Is 16 Credit hours a lot?

[roguerower]

COURSES IN PROGRESS Fall Semester 2005
Primary College: Engineering
Primary Major: GE - General Engineering
Subject Course Title Credit Hours
CHEM 1045 General Chemistry Lab 1.000
ENGE 1024 UG Engineering Exploration 2.000
ENGL 1105 UG Freshman English 3.000
FA 2004 UG Creativity & Aesth Exper 1.000
MATH 1114 UG Elementary Linear Algebra 2.000
MATH 1205 UG Calculus 3.000
MGT 2944 UG Military Leadership Practicum 1.000
MN 1004 UG Introduction to Naval Science 3.000

So any advice or anything that anyone can give me is greatly appreciated. Orientation is the 21-22 and i am scared sh!tless.

 

[akubi]

sounds like a piece o' cake

 

[dullard]

16 hours is quite doable and most people should try for about 15-17 hours each semester. The exceptions are:
(1) your very first semester if you are likely to have a hard time adjusting, and
(2) your hardest semester of college.

#2 is easy. Ask everyone in your major which semester has the most work (often junior/senior year). Then schedule your other years to make certain you have that semester without any excess courses.

#1 varies from person to person. Many people can handle college with no problem at all. Many others cannot. If you have a burning desire to break free from your parents control and finally be free to do as you please, you likely fall into this group. I've seen far too many straight A students (and some who had lesser grades) who just couldn't wait to be rid of their parential control and who tried to take 16+ credits their freshman year. Too much partying and not enough school. All their scholarships were lost due to poor grades and many eventually dropped out of college. So if you might fit this type of personality, don't create too many problems, and just take 13 credits. You can always take that extra class some other time.

I'm not saying that partying and having fun is a bad thing. You can and should do that. But some people have a hard time saying no to their 5th, 6th, or 7th party of the week and then cannot do their homework.

Overall this should be your easiest semester. So if you can handle the responsibility, take as many credits as you can. You'll thank yourself later. If you cannot handle the responsibility, take as few as you can until you adjust.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Those classes look like mostly BS classes apart from the lab, you can handle them all in one semester. I've done 18 credit hours of core EE classes in one semester and that was rough; but if you have complementaries in there it should be quite doable.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

i never took more than 12. i liked having a life and being able to devote enough attention to every class. a lot depends on your major and your school. my advisors recommended against taking more than 4 classes.

 

[BigJ]

You should be able to do it. 18-20 credits usually requires some minor sort of approval, and 21 credits and over requires the Deans permission usually. That's a heavy workload.

As a soph, I'm taking 18 credits next semester.

 

[roguerower]

Thanks for the advise. I'll be dropping the FA 2004 class. I looked it up online and had a heart attack.

FA 2004 - Creativity & Aesthetic Experience

Something in the drama department and something that i would die if i had to take. So i'll drop it and use some of my AP credit to get by. Thanks again. Keep the advice pouring in.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: roguerower
Thanks for the advise. I'll be dropping the FA 2004 class. I looked it up online and had a heart attack.

FA 2004 - Creativity & Aesthetic Experience

Something in the drama department and something that i would die if i had to take. So i'll drop it and use some of my AP credit to get by. Thanks again. Keep the advice pouring in.

Make sure you do your assignments early, don't party too much (if your work isn't done that is), and the single most important piece of advice you will ever get in your college life:

GO TO CLASS!

 

[roguerower]

Thanks. I have ROTC and Tech has a Corps of Cadets which makes it something like a military school, but inside of an awesome campus. So they'll make sure that i'm not partying too much but making sure im enjoying life

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: BigJ
and the single most important piece of advice you will ever get in your college life:
GO TO CLASS!

May I alter that advice a bit? In my experience, people who skip a class their freshman year (EVEN ONE TIME) tend to skip classes throughout college and often drop out or get horrible grades and no post-freshman year scholarships. But people who really go out and never skip one class their freshman year tend to do really well and get nearly all the scholarships. So my best advice is:

Don't skip even one single class your freshman year.

After that, you have learned to handle college properly, and if you skip once in a while it doesn't appear to have any significant harm.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Make sure you do your assignments early, don't party too much (if your work isn't done that is), and the single most important piece of advice you will ever get in your college life:

GO TO CLASS!

:thumbsup:

You'll do well to know that the amount you learn and the grades you get are directly proportional to the effort you put in. Merely showing up to class 4 out of 5 times won't get you an A... you'll actually be lucky to pass with that.

Showing up to class 100% of the time, taking notes, studying them over the next couple of days, clarifying questions, reviewing notes a few times over the days before a test and doing all of the required homework is your best bet for an A. Never EVER want just a B or C, because you'll wind up with something lower.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: BigJ
and the single most important piece of advice you will ever get in your college life:
GO TO CLASS!

May I alter that advice a bit? In my experience, people who skip a class their freshman year (EVEN ONE TIME) tend to skip classes throughout college and often drop out or get horrible grades and no post-freshman year scholarships. But people who really go out and never skip one class their freshman year tend to do really well and get nearly all the scholarships. So my best advice is:

Don't skip even one single class your freshman year.

After that, you have learned to handle college properly, and if you skip once in a while it doesn't appear to have any significant harm.

:thumbsup:

I started missing classes my first semester, and it was just bad news. I caught myself early enough where there was still enough time for me to turn things around. Luckily I got a 2.7 the first semester, and I did much better the second semester (3.6).

 

[cmp1223]

How can you take chem lab without a chem class?

 

[zebano]

16 is fine. I regularily took 18-19; I had 21 once and still got a 3.3 gpa. When I got up to 23 credit hours with some of the courses being 200 level math courses, I couldn't handle it (2.55 gpa).

(I also worked 20 hrs/week all through school).

It all depends on how much you work/play/study/party... (and how quickly you learn).

 

[iamwiz82]

I took 20 credits/term for 3.5 years, never failed one.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: cmp1223
How can you take chem lab without a chem class?

I believe some colleges will give you transfer/AP credit for the actual chem class itself, but not for the lab.

 

[JoPh]

Originally posted by: roguerower
Thanks for the advise. I'll be dropping the FA 2004 class. I looked it up online and had a heart attack.

FA 2004 - Creativity & Aesthetic Experience

Something in the drama department and something that i would die if i had to take. So i'll drop it and use some of my AP credit to get by. Thanks again. Keep the advice pouring in.

as a fellow hokie, 16 credits is normal.

also you may need that class to cover the area 6 requirments. check it out.
that class is cake.

 

[bonkers325]

i pulled off 20 credits last semester... it was the hardest semester in my life. but then again, junior year of civil engineering is already the hardest year b/c of labs and projects. somehow, it was also my best semester

looks like you have a lot of classes, but the workload doesnt seem to be a lot. if you want to add more classes, go for it! after the first 2 weeks u can figure out if u can or can't handle the workload

 

[733SHiFTY]

yeah, I average about 18 credits a semester (mech eng), so 16 shouldnt be too bad

 

[Banana]

I say it's too many hours, but depends on YOU and the difficulty of the courses. Are you a hard worker, or do you want to mix in some play time?

WTH is Creativity and Aesthetic Experience?! LOL

 

[NatePo717]

16 credits is a breeze. Unless those credits include Physics 3 and Dynamics.......

You don't have to worry about hard classes till your second year of college. Thats when the sh1t hits the fan. At least in engineering.
(Third year Mechie)

 

[ggnl]

16 hours is a piece of cake unless you're working full-time, and even then it's still doable.

 

[Zombie]

No, I remember taking 21 credits in my last semester at college and working part-time.

 

[roguerower]

WHOA! Thanks for all the advice. JoPH, where is the area 6 requirements. and when u say that the class is cake, have u taken it?

 

[Tiamat]

cake walk

I usually am taking 24credits overload. (Chem Eng major)