How "easy" should the freshman course load be?

Mom90
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 12:20:37 +0000

I have advised many incoming freshman at a top 10 LAC about what to take first semester. I have advised that the goal first semester is to be successful (however you define it) and become acclimated to school life, sharing a dorm room, and all else that comes from being away from home. Many students come in with the ability to place our of classes and therefore, take higher level classes such as math. I suggest - why take advanced math classes with junior or seniors when you can wait a term and take it with your peers. Take your freshman seminar, intro class that you need for graduating and one intro class in your major. I’ve seen students gain a tremendous amount of confidence in doing well first term - as opposed to taking incredibly rigorous classes and getting Cs which undermines their confidence. I realize engineering is a different animal with a strict regime of classes which is why I obtained a BA at a LAC and them a PhD in Engineering. You also need to know your child. Mine was introverted, never shared a room, etc. I gave my child the same advice which she took, the transition to a place with a lot of people crowded together was tough. She graduated Summa, finishing PhD in science at top graduate school.