This! Intro language courses are a nice balance. My DC has also used classes like Stats and comp sci for balance. Your brain needs a break from all the reading. Balanced course load is key. |
Is that all classes or just core? I had to take 5 classes most semesters to fulfill all requirements for engineering. 4 core plus a non-engineering elective. 16-18 credits/semester. |
4 classes, 4 credits per class, for 16 credits total a typical semester, 20 if you overload, at a typical LAC or ivy. |
Because you did engineering, which tends to be curriculum heavy. LACs with engineering, like Harvey mudd, have similar curriculum expectations. |
My kids go to a somewhat competitive public high school on the west coast and repeatedly I hear their friends in college are getting 4.0s at schools like Stanford and Berkeley. So our school seems to be preparing kids well.
I went to one of the LACs mentioned (from a public school in Midwest) and it was tough, tons of reading. I didn’t see a big difference in performance among my friends, some from regular public hs like me, and others from fancier privates like Philips Exeter, Andover, Harvard Westlake. But I’m sure there were private school kids who breezed through college as well as public school kids who did well. My smartest friend from college was from a non magnet public school in the Midwest. Econ major and professors hoping she would go into academia. She went to Wall Street lol |
I have one at Swarthmore. Has taken on a lot, 5 credits a Semester, music, campus job, clubs. Deals with the workload like a champ and looks forward to getting back to college this fall. His tips
1. Try to finish assignments when you get them versus creating a backlog. 2. Don't waste time. Eg., If you've got an hour between classes get some work done. It might be too short for a Philosophy essay, but you could get some math problem sets done. 3. A lot of the reading can be in heavy hard to read language. Focus on gleaning the meaning rather than caught up in the sentences. You have to learn to read quickly. |
Do you think it’s major dependent tho? What is your son’s major ? |
Just concerned bc my child too went to extremely hard school amd junior year was brutal and I, like lots of parents helped organize some of the work and scaffolded. Also all the comforts of home. Now I’m worried when he goes off will be too overwhelming |
I no longer care if he doesn’t get all A’s in college once he’s in college. Even all B’s is fine by me but I’m worried… he was top student in HS but again he had scaffolding |
all of these schools are grade inflated including swarthmore they are rigorous but well over 60% of the grades distributed in class are As; Cs are almost unheard of these schools provide excellent academic advising and support hence their high graduation rates |
Thank you so much! I’m literally not sleeping at night I’m so worried |
This. Advanced STEM classes would have 10 page super hard problem sets due every week. They would take me literally 48 h of actual work time to complete - for one class. And I also had a job unlike all of your lazy ass rich kids |
What’s the point of thousands of pages of reading and studying all the time in highschool and college. Life is about so much more and social skills are more important than anything else. |
My son's doing Engineering+Mathematics. He's taken Philosophy, English classes too. Because of AP credits his Math classes started at an advanced level. The Engineering classes so far have had an extra Lab class associated with it. Phil and English have significant reading components. Students who’ve done well in high school under a rigorous curriculum are already well-prepared for the academic demands of college. They’ve developed the discipline and time management skills they’ll need — college may turn the dial up a notch, but it won’t be unmanageable. And importantly, it’s not all grind: students do find balance and have fun. |
Thank you so much! This group chat is so helpful ![]() |