schedule okay for entering freshman?

[k12123]

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I'm only taking 12 units my first semester. Im taking chem 100, math (hopefully precalc if I pass the placement test), English (intro to writing), and computers. Does it seem too light? Do you guys think I should add another gen ed? Thanks.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Looks fine.. if you can find a very light and easy gen ed then go ahead. Also don't forget to use ratemyprofessors.com to check your instructors quality.

 

[Morzh]

For a first semester its not too light. Some med schools do claim to look at courseload trends, but only in the context of what else you were involved in. If you work 20+ hours a week, do research, and take a few classes each summer then sticking to 12-14 credits per semester is just fine, as long as you do well.

 

[Cypher321]

Looks fine.. if you can find a very light and easy gen ed then go ahead. Also don't forget to use ratemyprofessors.com to check your instructors quality.

Bold for emphasis.

 

[k12123]

Bold for emphasis.

haha yeah, it's a lot of help, thanks! 🙂

 

[k12123]

For a first semester its not too light. Some med schools do claim to look at courseload trends, but only in the context of what else you were involved in. If you work 20+ hours a week, do research, and take a few classes each summer then sticking to 12-14 credits per semester is just fine, as long as you do well.

I would love to do research, but would they let me do research as a freshman? thanks!

 

[two thirty]

That's fine. Course load is overrated on this site, as long as you stay full time you don't have to kill yourself with >15 hours. Doing well is the key and that is much easier if you plan out lighter semesters(especially freshman year.)

 

[Wolfman89]

Ratemyprofessors.com is a great resource. It has helped me pick profs throughout college.

 

[tyronedamone]

12 hours is fine. It takes some time to make the transition from high school to college academics, so it's best not to kill yourself freshman year. Also, research and all that stuff is great, but make sure to have some fun and make a few bad decisions (as long as they don't have life-altering or legal consequences of course).

 

[Morzh]

I would love to do research, but would they let me do research as a freshman? thanks!

You bet. In fact some professors prefer to bring undergrad research assistants on when they are freshman because that means they will be around for years and be really seasoned and useful in the lab as juniors and seniors. Don't worry about completing prereqs since working in a lab, especially at first, means running studying, setting up the lab, and other logistical stuff.

I wish I had had the foresight to get into research much earlier than I did.

What I did is go to my major's website and read the CVs of all the faculty. I then made a list of a half dozen or so that I would like to do research with. I then visited each of them personally in their offices (no emails) and asked if they utilize undergraduates in their labs, and if so if they had any current or pending openings.

I googled "How to get involved in a research lab as an undergrad" and found this page. Its a specific department at a specific university, but the tips are really good for anywhere really.