Managing an absurd 1st year engineering load

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around managing a demanding first-year engineering course load, specifically addressing concerns about balancing academic responsibilities with personal life and social activities. Participants explore strategies for achieving a good GPA while maintaining some level of leisure and well-being.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the feasibility of maintaining a high GPA while managing a heavy course load of 21-22 credits, emphasizing the desire for a balanced life.
  • Another participant suggests that sacrifices are necessary for academic success, questioning the value of leisure time against future opportunities.
  • Some participants argue that the course load may be self-imposed and recommend dropping a class for better manageability.
  • There is a discussion about the ambiguity of whether the 21-22 credits refer to a semester or an entire year, with differing opinions on the implications of each scenario.
  • Several participants share personal experiences, noting that their own first-year loads were lighter and that they managed to excel without sacrificing social life significantly.
  • One participant challenges the notion that a heavy course load is typical for first-year engineering students, citing institutional limits on credit hours.
  • Another participant highlights the importance of knowing one's limits and adjusting course loads accordingly, suggesting that the OP should evaluate their own capabilities.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for burnout and the necessity of efficient study habits to cope with an intense academic schedule.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the appropriateness of the course load or the necessity of sacrifices. There are competing views on whether the OP's expectations for maintaining a social life alongside academic success are realistic.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the exact nature of the course load (semester vs. year) and its implications for academic and personal balance. Additionally, assumptions about prior exposure to subjects and individual study capabilities vary among participants.

  • #31
Learn one of two of the courses now. If I were you, and I had no programming experience I would try to tie in Calc 1 and programming. If you have programming experience do Calc 1 and Physics 1. I'm assuming you have about 2 months left before these classes begin, start now.
 
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  • #32
Here is something I learned in college: Give yourself one day off a week. I found that no matter what, there was one day a week where I didn't get anything done. Make the most of that day, and plan around the idea that you only have 6 days to get things done. It's easier to spread out your work into that day off, than it is to recover from an unexpected lost day. Also, if you want to go out one evening, don't make that your day off, make the next day your day off. It's the day after that hangovers/late nights in general get you.

Also for workouts, some very effective workouts only take 30 minutes. They won't get you ready for the olympics, but they'll keep you in shape. No one can't find 30 minutes 4-5 times a week. However, that time might come out of your "3-4 hours a day", so you may need to consider whether or not browsing the internet/reading books is more important than your workouts.
 
  • #33
Is 21-22 credits, 21 hours/week of class?
 
  • #34
MM: Can your linear algebra course be taken in semester 1? If so, I'd think about doing that or persuade your profs to let that happen because you may struggle toward the end of semester 2, you have a few top-heavy courses that semester.
 
  • #35
verty said:
MM: Can your linear algebra course be taken in semester 1? If so, I'd think about doing that or persuade your profs to let that happen because you may struggle toward the end of semester 2, you have a few top-heavy courses that semester.

Calc 2 is a prereq so no
 
  • #36
Ahhh bad news, there's a chance i may not get to take one of my computer science courses.

This sounds good at first, but this means my Spring courseload will be a total of 24 credits (7 courses)
How the hell do I pull that off?
 
  • #37
Have you considered summer courses? I'm sure your English and some gen Eds can be taken during the summer. Plus, summer courses usually are not to much of a time commitment so you can generally work and bum around, while at the same time reduce your workload during the semester.
 
  • #38
MarneMath said:
Have you considered summer courses? I'm sure your English and some gen Eds can be taken during the summer. Plus, summer courses usually are not to much of a time commitment so you can generally work and bum around, while at the same time reduce your workload during the semester.

Can't, the only reason I'm in this program is to transfer to a top uni. The apps end on January and are based on conditional spring admission usually. Summer is too late to start in the Fall (And get accepted)

I'm pretty motivated and adamant. I like challenges. When I say I'm going to do something, it's pretty much already done. I am just a bit scared because I haven't had anything of that magnitude before, and i'd say my methods for learning are other than traditional (Self-taught pretty much everything)
 
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