How many hours of classes should I take per semester?

Based on personal experience, I think it is important not to overload on your first semester or trimester at college.  I would suggest taking the minimum full time student load that first semester or maybe add in one class of interest that is less that a full credit class (maybe it is1 unit instead of 3).  Perhaps a sports class, drama, or film.  Pick an area of interest.  For the courses that make up your full time student load, make sure those are your core general education classes.  Being a commuter takes a little extra time so factor that in accordingly.  That "extra" class might give you an opportunity to connect with other students with a common area of interest.  I was a commuter kid and know that connecting with others on campus is important for a sense of camaraderie and belonging.

Clarise,

In addition to the previous excellent advice, I would add that a lot depends on how intensive the classes are. You don't want to take too many classes that will involve a lot of reading and writing. The more interesting the subject matter is to you, the less important this reading/writing intensity will be. But, if you are studying something you don't care for, it will make it difficult. Spread out the reading intensive classes!

Kim

I think it is very reasonable to take up to 15 hours a semester. I would think about other responsibilities that you have that could compete with study time. 15 hours is good but if you could do really well taking 12 hours and only only taking 15, then I would consider 12. Choose what works well for you given all of your other responsibilities.

Hi Clarise,

It's great that you are already thinking ahead! Since you won't be living on campus, and it depends on how close you live from the campus, you will probably spend more time travelling during the week. Even though gen-ed classes are assumed to be easier, I would not recommend taking more than 15 credit hours especially during your first semester. Many college students struggled in their first year as they tried to achieve a positive balance among schoolwork, friends, extracurriculars and health. I would suggest you to only take up to 12-15 credit hours for your first semester to get a feel of how it is like, and whether you feel overwhelmed. This way you are not risking your mental/physical health or your GPA , which are both important!

In addition, many college offers a huge variety of classes over the summer. If you would like to get ahead of schedule, summer classes can help! You might also want to look into opportunities to study abroad in summer with your program. Some programs award up to 12 credit hours, depending on the time you spent overseas.

I hope this helps! Good luck in everything!

THIS ALL DEPENDS ON IF YOU WILL BE WORKING OR NOT. WILL YOU?

I agree with the others about 12-15 hours to start. Also, some institutions will actually charge you an "excess credit hour fee" if you go over a certain amount of hours. Sometimes this is assessed by semester, sometimes by year, and other times by degree so it's worth looking into before you sign up.

I wouldn't take over 12-15 hours at first. Then depending upon your commute and whether you are working part-time, I definitely would not take over that amount. Also, watch what courses you are taking, your level of interest and whether they are reading intensive. You can take more when you are more comfortable with the level, the school and your commute.

Marilyn Lowry

College Guidance Consultants