I will be entering fall of 2015 as an Incoming Freshman at Western Carolina University. I, like some, did not do as much research on things as I should because I was so busy with my AP classes and now that I have finished my freshman orientation, i’ve been given my schedule for fall of 2015 and I don’t know if it’ll be too much for me. I should be okay since I graduated high school with honors and academic excellence but I also want to join a lot of clubs and hang out with friends. I just don’t want to study and do school work only, I also would like a job.
I’ve heard that 12 is the minimum credit hours you can have and that 18 is the max and I’ve received 17 credit hours. I think it’s because of my major that I have all these credit hours. I’m majoring in Recreational Therapy (I might do psychology as a minor but I don’t currently have one) and then I plan on going into graduate school to get my DPT.
Here’s my schedule. I don’t really have morning classes my earliest starts at 11am but will probably change in order:
MWF … CHEM Survey of Chemistry 1 (3 Credits)
M … CHEM Survey of Chemistry 1 Lab (No Credits)
MWF … PSY General Psychology (3 Credits)
MWF … ENG Writing and Rhetoric (3 Credits)
TR … MUS First Year Seminar: Music (3 Credits)
TR … USI University Experience (1 Credit)
T … HEAL Health and Wellness (3 Credits - I have this class for 3 hrs unlike all the others)
I wanted to take choir but I couldn’t fit it in so I’m adding it next semester when I get my schedules and I want to do a lot of clubs as well, and get a job but I don’t know if i’ll be able too.
That honestly looks fine to me. I have 16 creds as an incoming freshman. With a lot of those being intro classes and first year classes, as well as an experience class, I think you’ll be fine with it. Your Mondays look pretty packed, but that’s more just unfortunate scheduling than too much rigor. Just be aware of your drop deadlines in case it does end up being too much.
You can probably take the College Composition CLEP test and skip out on that Writing and Rhetoric class. That would free up some more of your time, and it’d be one less class to worry about!
Yeah, usually classes with labs are 4 credits. I thought that was odd in your OP. Still 17 credits though, right? I still think it’s fine, but is there anything specific worrying you?
I think the only thing that is worrying me is if I can get all the homework and essay’s done, as well as join clubs, have a social life and to do volunteer work for my major; as well as how I will survive exam week with all these classes.
Everyone worries about this, and no one can give you that answer. A pretty normal workload is between 15-17 units, but different students are able to handle different things. What is the drop deadline at your school? Could you start with this schedule and then after you see the syllabi for the classes (including assignments and test dates) and spend a little time figuring out what other obligations you’re going to take on (jobs/clubs/etc), decide if you want to drop a class? But keep in mind that if you are in a program with heavy course requirements, taking lighter courseloads now might mean taking heavier courseloads later (or taking classes over the summer or staying an extra semester). Keep an eye on your four year plan to figure out how much wiggle room you have in your courses, and then decide if you want to adjust your schedule. Usually you have a little bit of time to drop a class if you decide the workload is too much for you, but the exact deadlines depend on your school.