Is My Junior Year Course Load Too Much?

[SJay16]

Was just wondering if this course load is too much for a junior, I’m aware everyone is different, but let’s generalize the case.
15 credits;
Quantum mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Methods of Theoretical physics
Partial differential equations w/applications
Geography elective

I am afraid that the theoretical physics course may push me over threshold of my limit, but it is my last chance to take the course and I’m extremely interesting in theoretical physics. If I switch it out, I’d be switching it for a medical physics and radiation safety class, which I’m also almost as interested in, except it’ll be much much easier.

 

[Choppy]

That looks like a fairly standard course load to me... 4 STEM courses and an elective to round out the semester. But a lot can depend on your specific circumstances. It's one thing to do that when it's the only thing you have to concentrate on. It's another if you have to balance it with a part-time job, family obligations, health issues to deal with, etc. And you know better than we do what kind of course load you'll perform best under.

Don't psyche yourself out of taking a course that you really want to take. Sure, it might be a lot of work. But what are you at university for in the first place?

The other piece of advice is not to necessarily assume that another course is going to be "much much easier." Conceptually sure, the course material may be a lot more straight forward, but I've seen a lot of people over the years end up in a world of hurt because they've assumed that something is going to be easy and then get burned when they realize it isn't, and then they're stuck taking a tough course that they didn't even want to take in the first place.

 

[SJay16]

The pre-requisites for the methods of theoretical physics are Modern physics, multivariable calc, DE’s, and Intermediate classical mechanics, which I have all of , but I’m still wondering if I’m ill equipped.