Is the below schedule too much for a first year engineering major at UT Austin? I’m at about 15 credit hours right now, not including discussion or lab hours. The lab class says it is about 3 lab hours.
M 408C
CH 301
CH 104M (lab)
BIO 311C
UGS 302 (Writing flag)
EVE 103
It seems to me that 15 hours is pretty standard, but I’ve also been warned against taking so many credits. Thoughts?
Get used to it. You’re one hour light on the average number of hours you’ll need per term and courses will only get harder.
I encourage my kids to start with 18, knowing they can still drop a class without getting too low.
The threshold will be different for different students but 15 credits sounds about right. Work with your advisor to follow the engineering curriculum.
It’s tough but doable. I think I took at least 15 credits a semester as an engineering major at UT. I had credits for a couple of classes from AP tests and I still had to take two or three courses during the summer to graduate in four years.
The one thing I would add is know your curriculum and the sequencing like the back of your hand and then avoid the prescribed path. It will make scheduling easier.
How many classes did you claim credit for using AP credits? I’ve got about 4 scores that I want to use.
Sorry I replied to the wrong comment!
How many classes did you claim credit for using AP credits? I have about 4 scores that I want to use.
It’s normal. 16-18 is normal for engineering. As stated discuss with your advisors. Also… Major pro hint… Use every resource available to you especially first semester. Math /science labs and study groups, English writing classes. Peer to peer groups, break out sessions and the elusive Professor hours. You will thank yourself for doing so. Good luck.
14-15-16 credits is pretty normal for 1st semester Engineering, and 15-17 henceforth.
But 15 credits without lab and sections means 18 credits - that’s probably too much for a 1st semester, especially in Engineering, unless you overloaded because you plan on dropping one class OR you already took several classes as APs and plan to review/go more in depth because UT courses can’t.
Generally, it’s better to start slow and do well - most don’t make it, so don’t do something that would add you to that statistics - and if it really wasn’t challenging enough, add in your 2nd semester.
If you really have 15 credits only then you’re fine as long as you go to office hours with questions religiously every week, book tutors ahead of time, etc. It’s not going to be easy but 14-15 is doable.
I want to caveat this with if you need them. There’s no reason to do any of those things if you are attaining mastery without them. They all take time, and that’s the commodity you’ll likely be short on at the next level.
I will challenge that. Lol… Too many students “think” they have mastered the subjects until they have their first quiz /test and it becomes disheartening fast. No one’s doing all of those but lots of students don’t even know their there. Some of the best students that I have known have used these resources. Too many students “think” they’re just for students that get into trouble academically but can be used to gain better understanding to master the subjects. Those first quizzes /tests can be very telling. My son used to tell me that people quit engineering and or any hope of medical school pretty early on and his classes thinned out quicker then expected. (all first year engineering took the same physics, Chem, math, together with all the Gen Ed kids like those going into med school or physics etc.at his school)
I didn’t say don’t. I said don’t if you don’t need to. My son for example graduated Magna Cum Laude from a program known for grade deflation and never went to any study groups or supplementary sessions…ever. He attended office hours rarely.
Again, I’m not saying never. I’m pushing back against always. This is very analogous to retaking AP classes. Some should. Some shouldn’t. Students need to figure it out for themselves.
I agree wholeheartedly though, the first round of tests can be eye opening!
Which AP scores do you have?
In general, if it is for a course that you do not plan to take more advanced courses in and is useful in some way for your degree requirements, claim the AP credit. But if it is something that is a prerequisite for more advanced courses, try the college’s old final exam to check how well you know the material from the college’s point of view, so that you can make a more informed decision about whether to take the advanced placement or not.
It would help others help you if you specified the specific engineering major. In general, follow the schedule template for your major, adjusting for any advanced placement that you may have.
I will say to OP: it’s ok to take it slow the first semester. The only caveat is many engineering classes fall into a sequence. Miss fulfilling pre requisites , you lose a year waiting for some upper division class to be offered again. It does take some planning early on so that doesn’t happen to you.
I’m majoring in Environmental Engineering. It seems that at UT, they go pretty heavy on the curriculum early on while putting core requirements later. At least, that’s how they suggest to do it, and I’d like to stay as close to their suggestions as possible. As for AP credit, I plan on using Lang, Lit, Government, and Economics for RHE 306, E 316P, GOV 310L, and a Social/Behavioral Sciences class (granted that I get the score that I need). I took Environmental Science, but I don’t think I can use that for anything, and I also took Calculus AB, but I took that class with the intention of retaking Calc I in college anyway. I’ll probably do some summer classes to get some of the other core requirements out of the way, but I’m worried that taking summer classes will go into time that I could be using to get internships/gain experience. What ultimately freaks me out about my course load is the possibility of becoming a work machine with no time to take a breather. I’ve been pretty good about managing my time all throughout high school so I’m sure I’ll figure something out, but right now it’s just the fear of change and the fear of the unknown.
Box (from Environmental Engineering ) is the schedule template for the environmental engineering major at UT Austin.
Looks like your schedule matches the first semester schedule in the template except for missing RHE 306 that you mention AP credit for.
OP- slow down. You don’t need to worry about internships/work experience yet. Your A priority for first semester is to acclimate-- that means figuring out how to go to every class, lab, review session (if you need), office hours, team meeting while also eating a healthy diet, getting some physical activity, making friends, volunteering for a cause you care about or joining an EC/Club that excites you. You don’t need to figure out everything else (like internships) yet.
Have you been assigned an advisor yet? Once you have been, that’s the person who can weigh in on your course load, credit tally, advise you on AP’s, etc.
You’re going to be fine-- take it one step at a time!
I also placed out of Calculus after taking Calculus AB in high school. A family friend was the honors professor in calculus, and he advised me to retake it. I’m glad I did. He was an awesome professor and taking it twice really solidified all the concepts for me.