<p>About the English class, looking at the AP list that should get you out of both semesters, but I’d check with someone at VT to be sure because you can’t transfer into your engineering department until you’ve had both. </p>
<p>Assuming that you don’t have to take either english or Calc class you’ll still be taking Chemistry/Chem Lab, Engineering Exploration, Linear Algebra and a (probably three credit) elective, putting you at about 11 credits of ‘normal’ freshman classes first semester. Assuming you don’t take any classes that would normally be taken second semester, your second semester would be Engineering Exploration, Vector Geometry, Physics I/Lab and another elective, putting you at 11 credits again. </p>
<p>You could take Multivariable calculus first semester, but it is a very difficult class. If you’re absolutely sure that you have an extremely solid understanding of calculus go for it, but if you’re feeling shaky about it at all I’d take Calc II in college. Up to you though. If you take Multivariable then you can also take a second elective (to fill the hole that English leaves open) and then take Differential equations with another extra elective second semester. This would in all likelyhood cover all the math classes that you’ll be needing in engineering and put you ahead two electives, allowing you to take fewer credits your sophomore year (which is the hardest in Engineering in my opinion; I still think that the jump from freshman to sophomore year was bigger than the jump from highschool to freshman year.)</p>
<p>If nobody has told you, the way electives work is that they are broken up into 7 “cores”, or “CLES,” or whatever they call them now. You have to take a certain number of credits in each core, though through regular coursework you’ll knock out a couple. You’ll probably need one credit in core 6 (art stuff), 3 in core 7, and 6 in cores 2 and 3. Freshman are regularly schedule to take two electives freshman year, so if you take four then you could end up only needing four credits of electives after freshman year. Also, core classes tend not to be nearly as difficult as regular engineering classes since the professors usually know that the only reason most of the students are there is to knock out the core requirement.</p>