How many credits per semester is considered a "rigorous courseload"?

Andale
Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:35:56 +0000

For most students taking a rigorous courseload, 20 credits would be “too much to handle.” Even 18 is on the high side, although a number of students in Engineering do take that number of credits in the their first couple/few semesters.

I agree with all who have said it’s not about the # of credits. It’s about the nature of the courses. You do need to avoid taking too few credits, because a very light credit load (without extenuating circumstances) can look like you couldn’t or wouldn’t handle a standard courseload.



Will my prospective colleges be disgusted at the fact that my credits amount to nearly 100 by the end of my second year?

I wouldn’t use the phrase “disgusted.” I do think you need to be very careful about this. Check each school to which you are considering a transfer. Do they have maximum # of credits you can have obtained and still transfer? Some schools will ignore the “excess” credits (if you have them), but there are actually some schools which will not consider you for transfer if you have “too many” credits - even if you are willing to forfeit them. You need to check each school’s policy.