Course Loads - How Much is Too Much?

Hi everyone! My counselor keeps warning me about not overloading my schedule in college, so I've been wondering, what's the most units one should take in a college semester? I want a good balance between challenging myself and not pushing myself to the point of exhaustion every week.

You bring up a great concern that many students have, so kudos for wanting to be proactive. The exact number of credits that constitute a "full load" can vary from college to college, but typically, a full-time undergraduate student is expected to take between 12 to 18 credits each semester.

The optimal number of credits to take is highly dependent on your personal circumstances, including your academic strengths, extracurricular commitments, and personal life. You should also consider the difficulty level of the courses you plan on taking. A semester filled with upper-division or complex STEM courses will inherently be more challenging and time-consuming than a semester with lower-division or humanities courses. Balancing your load with challenging and lighter courses can help you maintain good academic standing without feeling overwhelmed.

Many students find the 15-credit range to be a good balance between maintaining full-time status and not feeling overly burdened. This typically amounts to about 5 classes—a manageable size for most.

Always keep in mind that it's not a race. The goal is that you learn and perform well, so if taking slightly fewer courses and doing well in them works better for you than filling every slot and just getting by, that's completely okay. Plus, getting a good GPA is important for scholarships, internships, jobs, and grad school applications.

Before making a decision, it might be helpful to speak with students who are in their later years of college or who have already graduated. They may have insights on how certain classes and professors operate. Additionally, some colleges offer first-year seminars that introduce you to the ins and outs of college life, including course loads and time management.

You have your entire college experience to take on interesting classes, and going in with a sustainable plan can make a significant difference in how smoothly you transition into this new phase. Good luck!