asked 2 years ago
I hope all is well!
I recently transferred over to the University of Michigan, and this upcoming semester will be my first here. I am kind of worried about my current schedule and whether I should take fewer credits / a lighter load my first semester so that I can transition smoothly. I am currently registered for two literature courses, COMPLIT 240: Literature Across Borders, and ENG 317: Literature and Culture, as well as PSYCH 230, CHEM 211 (lab only, at my previous uni they offered orgo 1 without lab so I now have to take it), and BIO 172. This totals 16 credits. I also might be doing work-study this semester and a couple of extracurricular activities and projects, including reviewing french for my upcoming semester. Should I lighten my load or is this reasonable to where I can still get the grades that med schools want to see? If not, should I drop my Psych course?
Cate answered 2 years ago
Hi! I hope you are having a nice end to your summer, and welcome to UMich! 🙂
Your intended schedule looks pretty similar to my last winter semester (2 “science” classes, 1 lab, 2 social sciences/humanities courses). Humanities courses can be time-consuming because there can be quite a bit of assigned writing/reading. Also, BIO 172 is a class you should prioritize (and you would probably benefit from joining an SLC study group). I have not taken PSYCH 230, but I have heard the workload is pretty standard. For CHEM 211, you can expect to have a couple of hours of work outside of the lab per week.
When making this decision, I think there are a few things for you to keep in mind. First, you are not taking CHEM 211 simultaneously with CHEM 210, so that may require you to do some extra review during the semester to be successful. Also, what extracurriculars you are going to participate in should play a role in your decision (are you going to be volunteering/working in a lab/joining orgs etc). Commitment times for these can vary quite a bit. Also, everyone is still trying to transition from working remotely/dealing with COVID. It is common to be experiencing burnout right now, so taking a lighter load this semester is totally understandable! Personally, I know quite a few people who will be taking fewer credits than what is normal for them this semester.
Another option would be for you to keep this schedule for right now and then go to the first week of classes to get a feel for how you will manage your time. The drop deadline is not until after the third week of school, so you have time to drop if you decide it is going to be too overwhelming for you! Also, you might benefit from talking with your general advisor about this. It is easy to sign up for an appointment.
I hope this helped! Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.
-Cate, PMH Advisor