For the university students - how many credit hours are you taking?

[futuristicmonkey]

2nd year of a 4 year EE program here. Just finished 22 credit hours, and I'm looking at roughly the same amount for the rest of my degree. I manage to go out drinking once in a while so its not that bad. How about you guys?

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

15 a semester here; 120 to graduate, so that's pretty much the standard.

 

[alfa147x]

i was wondering this too

How does one know how many hours to take?

 

[thehstrybean]

Finishing up my next to last (hopefully) semester of undergrad, Anthropology (historic archaeology/GIS) with a minor in Colonial-British history. Took 16 this semester and made a 3.4 (Kept my HOPE and made Dean's list). Taking 17 next semester. 88 of 120 hours down, only 32 left (15 after this semester!!)

 

[Brainonska511]

My school doesn't do credit hours. I just take 3-4 classes a quarter (each 3 hours per week, not including any labs if applicable).

 

[thehstrybean]

Originally posted by: alfa147x
i was wondering this too

How does one know how many hours to take?

I took 18, 18, 17, 16, 16. I'm doing pretty well, along with some summer classes. Take what you want, but watch out, if you're on a scholarship, you need to stay full time (most of the time, which is 12 hours).

 

[nonameo]

I'm taking over 9000.

 

[herm0016]

i am graduating and have 151 hours including this semester in total. take off 4 and divide by 8, and you get about 18 per semester for a mechanical engineering degree.

 

[thehstrybean]

Originally posted by: herm0016
i am graduating and have 151 hours including this semester in total. take off 4 and divide by 8, and you get about 18 per semester for a mechanical engineering degree.

That's a pretty intense load. Does your university have a max number of hours you can take a semester?

 

[Jeff7]

16 credits right now, all senior-level engineering classes.
The degree is 132 credits total.

 

[MrToilet]

I'm in my 2nd year of medical school, and someone told me that this semester is the equivalent of 35 semester hrs of class. And next semester is 33 hours.

I hate my life. At least right now - two finals in the next 3 days. Only 50% of your grade, no pressure.

 

[JM Aggie08]

16 this coming semester

 

[Chriscross3234]

18 hours, see sig

 

[imported_Cameron]

Took 17 hours last semester, but only taking 15 for this one coming up.

 

[Eeezee]

The minimum to stay in the PhD program is 12 units, so I'm signed up for 12 units of research credit

 

[Alienwho]

I take 12hrs/semester, but I also work 35+ hrs/week.

 

[Drakkon]

Originally posted by: Alienwho
I take 12hrs/semester, but I also work 35+ hrs/week.

That is what i did in college - between 12-15 at least - but mostly stuck right around 12 because that was "full time" minimum. Sure it ended up taking 5 years but that was 5 of the best years

 

[MotF Bane]

I'm in 14 credits this quarter, my schedule was just so bad that I couldn't get another class. Graduation is 191 credit hours.

 

[frostedflakes]

22 is nuts, I think we're limited to 21 hours per semester.

Am doing 16 hours next semester and working ~20 hrs/week, which is more than enough for me. I may end up dropping a class next semester, will just have to see how things go once classes actually start.

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: thehstrybean

Originally posted by: herm0016
i am graduating and have 151 hours including this semester in total. take off 4 and divide by 8, and you get about 18 per semester for a mechanical engineering degree.

That's a pretty intense load. Does your university have a max number of hours you can take a semester?

only if you are on academic probation. otherwise you just need signatures from your adviser over 18. most people have to get that a few times.

 

[knawlejj]

Next semester I am doing 19. Taking a January term class (1 class, 3 weeks, 3 credits) so that adds 3 credits onto my Spring 2009 term (which is 16).

We are limited to 18 credit hours in our tuition, any credits after that are $450/credit hour.

 

[Bibble]

My school doesn't do credit hours either. You just take 3-5 classes a semester (usually 4) where each class is worth one credit. You need 32 credits to graduate.

I am taking 4 classes, which adds up to 10 hours and 50 minutes total each week.

 

[TruePaige]

18 credit hours a semester and working 30+ a week....busy. 0.o

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: alfa147x
i was wondering this too

How does one know how many hours to take?

It depends on the courses. Not all credit hours are created equal, and anyone who has graduated and taken a few tough classes can tell you that. After all, 4 units of English 101 is infinitely easier than 4 units of Organic Chemistry or Quantum Field Theory.

Worse yet, labs are often worth only 1 unit by end up requiring just as much time as many 3 unit lecture courses. If your degree has any labs at all, keep that in mind.

All you need to know is that there is a minimum number of units for full-time enrollment, but that value depends on your university. And certain scholarships may require more than the minimum number of units. Beyond that, take however many courses that you feel comfortable with. Don't worry about the unit number so long as you're over the minimum.

I did a Physics BS with a Math minor in 4 years (5 average) with the following load (full-time status is 24 per year). I think I had a pretty easy 4 years, all things considered; actually, I had finished all of the degree requirements by the end of Fall semester my Senior year, but why let a semester of scholarship go to waste? Senior year is the time for fun courses!

Summer before college - 3 units by correspondence
Freshman - 17 units/14 units
Summer after freshman - 4 units by correspondence
Sophomore - 16 units/12 units
Summer after sophomore - 3 units
Junior - 12 units/14 units
Senior - 14 units/9 units

ALSO, investigate correspondence courses at your university! If you're the type who has any proficiency at all in self-learning, these courses are for you! At my university it was 9 months for completion or 12 months if you pay an extra $50. I believe the cost per credit was half of the normal price, since there is no lecture hall. Both times I ended up learning much more than my peers taking the courses in lectures. Take Differential Equations by correspondence, I swear you'll thank me later. All you need is the book and the professor's e-mail for questions. Learning at your own pace is infinitely better.

 

[Fenixgoon]

18.5 this coming term (although I'm on the quarter system). Nonetheless:

Ceramics Processing
Physical Chemistry III
Mechanical Behavior of Solids (grad)
Continuum Mechanics (grad)
Macro-Economics (boo-urns, a waste of credits i say. but it's required)