like this? That is 4 pre-reqs for d-school....maybe I should drop the principles of biology? Heeeeelp!

What was your course load last semester? Last year?

If you've been struggling to get good grades and you've been taking 12 credit hours, then 17 hours is going to be a bit much. If you've been doing fine so far in your undergrad, then there is really no reason for you to worry about this.

Everyone has different academic capabilities, and it's hard for any of us to say whether this is "doable" without really knowing you.

If you can post a little more background information, maybe you will get better responses. (like did you take physics, biology, and/or chemistry in high school? Were these classes extremely challenging? Are you a good writer for English classes? Is writing a time-consuming process for you? etc) 🙂😀😉

 

[blankguy]

You can post as much as you want but only the OP will know for certain whether that load is doable. The really hard stuff will begin in dental school I don't think it is possible to try to preempt that. I believe the courses taught in dental schools are a completely different animal than those taught in undergrad. If the OP is comfortable and confident then there is nothing wrong. You have to take a rigorous load without letting your grades slip. If you can take 5 without grades slipping that's fine.

 

[toothfairy85]

Next semester I am thinking about taking: Physics 1/with lab, Chemistry 1/without lab, Principles of Biology 1/with lab, American Government 2, and English 2. So...is 17 hours doable? Need advice please. How difficult would this be? Anyone else ever try anything like this? That is 4 pre-reqs for d-school....maybe I should drop the principles of biology? Heeeeelp!

I took a few 17-18 hour credit semesters in undergrad. My hardest semester was probably taking Biochem, Biochem lab, Physics 1, Physics 1 lab, Physiology lab, and a upper division bio elective. I also took this course load while studying for the DAT (taking a Kaplan class twice a week). It was a busy semester, but I did fine. It's just a matter of what you think you can handle. If you think you can do it, then go for it. If you have any doubts, then you might substitute an "easier" course for one of the others or you could drop a course.

 

[ak47]

I'm wondering what year in school you are and how close to are to taking the DAT? if you're a sophmore, I would maybe wait for physics until next semester or even next year. if you're a junior or something, then yah keep the 17 credits. good luck - you should be fine!

 

[DanNuch]

i just finished an 18 credit semester and it was very demanding.
genetics, microbiology, o chem, marketing, english comp, and marketing.

make sure your willing to sacrifice a lot of weekends...

 

[Prometheous19]

i just finished an 18 credit semester and it was very demanding.
genetics, microbiology, o chem, marketing, english comp, and marketing.

make sure your willing to sacrifice a lot of weekends...

I would have roped one of the two marketing clases... 🙂

 

[terpchic]

Since it looks like you are just starting out on the pre-reqs for dschool you should probably ease into it and not take 3 labs a semester because your main focus is definitely to get A's in those sciences and not overwhelm yourself. Like people have said above, it is doable but will most probably burn you out and leave you with avg grades and thats not what you want. Referring to a comment made about if you can't handle this many credits now you shouldn't attempt the 25 in dschool I completely disagree because you can't just jump right in. Dschool will be hard for everyone to get used to but people will get used to the large number of credits just like the transition from high school to college even though it will be much harder this time so saying things like that is simply bringing someone down for no reason.

 

[stdmufin27]

I took a couple semesters with three labs (physics, chem, biology, and research if you count it....4 then), did well, and it has helped me significantly to feel alot more comfortable about handling the workload that is coming in D-school.

 

[oldschool99]

If you are getting all A's with 12-14 semester hours and don't feel too stressed you might consider 17 hours. The science classes you listed are intro/basic science classes but still can be very demanding depending on your prof. Concentrate on getting the highest GPA you can right now and don't worry so much about getting done as fast as you can. Get involved in clubs, activities (outside of class), and social events. If you are well rounded, dental schools can tell and like that. The worst mistake you can make is bite off more than you can chew. Crawl, walk, and then run. Good luck!!

 

[Resonance]

Next semester I am thinking about taking: Physics 1/with lab, Chemistry 1/without lab, Principles of Biology 1/with lab, American Government 2, and English 2. So...is 17 hours doable? Need advice please. How difficult would this be? Anyone else ever try anything like this? That is 4 pre-reqs for d-school....maybe I should drop the principles of biology? Heeeeelp!

These are important classes do not over extend yourself and muddy up your transcript for no reason. At the end of the day it is your gpa that will be most important while the course load is much less scrutinized. Also it should be noted that dental schools require that your gen chem classes include a laboratory component.