How Many Classes Do You Take In College? (Suggestions Guide)
A shift from high school to college is not that easy.
It’s a journey of increased independence, where you transition from a tailor-made schedule to deciding your academic journey yourself. In high school, you just have a routine that begins in the morning & usually ends in the afternoon.
However, the moment you step into college, millions of questions come to mind. Which courses should I choose this semester? How many classes do you take in college? Should I keep my schedule the same as my friends or look up to my potential? And so many more.
If you just started your college journey & feel a bit lost then don’t worry as it’s completely normal, & we’re here to answer all your concerns. So, keep reading for your sanity.
How Many Classes Do You Take In College?
Since most colleges have a minimum requirement to take 12 credit hours, which means you’re required to take 4 courses per semester. This is what you should at least aim for if you want to complete your degree at the right time.
This is also up to you and your potential to manage your workload. Some students take 18 credit hours per semester and then some students take 12 credit hours. There is no right or wrong approach to choosing the number of classes. But remember that the more credit hours you take, the faster you’ll be graduating.
Also, if you think you can manage more, then the ideal situation is to take 5 courses per semester. It is safest because later if you feel too much baggage then you can drop the course as well. Anything more than 5 courses per semester can be mentally draining for a student. That’s why 5 courses are the perfect option!
Classes Per Day In College?
On average, every student takes 3 to 4 classes a day in college, where one class is typically around 1.5 hours.
It depends on your credit hours per semester. If you have 6 courses then classes per day would be the maximum and if you have 12 credit hours then it will be the minimum. So, the number of classes you’ll take in a day is correlated with the number of courses you have selected.
Number of Classes In College
The typical number of classes a student takes daily in the first two years is 4, while the number of these usually drops in the last two years to 3 classes per day. Here’s a table to further illustrate this point.
How Many Classes Should You Take A Semester?
It differs from student to student but it’s typically advised to take 4 to 5 classes per semester. Some students have the hardest degrees to study and then there are students with an easy syllabus. So, the opinion of a student studying engineering won’t make sense to someone who is studying arts. But still, we’ll discuss other aspects as well.
As a Freshman
As a freshman, you should opt for 6or 5 courses. Because the introductory courses are very easy plus the faculty are easy on the students as well. Since students are new most of the faculty make sure not to put too much burden on their students.
Other than that, starting courses is way easy to make the most out of it. You can secure good grades and even a 4.0 GPA. After that maintaining, those GPAs doesn’t get too tiring.
As a Sophomore
As sophomore students opt for intermediate courses, it is better to take 5 courses. It is the year when your courses start to get a little bit harder. Also, you start to make up your mind regarding your electives.
But, it depends on your future goals and current situation as well. As most of the students start their internships or part-time jobs as a sophomore maybe choosing 4 courses might be the safest option.
As a Senior
It is a moment when you officially choose the electives and with it, most of the students are actively seeking different opportunities. During all this chaos, this gets so haphazard that keeping the right track on the studies gets laid back.
This is the only reason, why it is considered to complete most of your courses in the junior or freshman year. So, later you are only left with the hardest ones which mostly include research and thesis.
As a Junior
15 credit hours is a good number to choose as a junior, this means you are opting for 5 courses. Your schedule per week will be lenient as well. While making all these schedules and choosing several courses, never forget to keep checking on your progress.
Always make sure to meet the college average requirement to avoid any issues in the future. Also, now and then make sure to visit the college counselor to know whether you are on the right track or not.
The College Time Table
In college, students have the privilege to make their schedules themselves. Students can plan the timetable up to their feasibility and their preferences. This is the advantage of manual registration. For instance, if one day is a long tiring day then they can choose to keep the next day short. They can also keep their weekends free or plan a holiday on a desired day.
Following is an example of a typical college timetable.
You may refer to the questions below if there’s still some confusion regarding the topic.
Is 4 classes a lot to take in college?
On average, taking 4 classes is not a lot to take. It is the minimum requirement of most colleges. If you go any less than that, you might not be able to pursue the semester. If your courses are easy then there is no need to worry as it is easily manageable.
How many classes do you take a day in college?
Most students take 3 to 4 classes per day in a college. It might sound too much but 1.5 hours class isn’t too demanding for students. Also, if you are taking 5 courses on average then you would have to go 4 days per week. So, in the end, you are getting 3 days off as well.
How many classes do most college freshmen take?
Most freshmen take 4 to 5 courses in college. 5 courses are not too much for them as starting courses are less tough and the easiest to secure good grades in.
How many classes do you take at a time in college?
Sometimes I would take 3 and other times 4 classes at a time. If the courses are of my interest then, those hours pass by in a minute. As a student, we witness the opposite of it as well.
How many hours a day does a college student go to class?
The student spends 4.5 hours per day on average in a college. Although it mainly depends on the number of courses you take, 4.5 hours per day is an average ratio. And with breaks in between it is easy to manage.
College life is a big change in terms of everything. However, choosing the right amount of courses and being certain about it is challenging. If you are going through the same phase then it is completely normal, we all have been in that time.
And if you are still questioning, how many classes do you take in college? Then our advice about choosing the number of courses would be, to know your potential, courses, and life goals, and plan a perfect schedule according to it. Also, plan your timetable in a way that the week doesn’t get too dreadful for you. Lastly, don’t forget to maintain your GPA.