How many Advanced Engineering courses in semester?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of taking multiple advanced engineering courses in a semester, specifically within the context of an Electrical Engineering curriculum. Participants share their experiences and seek advice on course load management, difficulty levels, and strategies for timely graduation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to complete their degree by 2017 and inquires about the number of advanced engineering courses they can realistically take each semester.
  • Another participant suggests consulting an academic advisor and warns against taking more than two major courses simultaneously to avoid burnout.
  • A different participant argues that taking 3-4 core EE courses in a semester is reasonable, sharing their own experience of managing multiple courses and research commitments.
  • Some participants note that the difficulty of courses can vary significantly and that the actual content is more important than course titles.
  • One participant reflects on their different mentality towards course difficulty, suggesting that they have found classes to be less challenging than commonly perceived.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the optimal number of advanced engineering courses to take per semester. Some participants advocate for a heavier course load, while others caution against it, emphasizing the importance of pacing and managing workload.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the lack of specific course syllabi and difficulty assessments, which complicates the discussion about course load. The conversation also highlights the importance of personal study habits and time management in determining course feasibility.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering advanced engineering courses, academic advisors, and individuals interested in course load management strategies in STEM fields.

qmanballer
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I want to get done by 2017 or before...I started college in 2012 and switched major to Electrical Engineering , double major philosophy :D

come next summer I'll have the core engineering classes remaining and 7 philosophy courses to get that degree.

My question is how many advanced engineering courses and the combinations of these classes can realistically take to get done as soon as possible. I don't know the " difficulty " level of these classes so I want to know if I can so 3 per semester, or 4 per semester

These are the engineering classes at my school
Circuits 2
Introduction to Logic Design
Electronics 1
Analysis of Linear Systems
Stochastic Processes and Random Signal
Laboratory 1
Electronics 2
Electrical Engineering Practice
Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
Introduction to Microcontrollers
Microcontroller Lab
Laboratory 2
Engineering Design 1
Engineering Design 2
Control Systems Lab
OR
Communication Systems Lab
EEL 4512L
Control Systems 1
Communications Systems
Introduction to Digital Signal Processing


Of those three can do I the first three , next semester next three. For example

Summer
Circuits 2
Introduction to Logic Design
Electronics 1

Fall 2015
Analysis of Linear Systems
Stochastic Processes and Random Signal
Laboratory 1

So on and so forth. Or there any classes on this list where they're too " hard" to do in a combination with other classes.

I'm the type who loves gaining knowledge, challenging and pushing myself.

But I would like some advice from somebody who's done these types of engineering classes and has a better grasp of what these classes entail.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Welcome to PF!

It's very hard to answer your question as we don't know the course syllabus nor the difficulty.

Your best bet would to talk to your advisor and other students at your school who have gone through these courses before.

In general it's a bad idea to rush things and take 3 or more courses in your major at the same time. It's better to take 1 or 2 and complete your non major requirements at the same time.

Think of it like a dinner, you have the most nutritious stuff first before you have dessert. Your interesting major courses are your dessert. Also as you progress through your major like junior and senior year things will get much tougher and you need to pace yourself to avoid burnout.
 
It should be perfectly reasonable to take 3-4 core EE courses in a semester. I started at a community college and I transferred to a university...I pretty much have EE core classes left and nothing else to fluff out my schedule.

Last spring I took
-digital system design + lab
-circuits 1 (AC and DC RLC circuit analysis) + lab
-modern physics/physics 3
-thermo fluids

Now this fall (already started)
-electronics 1 + lab
-embedded systems + lab
-electromagnetic fields
-semiconductor device physics
-12 hours of research a week

Of course a lot depends on the actual content of the class, not just the names. I can post course descriptions to give you an idea but that shouldn't matter too much.

If you devote a few hours a day to course work/studying you should be able to maintain a strong GPA and graduate in a timely fashion.

I find that the core classes actually complement each other well. For example in semiconductor physics I learn the physics behind Transistors and then in electronics I learn how to use them in design.

Hope that helps.
 
jedishrfu said:
Welcome to PF!

It's very hard to answer your question as we don't know the course syllabus nor the difficulty.

Your best bet would to talk to your advisor and other students at your school who have gone through these courses before.

In general it's a bad idea to rush things and take 3 or more courses in your major at the same time. It's better to take 1 or 2 and complete your non major requirements at the same time.

Think of it like a dinner, you have the most nutritious stuff first before you have dessert. Your interesting major courses are your dessert. Also as you progress through your major like junior and senior year things will get much tougher and you need to pace yourself to avoid burnout.

Thanks for the reply and the advice. I'm going to talk to students who have done this, but 1 or 2 would really take too long at this point.
 
snowman_ said:
It should be perfectly reasonable to take 3-4 core EE courses in a semester. I started at a community college and I transferred to a university...I pretty much have EE core classes left and nothing else to fluff out my schedule.

Last spring I took
-digital system design + lab
-circuits 1 (AC and DC RLC circuit analysis) + lab
-modern physics/physics 3
-thermo fluids

Now this fall (already started)
-electronics 1 + lab
-embedded systems + lab
-electromagnetic fields
-semiconductor device physics
-12 hours of research a week

Of course a lot depends on the actual content of the class, not just the names. I can post course descriptions to give you an idea but that shouldn't matter too much.

If you devote a few hours a day to course work/studying you should be able to maintain a strong GPA and graduate in a timely fashion.

I find that the core classes actually complement each other well. For example in semiconductor physics I learn the physics behind Transistors and then in electronics I learn how to use them in design.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, this answer gave me a lot of insight and now know I can theoretically do 3-4 classes and pass them.

I've heard too many times that such and such class is hard, or you shouldn't take two math classes a semester. But it never turns out to be as hard as they say. I think I just have a different mentality.

I look forward to these engineering classes
 

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