As mentioned in the discussion title, I am confused because I feel that this is a heavy load especially with calc since I am not the strongest, however, in the sciences I pick up things really quickly so I was hoping to receive input? My intentions are to go to medical school so I don’t want to rush anything and hurt my GPA.
Two lab courses will increase the workload, but you will probably have some semesters of two lab courses some time during college if you will be taking the pre-med courses.
Your other threads suggest that you will be attending Irvine Valley College (a community college). What is your intended major (pre-med can be with any major)?
As a premed it might help you to understand that med schools calculate GPAs in different ways. One is a cGPA (or cumulative) for all college courses taken. They also separately calculate a sGPA (science) for all science courses taken, also referred to BCPM (bio, chem, physics, math). The sGPA is considered more important. Here you’re taking 3 BCPM courses. If you don’t do well grade wise in these courses, you’ll be in a hole at end of first semester. Although not necessarily, a slow start grade wise for a premed may be the first step towards a new career plan. Why not tap on the brakes, drop the calc course where you’re “not the strongest”, and add something that might be a little easier. Good luck.
@ucbalumnus Hello, I plan on attending Irvine Valley College for two years, then transferring to UCI for a major in Human Biology.
@Jugulator20 I want to drop calc but then again, the University of California, Irvine’s biology major transfer requirement is to have at least a semester of calc and stats. I was hoping to get it over with. Currently, I am taking pre-calc cp at my high school. That is why at the moment I have taken off Bio for the first semester and plan on taking it the second semester of college but am confused if that is a mistake?
To transfer from IVC to UCI human biology…
https://www.assist.org/transfer/report/23395927 says to look at the report for biological sciences. So we look at: https://www.assist.org/transfer/report/23395014 . Basically, you need to complete the following at IVC before transfer:
BIO 80 or 80H, 81 or 81H
CHEM 1A, 1B, 12A, 12B
calculus and/or statistics courses
The chemistry sequence is a four semester sequence, while the others are at most two semesters long. So you can delay starting the other sequences but not chemistry.
For transfer purposes, the physics sequence (IVC PHYS 4A, 4B, 4C) may be taken before transfer. However, since some medical schools prefer to see as many of your science courses as possible taken after at 4-year schools, you may want to defer it until you get to UCI, if you will have schedule space for it after transfer. You will, of course, take various upper division biology courses after transfer at UCI or other 4-year school.
Note that the UCI human biology major has some humanities course requirements. If you take humanities courses at IVC, you may want to choose those which UCI will accept as equivalent to those on the list at https://sites.uci.edu/humanbiologymajor/requirements/ .
In addition, you need to take the basic UC transfer courses like English composition, etc. listed at https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/transfer-requirements/preparing-to-transfer/basic-requirements.html . You may want to include introductory psychology and sociology courses, since medical schools sometimes want to see them. Completion of IGETC may help you fulfill general education.
@ucbalumnus I don’t think you understand how much this help, thank you so much for the info! I think I have a good idea of how I’m going to plan this out 
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