How many credits per semester do you consider excessive?

[Bateluer]

So I was in class today, listening to people give PPT presentations for chapters from our text book. Some were good, some were boring, but thats not the point.

I happened to be poking around on the college website and noticed that there was a class starting next week that I needed for my degree. Further investigation revealed that it meant my scheduling requirements.

Now, I'm already taking 18cr hours this semester, making my schedule rather full, but I'm on a tight time table and need to finish as much as possible on this degree before June 2008. Provided the college offers the courses I need with scheduling that meets my needs, this shouldn't be a problem.

So, during the break, I popped over the the registrations office and checked the availability and registered for the class. As I walked back to the classroom, it dawned on me that I was now taking 21 credits this semester, 6 courses total. Though, to be fair, 2 of them end this week August though Dec is considered the 'fall' semester.

Hopefully, I didn't bite off more than I can chew because I really need to knock out the courses I can when I can.

 

[ngvepforever2]

The question is how well you want to do in your classes. 6 classes and nothing else (no internships, co-ops or working while going to class) is ok but getting a decent grade will require a lot of work. You 'd have to sacrifize learning for one class in order to do well in another. If these are major classes I wouldn't recommend doing it. On the other hand, if you just want to get it over with and don't care about grades it is very doable.

ng

 

[PrinceofWands]

Depends a lot on the classes, and what else you do. I had no trouble keeping a 4.0 with 8 medium intensity classes when school was all I did. Conversely taking 5 classes with two being very hard was brutal when I was also working and trying to have a life.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Psychology or aerospace engineering?

 

[jagec]

Are you working as well? If not (and you're not lazy), you ought to be able to pull it off.

 

[Tiamat]

I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese


After being in grad school for a year and reflecting back. I would say that the 8 credits I took in the first semester (Chem Eng Thermo, Chem Eng. Mathematics) was more work than the 26 credits of that undergrad semester. I still find it amazing the huge differential in terms of difficulty and work load in grad school vs. undergrad.

 

[mugs]

16 credits is normal full time. 12 is bare minimum full time. 18 is slightly above full time.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: mugs
16 credits is normal full time. 12 is bare minimum full time. 18 is slightly above full time.

16 is a weird number, since most classes are 3 credits (on the semester system anyway). 15 would be more 'average'.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

"Starts"

 

[bonkers325]

i did 20 credits and it was my best semester GPA wise. but there was very little time for recreation and i was always scrambling to meet homework and project deadlines.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Got 18 this semester; NOT doing it again.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

"Starts"

yeah, i guess my definition of excessive is when you begin to fail at getting tasks done due to the sheer amount. For the 26 credits I did that semester, any more credit hours, and I would not have been able to complete the work on time.

If excessive means "not enough time to go out" then I would put that at 18 credits.

I didn't have a semester where I posted less than 18 credits, but that was the nature of my degree -- i thought it was pretty standard (4 courses with a lab).

 

[Chaotic42]

Between class, studying, and homework, you shouldn't be spending more than 40 hours per week on classes.

 

[WombRaider]

I had 17 both semesters last year. Now I'm taking 12 this year. I was scheduled for 15 but decided to drop one.

to the op, 15 credits is standard.

 

[WombRaider]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

26 credits and a 4.0 gpa? holy crap, i'd shit my pants.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Between class, studying, and homework, you shouldn't be spending more than 40 hours per week on classes.

LOL, i wish that were the case! It was expected that if 3 hrs were spent in lecture, 9 hrs were spent on homework for engineering courses. Typical week was 50-60hrs on academics.

I just dont think it would have been possible to get all the work done in 40 hrs per week. Simply just too much course material to cover!

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

"Starts"

yeah, i guess my definition of excessive is when you begin to fail at getting tasks done due to the sheer amount. For the 26 credits I did that semester, any more credit hours, and I would not have been able to complete the work on time.

If excessive means "not enough time to go out" then I would put that at 18 credits.

I didn't have a semester where I posted less than 18 credits, but that was the nature of my degree -- i thought it was pretty standard (4 courses with a lab).

How many credits were required to graduate?

 

[WombRaider]

Tiamat has to be asian. I don't know anyone else who has such good work ethics.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

"Starts"

yeah, i guess my definition of excessive is when you begin to fail at getting tasks done due to the sheer amount. For the 26 credits I did that semester, any more credit hours, and I would not have been able to complete the work on time.

If excessive means "not enough time to go out" then I would put that at 18 credits.

I didn't have a semester where I posted less than 18 credits, but that was the nature of my degree -- i thought it was pretty standard (4 courses with a lab).

How many credits were required to graduate?

150 credits

 

[bonkers325]

Originally posted by: WombRaider

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

26 credits and a 4.0 gpa? holy crap, i'd shit my pants.

at 4 credits per class that is only 20 credits. and i doubt elementary chinese is 4 credits.

 

[MrPickins]

I've had 17 hrs for the last 3 semesters (freshman-sophomore).

It's not too bad, but I'm getting a job soon, so I expect my free time to approach 0.

 

[WombRaider]

Originally posted by: bonkers325

Originally posted by: WombRaider

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

26 credits and a 4.0 gpa? holy crap, i'd shit my pants.

at 4 credits per class that is only 20 credits. and i doubt elementary chinese is 4 credits.

my cousin is taking intro chinese and it's worth 6 credits.

 

[Brainonska511]

I never take more than 4 classes a quarter. But my school is slightly different from other universities, as we're on the quarter system (Fall, Winter, Spring and the optional Summer) instead of the semester system and we do everything by classes; such as you need 42 to graduate here.


Edit:
4 classes generally works out to be about 3hours of class/week, not including outside work. Some classes, such as most science classes, have up to 4 hour labs every week + a 1 hour discussion session, and language classes have required extra meeting time.

This quarter, I have 22 hours (including labs) of class a week: Bio with a Chemistry Base, General Physics (Mechanics), Mathematics for Phy Sci. Majors, and my core Social Science class.

 

[Cuda1447]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

I lifted a bus with a broken arm.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I would say 26 credits starts to get excessive.

I've done that once in undergrad, ended up getting a 4.0, but i was constantly studying and just didn't have much free time that semester.

I took Partial Diff. Eqns, Transport 2, Linear Algebra, Thermo 2, Physical Chemistry + Lab, Elementary Chinese

"Starts"

yeah, i guess my definition of excessive is when you begin to fail at getting tasks done due to the sheer amount. For the 26 credits I did that semester, any more credit hours, and I would not have been able to complete the work on time.

If excessive means "not enough time to go out" then I would put that at 18 credits.

I didn't have a semester where I posted less than 18 credits, but that was the nature of my degree -- i thought it was pretty standard (4 courses with a lab).

How many credits were required to graduate?

150 credits

That's about 30 above normal. Really most go a little over 120, but that's considered the baseline.