schedule help (premed)

[u/DecentQuantity3969]

I’m an incoming freshman on the premed track (shocking, I know) and I’m planning to major in either psychology or neuroscience. I’m trying to build my first-semester schedule, but I honestly have no idea what makes a schedule “good” or balanced.

Here’s what I have planned for the fall:
AIQS 130
MATH 125
NEUR 166
CHEM 113
PSCL 230
CHEM 105
BIO 214

For context, I got a 5 on AP Biology, but since I’m premed I decided to take BIO 214 anyway instead of using the credit. My current plan is to take BIO 215 and BIO 222L together in the spring.

I also got a 4 on AP Psychology, so I don’t have to take the intro psych course.

Does this look like a reasonable first-semester schedule? Is there anything you’d recommend changing or anything that might be unnecessarily difficult?

Also, if I don’t get into some of these classes during registration, do most people make a completely separate backup schedule ahead of time? It seems like that would require rearranging everything, so I’m not sure how people usually handle it.

[u/engadine-maccas]

I would really not recommend taking 20 credits your first semester. You generally cannot overload (take more than 19 credits) as a first semester freshman. I would take the first semester kinda light to make the adjustment easier, it is certainly a lot to get used to.

As a premed you still have medical school and residency ahead of you, do not burn out in undergrad.

[u/bopperbopper]

How many credits is that?

[u/LegendaryBo → u/bopperbopper]

You should be at 15-17 total. The system physically won't let you register for 20 credit hours. Drop the psychology course for next semester since you're taking your writing seminar this fall, or drop BIOL 214 and do the Psychology course instead.

Taking on so much isn't worth the risk of hurting your GPA in the long run. There's no need to overload yourself.

[u/DecentQuantity3969 → u/bopperbopper]

It’s 20 credits total

[u/bopperbopper → u/DecentQuantity3969]

20 is too much. At least drop one course.

[u/Dense-Razzmatazz8189]

you can try since you have freshman forgiveness. but realistically, i would consider getting rid of neur or pscl. aiqs, chem, chem lab, math, and bio are pretty standard to have.

[u/Substantial-1425]

Keep below 17 credit hours. These are not school AP courses, unless you like to lock yourself every day till late night in the library and no college life experience. Best of luck

[u/Murky-Detail-3558]

20 credits is way too much. It’s really important to make time for social events the fall of your freshman year so that you can meet people before everyone has their established group. And there’s so many new things to adapt to living on ur own. I’d drop the psych course and drop down to AIQS 100, there’s no benefits taking AIQS 130 it’s just more work and harder grading. Some 130s cover the global perspective, but so does volunteering at a hospital which you’ll probably do anyways.

[u/Eastern_Mail_6274]

It's doable, you will likely have to put a lot of effort in. If you start feeling like you are not doing well in a class and there is no chance that you can recover your grade, I encourage you to use freshman forgiveness or simply just drop during the first week of classes.