There are moments in your life where you feel as if you can handle anything. You want to graduate as soon as possible, so you take on a full course load. You’re excited for the classes you will be taking and the knowledge that will help guide you through life. What you aren’t aware of is that taking on four courses can be detrimental to your health and can affect your performance as a college student. Lets find out are 4 college classes too much?
4 College Classes can be too much for students who are unable to handle a full time course. College courses are all uniquely designed to instill knowledge into your mind. You need to set aside a significant amount of time to study, prepare, and soak in all that information. Here’s what you need to know about university and the difference between a full-time student versus part-time.
Steps to Determine When to Take a Full Course Load
- Figure out if you are a full-time college student
- Review the course syllabus to see how much time you need to study
- Check the class schedule to see when important work needs to be turned in
- Check to see if the courses you’re taking now can be taken during summer
Are you a full-time student?
To determine if you’re a full-time student you need to take at least 4-5 classes. Each class, depending on if they’re four-credit courses, will take at least a few hours per week. Do you have that amount of time to spare? Let’s break this down. If you’re taking five classes that would be over 12-18 hours. That means you’ll be spending over 50-60 hours during the semester. If you’re able to spend that much time you might consider becoming a full-time student.
Check the Course Syllabus
You’d be amazed at how the syllabus is treated. Professors spend a lot of time crafting a schedule and curriculum to follow. Your syllabus has important dates to follow and is a great tool to use to determine if you have time to take on four classes. Will the class you’re taking require you to write an essay? Will you have to do lots of research? Are the tests a major part of the grades so you must study? Try to plan out your time accordingly and remember to check that syllabus for information.
Check if Courses Can be Taken in Summer
Summer is usually a time for vacation but sometimes we need to take summer courses to become one step closer towards graduation. If you need to focus on important courses this semester, try finding easier classes to take during summer. Remember, summer is shorter it’s recommended to take half a load to avoid running into problems.
Conclusion
Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine if you think taking four classes are too much. If you’re a full-time employee, it is recommended you take only a few so you’re not overwhelmed. What’s important is keeping track of those classes to see how close you are to that graduation date. Taking a full load isn’t completely unmanageable if you organize your time efficiently. If you are noticing early on that taking all these classes is too much try talking to your professor, or worst case, drop the class to receive a W (withdraw) grade that won’t affect your GPA. Be sure to look at important dates so you know when the last day is you can withdraw from a class.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) When should I drop my class?
That’s entirely up to you. If you feel as if you’re not going to be able to give the class your all or it’s causing stress, drop it, and try retaking it next term. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on your mental health first.
2) What is considered a full-time student?
When you are taking more than 4-5 classes or 12-15 credits you are considered full time.
3) What tools do you recommend keeping up with my class?
You can use a planner to organize your time and write useful information. Try to email your professors if you feel you’re going to be late on something or need more time to get it done. You’d be amazed at how flexible some professors are if the situation is discussed prior to the due date.
4) How much time should I dedicate towards my education?
Everyone is different and there’s not a set time you should put towards your education. If you feel as if each class requires one hour of studying, go for that. If you need extra tutoring or need time to re-learn the lectures set aside time.
