Can I still have a life?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>I am an incoming freshman at the University of Florida, majoring in Electrical Engineering. I am taking 15 credit hours this semester, and I am thinking about pursuing undergraduate research. I am wondering, even with a five class courseload and undergraduate research, is it still possible to have a life on campus? I don’t mean partying every night, but I want to do a little partying and would like time to spend with friends, but I don’t know if I will be able to if I am going to do 15 credits as well as undergraduate research… any thoughts?</p>

2

<p>Sorry if this sound generic but this is what pretty much everyone would say: yes, you can still have a life while juggling an engineering major and some extracurriculars. From my freshman year experience, it’s all a matter of balance. As a matter of fact, it’s difficult to maintain good grades and ec’s if you don’t have a little fun along the way.</p>

<p>Everyone is different. Some people are able to skip lectures, study intensively in a short amount of time and still get A’s while others may not be as fast paced and take longer to keep up. Obviously, academics will be first priority but don’t let this stop you from relieving some of your stress and enjoying yourself. After all, college is only 4 years and touted by some to be the funnest time of their lives. </p>

<p>What may not be a bad idea is taking it easy your first semester. I think it’s pretty rare for freshmen to do undergraduate research (not unheard of, just uncommon). Try to adjust to the college life and add on accordingly to how much you can handle. If you manage to go through all of that, good for you then!</p>

3

<p>I knew someone who did 26 units one quarter, all CS classes. It all depends on you and how well you manage your time.</p>

4

<p>“15 credits” means absolutely nothing, it all depends on what the classes are. Considering you’re a freshman, it probably won’t be bad at all (I’m guessing you’re taking chem, calc, econ, etc.). </p>

<p>UF is great though, you’ll have a blast.</p>

5

<p>The classes I am taking:</p>

<p>Calculus 3
Enriched Physics w/calc 1
Introduction to Electrical Engineering
Professional Communication for Engineers
Marriage and Family</p>

6

<p>Any other opinions?</p>

7

<p>Your schedule looks straight-forward. You’ll have plenty of free time, even with research (unless you’re doing research full time, of course).</p>