College Question

[falias]

How much harder is it to take 20 credits vs. 15. Everyone says it would be so much harder, and you will have no free time, but it's just one more class right?

Has anyone taken 20 and what are your experiences?

 

[SampSon]

dont.
unless you're a hardcore ubernerd, then for for it.

 

[Nik]

Remember, for each hour you spend in class, you're going to spend at least that much outside of class for the same course.

 

[BigJ]

Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

 

[destrekor]

everyone has been preaching to me that for every hour you spend in class, it requires 2 hours of study/homework time. so thats 15 more hours you would be removing from your life every week.

 

[Special K]

It depends entirely on the classes, but in general I would not recommend it. I took 21 one semester and it was not fun.

 

[chickadee]

Ive taken 19, but because a few were labs and other thigns it worked out to be 8 classes I had been taking. It depends on how good at school you are and the severity of the subjects you are taking...

if you do an even mix of easy classes and hard classes it shudn't be so bad. or if all medium classes, then it might be okay. If you require a lot of study time to learn things and you're taking all really hard classes, then that might not be the best option. Plus the only reason people pile on classes like that is to pick up extra majors or graduate early. Whats more important to you. Getting done early, or being able to have time to go to that random party some night? You'd prolly have to pick one or the other. Otherwise its a waste to pack in all those classes, then go to parties and wind up with C and D averages in everything.

I personally take the max number of credits I can (mainly now because i took a semester off and are a bit behind and because i dont drink or party) and just balance it out with taking one maybe two classes I think I could do easily but are required of me (like the english courses and math) then take one or two medium classes towards like my business degree, then pack in one maybe two courses that would be hard for me - the science classes and my honors/graduate classes.


...And just out of curiosity, what kinda school do you go to where just one more class is worth five credits? What the heck kinda class is that?

 

[falias]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

one extra class...it's anth 202 online, because i couldn't fit it into my schedule...so it's an online class at a CC, is that any easier?

so total:
1 class 400 level
3 classes 200 level (one in online)

 

[chickadee]

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: BigJ
Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

one extra class...it's anth 202 online, because i couldn't fit it into my schedule...so it's an online class at a CC, is that any easier?

so total:
1 class 400 level
3 classes 200 level (one in online)

how does 4 classes = 20 credits?

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: BigJ
Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

one extra class...it's anth 202 online, because i couldn't fit it into my schedule...so it's an online class at a CC, is that any easier?

so total:
1 class 400 level
3 classes 200 level (one in online)

What kind of 200 Level Courses? I wouldn't recommend doing it with any of the sciences. However if it's Liberal Arts or a Behavioral/Social Science, it wouldn't be nearly as abd.

 

[JBT]

I took 22 one semester it sucked.

 

[falias]

Originally posted by: chickadee
Ive taken 19, but because a few were labs and other thigns it worked out to be 8 classes I had been taking. It depends on how good at school you are and the severity of the subjects you are taking...

if you do an even mix of easy classes and hard classes it shudn't be so bad. or if all medium classes, then it might be okay. If you require a lot of study time to learn things and you're taking all really hard classes, then that might not be the best option. Plus the only reason people pile on classes like that is to pick up extra majors or graduate early. Whats more important to you. Getting done early, or being able to have time to go to that random party some night? You'd prolly have to pick one or the other. Otherwise its a waste to pack in all those classes, then go to parties and wind up with C and D averages in everything.

I personally take the max number of credits I can (mainly now because i took a semester off and are a bit behind and because i dont drink or party) and just balance it out with taking one maybe two classes I think I could do easily but are required of me (like the english courses and math) then take one or two medium classes towards like my business degree, then pack in one maybe two courses that would be hard for me - the science classes and my honors/graduate classes.


...And just out of curiosity, what kinda school do you go to where just one more class is worth five credits? What the heck kinda class is that?

University of Washington....I thought 5 cr/class was normal...

 

[falias]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: BigJ
Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

one extra class...it's anth 202 online, because i couldn't fit it into my schedule...so it's an online class at a CC, is that any easier?

so total:
1 class 400 level
3 classes 200 level (one in online)

What kind of 200 Level Courses? I wouldn't recommend doing it with any of the sciences. However if it's Liberal Arts or a Behavioral/Social Science, it wouldn't be nearly as abd.

anth 202
eng 252
econ 201

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

15 credit hours FTW!

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: BigJ
Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

one extra class...it's anth 202 online, because i couldn't fit it into my schedule...so it's an online class at a CC, is that any easier?

so total:
1 class 400 level
3 classes 200 level (one in online)

What kind of 200 Level Courses? I wouldn't recommend doing it with any of the sciences. However if it's Liberal Arts or a Behavioral/Social Science, it wouldn't be nearly as abd.

anth 202
eng 252
econ 201

Seems like an easy enough schedule.

 

[elbosco]

The rule of thumb is 1 credit hour equates to about 3 hours of work/study time.

You're better off with 15 credits and passing with flying colors than barely getting by with 20.

 

[LEDominator]

Originally posted by: falias
How much harder is it to take 20 credits vs. 15. Everyone says it would be so much harder, and you will have no free time, but it's just one more class right?

Has anyone taken 20 and what are your experiences?

Depends what you are taking. If you are going to do GEs they usually are ridiculously easy. And for Cal Poly we have PolyRatings which lets you know who the easiest professor is for the class w00t!

 

[falias]

Originally posted by: chickadee

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: BigJ
Is it an extra one or two classes?

Also, what type of classes are we talking? If they're all 300-400 level courses, you definitely do not want to do it.

one extra class...it's anth 202 online, because i couldn't fit it into my schedule...so it's an online class at a CC, is that any easier?

so total:
1 class 400 level
3 classes 200 level (one in online)

how does 4 classes = 20 credits?

each class is an hour a day, everyday...4 classes = 20 credits

 

[Orsorum]

I took several quarters' worth of 18-19 credits during my undergrad. Looking back, I would not do more than 3 to 4 classes at a time, particularly if you're working or involved in a campus organization. Any more coursework than that and I think you start to suffer from memory fatigue.

(I went to the Univ. of Washington as well)

 

[MBentz]

I wish my classes were worth five credits.

HIST 314
BIO 310 + lab
ENGWR 300
ASTRO 300

13 units.

Edit - Clearly I'm pwnt by the OP.

 

[DrPizza]

I managed either 18 or 19 credit hours every semester, worked 40+ hours a week, commuted 30 minutes each way to school, coached soccer, and had a family. Wasn't that hard, except that I had to get by on 6 or fewer hours of sleep. My grades did not suffer.

The key to college (my #1 advice for all of my students who head to college) is to treat it like a full-time job. Have a class at 8:00, then the next class at 10:00? Here's a clue - the hour from 9-10 is *not* time to watch television. Study. Do homework. Start researching that paper that isn't due for 6 weeks. Take 30 minutes for lunch, and perhaps a couple of 5 minute breaks during the day... there's enough variety that you should survive it just fine without becoming a basket case. You'll actually find that by keeping organized, you seem to have a lot more free time than your friends, especially during the evenings, and more especially, Sunday night. Start your semester off that way... during the first free hour that you have, spend it studying, reviewing the course outlines... even start that paper that's assigned for 2 months away. Why put it off and agonize over it during the week before it's actually due? NEVER miss a class, for any reason except you're knocking on death's door. Missing a 1 hour class = 3 hours of trying to understand what you missed. (Well, for real courses anyway; we all have had those courses where you could show up for the exams and still pass with flying colors.)

 

[olds]

I once took 18 units one semester. Algebra and Chemistry were two of the classes. I still made the Dean's list but it was a lot of work so it can be done.
After that I never took more than 15.

 

[chickadee]

Originally posted by: falias

Originally posted by: chickadee
Ive taken 19, but because a few were labs and other thigns it worked out to be 8 classes I had been taking. It depends on how good at school you are and the severity of the subjects you are taking...

if you do an even mix of easy classes and hard classes it shudn't be so bad. or if all medium classes, then it might be okay. If you require a lot of study time to learn things and you're taking all really hard classes, then that might not be the best option. Plus the only reason people pile on classes like that is to pick up extra majors or graduate early. Whats more important to you. Getting done early, or being able to have time to go to that random party some night? You'd prolly have to pick one or the other. Otherwise its a waste to pack in all those classes, then go to parties and wind up with C and D averages in everything.

I personally take the max number of credits I can (mainly now because i took a semester off and are a bit behind and because i dont drink or party) and just balance it out with taking one maybe two classes I think I could do easily but are required of me (like the english courses and math) then take one or two medium classes towards like my business degree, then pack in one maybe two courses that would be hard for me - the science classes and my honors/graduate classes.


...And just out of curiosity, what kinda school do you go to where just one more class is worth five credits? What the heck kinda class is that?

University of Washington....I thought 5 cr/class was normal...

:giggles: silly west coast people.

I've been to four seperate schools on the east coast (NJ/NY region), and at every one of them each class is only 3 credits. The only class that counts as 4 is science (3 for class plus 1 for lab). But that 1 measily credit for lab equates to a 3 hour lab sciences on Monday Mornings or Friday afternoons ;/

in which case though, 4 classes seems like a rather light semester at 5 credits a pop.?

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: chickadee

:giggles: silly west coast people.

I've been to four seperate schools on the east coast (NJ/NY region), and at every one of them each class is only 3 credits. The only class that counts as 4 is science (3 for class plus 1 for lab). But that 1 measily credit for lab equates to a 3 hour lab sciences on Monday Mornings or Friday afternoons ;/

in which case though, 4 classes seems like a rather light semester at 5 credits a pop.?

I believe the trimester system assigns higher credit values to their courses. This may be his case.

 

[falias]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: chickadee

:giggles: silly west coast people.

I've been to four seperate schools on the east coast (NJ/NY region), and at every one of them each class is only 3 credits. The only class that counts as 4 is science (3 for class plus 1 for lab). But that 1 measily credit for lab equates to a 3 hour lab sciences on Monday Mornings or Friday afternoons ;/

in which case though, 4 classes seems like a rather light semester at 5 credits a pop.?

I believe the trimester system assigns higher credit values to their courses. This may be his case.

Yes.

How many credits do you need to graduate in general, at lets say a college on the east coast? I'm sure somehow they figure out to being the same if you are comparing them otherwise it just wouldn't be fair.