19 credit hours first semester??

[purpleblaze02]

Hello,

I'm an upcoming freshman pre med at a state university. Right now, I'm looking at 19 credit hours my first semester. Is this doable? I was wondering if anyone has done this and succeeded. Bio is supposed to be a hard course at my university, but I'm better at bio than chem.

My course list:
Honors English Comp 1
Gen Chem 1 & Lab
Bio 1 & Lab
Intro to Research*
Intercultural Competence (Service Learning)
Arabic 1 & Lab

*This is just a 1 credit course required before starting research. I'm pretty sure it is self-paced and can be done in a week.

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[JAK2-STAT3]

I assume that your university considers 18 credits a full load? At my undergrad any credits over 18/semester would be charged extra. If I were you I would start with a lighter load. I'm sure you're intelligent and a good student but college is different from high school and you may need to adjust your study habits. You should also leave some time to make friends, sleep, explore different things to do around campus, etc.

While you COULD take 19 credits and succeed, there are risks. Have you seen the gazillion posts on this forum along the lines of "I had a hard freshman year and now my science GPA is 2.8 BUT I can get it to a 3.1 if I take 30 more credits and get straight A's?" Right now you have the power to avoid this scenario by pacing yourself. I'd recommend leaving either English or Arabic for a different semester, and possibly the research course as well. I wouldn't assume that it you can do it all in one week. If your adjustment to college is easy and you ace your classes you can take additional credits in the spring or in your other 3 years of college.

If you decide to stick with 19 credits I highly recommend you explore resources like tutoring, a writing center, etc. very early in the semester. Actually, you should do this no matter what. Part of succeeding in college is knowing how to ask for help.

 

[Goro]

Hello,

I'm an upcoming freshman pre med at a state university. Right now, I'm looking at 19 credit hours my first semester. Is this doable? I was wondering if anyone has done this and succeeded. Bio is supposed to be a hard course at my university, but I'm better at bio than chem.

My course list:
Honors English Comp 1
Gen Chem 1 & Lab
Bio 1 & Lab
Intro to Research*
Intercultural Competence (Service Learning)
Arabic 1 & Lab

*This is just a 1 credit course required before starting research. I'm pretty sure it is self-paced and can be done in a week.

Only you can answer if that is doable, but I recommend against it.

 

[chaim123]

Hello,

I'm an upcoming freshman pre med at a state university. Right now, I'm looking at 19 credit hours my first semester. Is this doable? I was wondering if anyone has done this and succeeded. Bio is supposed to be a hard course at my university, but I'm better at bio than chem.

My course list:
Honors English Comp 1
Gen Chem 1 & Lab
Bio 1 & Lab
Intro to Research*
Intercultural Competence (Service Learning)
Arabic 1 & Lab

*This is just a 1 credit course required before starting research. I'm pretty sure it is self-paced and can be done in a week.

I'd say drop a course. No clue was arabic lab is, but doing two lab classes your first semester freshman year is a lot, nevermind three. Leave intercultural competence or Arabic for later.

 

[cbdblmad]

I took an almost identical 19 credit course load my first semester if you change the cultural competence class for calc. That first semester was my second best gpa wise but it was not fun. Unless you have a reason that you have to take that many, don't. Enjoy your first semester, learn to college, and don't live in the library if you don't have to.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

usually Honors English Comp is lot of work, so I would recommend dropping Arabic. Are you doing it for foreign language requirement or as a prereq for Arabic minor?

 

[purpleblaze02]

usually Honors English Comp is lot of work, so I would recommend dropping Arabic. Are you doing it for foreign language requirement or as a prereq for Arabic minor?

It's a prereq for my Arabic minor.

 

[purpleblaze02]

Thank you everyone for the advice. It has given me a lot to think about. My major's normal course plan puts bio 1 in the spring semester but I had gotten advice from a current student to do it your first semester. Honors English Comp & Intercultural Competence are required first semester as an honors student, so I'm going to see about waiting on Arabic till next semester.