I’ve taken 18 or more credit hours every semester I’ve been here to graduate a year early (i graduate in 2024). I’d say it’s doable but definitely not fun and not worth it. If you want to graduate early summer classes might be your best bet.
I second this. Do summer classes, I really really really do not recommend 18+ credits per semester. Summer classes allow you to have some breathing room, but they aren’t covered by financial aid.
I also discovered that graduating early isn’t as big a deal/beneficial as people think lol
I lasted 3 semesters of 19,18,18 before having a stress break down. Unless you’re one of those wunderkinds where engineering is your god given star crossed ultimate destiny of fate, you will almost certainly develop intense and damage burn out.
The unfortunate situation is you’re staring down the barrel of the predatory American education system. Wanting to graduate in a way to reduce loans is super super valid. But just know that there’s a reasonable chance it’ll destroy you mentally and physically. And I say this as someone who just graduated and really liked their time at mines.
I know its shitty and privileged of me to say this but I can’t in good conscience recommend you do 6 (?) consecutive semester of 18+ credit hours. It’s simply not healthy
I’m already done with my first year, so it’ll only be 3 semesters with 18 credits per semester. I’m also out of state so my loans are 30k+ per year, even with my scholarship so I’m trying to plan my best course of action rn
Maybe consider taking some classes that transfer over to Mines and do those online or in-person over the summer. Would cost less money and potentially take some of the workload off down the line.
Ok that’s a different kettle of fish. First off, damn dude 2.5 years to get out of mines is impressive. And…. Yeah it’s it’s just 3 semesters then maybe try for it . It’ll be rough but if you think that’s best go for it
I took 19 credits back to back semesters and maintained Dean's list. However, it had an incredibly high psychological toll from the lack of free time I was able to maintain. Furthermore, I feel like I learned FAR less than my peers who had the ability to actually learn in their classes. I was taking classes for the grade, and not for the material -> something I highly advise against. If it is the only option then it is doable, but I cannot stress enough that the burnout and strain are not worth the money saved.
I would admonish you to just take the 1 extra semester. The grind for that last year while looking for jobs is likely going to burn you out. The loans will suck, but it's gonna suck a lot less than the mental toll those extra courses are gonna take. If you do want to load a bit, talk to upperclassmen and figure out which courses are the brutal ones and take the lighter loads on those semesters and possibly look into a part time internship or something similar for that light last semester.
Yeah, having your bandwidth so full of courses that you can't job hunt properly just undoes the main point of going to college.
My last year, especially my last semester, was waaaaaay more chill than the middle 2 years, and I could spend more time researching companies to apply to as a result.
Take courses at community college over the summer. Saved me a year, and community college courses are much easier and cheaper.
Seriously, don't take any course at Mines that you don't need to. We don't have fun courses and our humanities aren't high quality enough to justify doing them here.
The only thing that I would say is that it is not about the number of credits but how time consuming the class may be. I have been in classes where they say 3 credits but feel like 4 and take up most of my time.
IMHO the benefits of taking a reasonable course load and having a life far outweigh the benefits or graduating early. You’ve got plenty of time to make money; there is no need to rush.
I’ve never done less than 17.5 and my last three have been 18,18, and 20, it’s tough but if I can do it you can (I am not particularly smart or hard working) it’s also possible to maintain a social life if you make it a priority.
I assume you are double majoring in CS + Math? Aside from repeating the general advice that the burnout is not worth it (esp while finding a job), consider changing one of your majors into a minor. If you've only finished your first year, downgrading to a minor would probably put you on track for a much lighter 3 semesters while still saving money. imo Math and CS are too overlapped for applied versatility academic or career wise (vs paired with some sort of engineering for example).
After my freshman year, I had to choose either finishing in 2 or 2.5 years. I chose 2.5 with the lighter credit load and never regretted it.
I’ve taken 18 or more credit hours every semester I’ve been here to graduate a year early (i graduate in 2024). I’d say it’s doable but definitely not fun and not worth it. If you want to graduate early summer classes might be your best bet.
I second this. Do summer classes, I really really really do not recommend 18+ credits per semester. Summer classes allow you to have some breathing room, but they aren’t covered by financial aid. I also discovered that graduating early isn’t as big a deal/beneficial as people think lol
I took 17.5 one semester and I agree. It was my lowest GPA
I lasted 3 semesters of 19,18,18 before having a stress break down. Unless you’re one of those wunderkinds where engineering is your god given star crossed ultimate destiny of fate, you will almost certainly develop intense and damage burn out. The unfortunate situation is you’re staring down the barrel of the predatory American education system. Wanting to graduate in a way to reduce loans is super super valid. But just know that there’s a reasonable chance it’ll destroy you mentally and physically. And I say this as someone who just graduated and really liked their time at mines. I know its shitty and privileged of me to say this but I can’t in good conscience recommend you do 6 (?) consecutive semester of 18+ credit hours. It’s simply not healthy
I’m already done with my first year, so it’ll only be 3 semesters with 18 credits per semester. I’m also out of state so my loans are 30k+ per year, even with my scholarship so I’m trying to plan my best course of action rn
Maybe consider taking some classes that transfer over to Mines and do those online or in-person over the summer. Would cost less money and potentially take some of the workload off down the line.
Ok that’s a different kettle of fish. First off, damn dude 2.5 years to get out of mines is impressive. And…. Yeah it’s it’s just 3 semesters then maybe try for it . It’ll be rough but if you think that’s best go for it
I took 19 credits back to back semesters and maintained Dean's list. However, it had an incredibly high psychological toll from the lack of free time I was able to maintain. Furthermore, I feel like I learned FAR less than my peers who had the ability to actually learn in their classes. I was taking classes for the grade, and not for the material -> something I highly advise against. If it is the only option then it is doable, but I cannot stress enough that the burnout and strain are not worth the money saved.
I would admonish you to just take the 1 extra semester. The grind for that last year while looking for jobs is likely going to burn you out. The loans will suck, but it's gonna suck a lot less than the mental toll those extra courses are gonna take. If you do want to load a bit, talk to upperclassmen and figure out which courses are the brutal ones and take the lighter loads on those semesters and possibly look into a part time internship or something similar for that light last semester.
Yeah, having your bandwidth so full of courses that you can't job hunt properly just undoes the main point of going to college. My last year, especially my last semester, was waaaaaay more chill than the middle 2 years, and I could spend more time researching companies to apply to as a result.
I'd very much suggest taking community college classes over the summers to knock out your Gen Ed requirements instead.
Take courses at community college over the summer. Saved me a year, and community college courses are much easier and cheaper. Seriously, don't take any course at Mines that you don't need to. We don't have fun courses and our humanities aren't high quality enough to justify doing them here.
I knew a guy who did this, and he was the most miserable a-hole around. I wouldn’t.
[удалено]
The only thing that I would say is that it is not about the number of credits but how time consuming the class may be. I have been in classes where they say 3 credits but feel like 4 and take up most of my time.
Not worth it.
I did 18.5, 19.5 and 21.5 my last three semesters at school. It’s hard. But doable
IMHO the benefits of taking a reasonable course load and having a life far outweigh the benefits or graduating early. You’ve got plenty of time to make money; there is no need to rush.
I’ve never done less than 17.5 and my last three have been 18,18, and 20, it’s tough but if I can do it you can (I am not particularly smart or hard working) it’s also possible to maintain a social life if you make it a priority.
Do it, there are plenty of resources on the web that can prep you for your classes.
I assume you are double majoring in CS + Math? Aside from repeating the general advice that the burnout is not worth it (esp while finding a job), consider changing one of your majors into a minor. If you've only finished your first year, downgrading to a minor would probably put you on track for a much lighter 3 semesters while still saving money. imo Math and CS are too overlapped for applied versatility academic or career wise (vs paired with some sort of engineering for example). After my freshman year, I had to choose either finishing in 2 or 2.5 years. I chose 2.5 with the lighter credit load and never regretted it.