Registering for the first semester of college can be intimidating. Freshman orientation maybe didn’t prepare you enough for this decision. Some freshmen choose to follow the course catalogue suggestions, while others question and maybe even debate with academic advisors to create a schedule that fits them. Whatever type of person you are, how can you confidently know how many credit hours you should take?

Before tackling this question, there are several other questions you should answer. Consider these preliminary or introductory questions before deciding on your credit load.

Preliminary questions

What is a credit hour?

Most public high schools in the United States use a system called the Carnegie Unit to award academic credit. Under this system, high school students’ credits are calculated based on how much direct contact exists between students and teachers. Some high schools use a proficiency-based learning system or competency-based learning. This system awards credit based on students learning certain skills, like reading, before graduating from high school.

Why do either of those learning systems matter? They matter, because college credits are somewhat different. In college, you receive 1 credit for every 1 hour you spend in class during a typical week. So if you take a 3 credit class, that would mean you spend 3 hours in class each week.

A credit hour is literally credit you receive for each hour of class time. Each college class will typically range from 1 to 3 credit hours. Keep in mind this doesn’t include labs or other course requirements.

How many credits do you need to graduate in 4 years?

Every major differs on the exact number, but in general most colleges require somewhere around 120 credit hours to complete a bachelor’s degree—a 4 year degree. In contrast, most high schools students have to receive somewhere between 18 and 24 credit hours to graduate.

Some majors, especially those heavy considered STEM, require more credit hours. Your college course catalogue or your academic advisor can help you find this information. But keep in mind that the number of credit hours takes place over years, not months. Do not allow yourself to get overwhelmed now, because you don’t have to finish all of those credits in one semester or one year.

How many credits do you need to maintain scholarships?

If you’ve received scholarships, you must consider these before choosing your credit load. Remember that scholarships are typically based upon merit, not need. Therefore, you likely have to maintain a GPA-level and/or a specific credit load to continue receiving money from that scholarship.

Be sure you know the exact specifications of your scholarship before choosing your credit load, especially if you know you will struggle to maintain your GPA at a certain level. Make sure you will be able to maintain your scholarship for all 4 years, rather than losing it due to poor planning on your part.

How many credits do you need to be considered a full-time student?

Colleges slightly differ in how many credits they require for the status of full-time. However, most consider somewhere between 12 and 15 credit hours full-time. Check with your course catalogue, college website, or academic advisor to ensure you know this number.

You may be wondering why knowing how many credits you need to be a full-time college student matters. It matters, because you do not have certain privileges or opportunities if you take less credits than the required amount. For example, if you do not take enough credits, you may not be able to live in the dorms. You also may be ineligible for certain clubs or groups at college.

Being a full-time student may not be possible for you academically or financially, but knowing the required number of credits to be considered a full-time student helps you plan for success.

Preliminary considerations

So, how many credits should you take during your first semester or year of college? It depends. Your perfect credit hours number may be more or less than than other freshmen. And guess what? That’s ok.

It doesn’t matter how many credits other new students can handle. You have to find out what works for you. Before discovering a specific answer, you need to consider these 3 things.

Consider your transition ahead.

Moving away from home, living in the dorms, and beginning college are all big steps. Some students quickly adapt to these changes, while other students take months or even a year before they fully adjust to college. Both students are normal, but their ability to adjust to college and the speed of their adjustment can impact how many credits they should take.

How do you react to change? Are you quick to step up and take initiative? Are you hesitant and unsure? Knowing how you react to major life changes can help you assess how many credit hours are best for you.

If you are someone who struggles with major life changes, you may want to consider taking less credits than you know you’re capable of during your first semester. Why? You need to give yourself time to adjust.

I would consider myself someone who struggles with major life changes. I get quiet, contemplative, and entirely too introspective. I second-guess myself and doubt even my most basic abilities. So when I came to college, I needed to take less credits. I was capable academically, but adjusting to the other parts of college was more difficult. Taking less credits than I was capable of was one of the best choices I made.

Consider your academic capability.

Some students have serious academic limitations. Whether they have dyslexia or extreme anxiety issues, they know they are limited when compared to other students. You may not be a student with a learning limitation, but you have a fairly good idea of what you were capable of in high school. While college won’t be the same as high school, you have a good idea of what you might be capable of in college.

College tends to be much more academically rigorous than the average high school. If you were a straight-A student in high school, know that you may be able to earn straight-As in college. However, it will be much harder to do so. If you were an A/B student in high school, know that you can do well in college if you work harder.

In most high schools, students know that technically C is an average grade, but in their mind they may view earning a C as failure. In most colleges, new students need to realize that C is truly average, meaning that the majority of students in a class will earn a C.  

This change of perspective is difficult for many freshmen students to grasp, especially the perfectionists and the academically driven. They think of anything less than an A as failing, which just isn’t true. Expect that you will need some time to adjust to the difficulty of college classes and your college schedule.

Consider your work hours.

Some students choose not to work during their first semester or year of college. Others don’t have a choice but to work, due limited to finances. If you do choose to work during your first year of college, carefully consider how your work hours may affect how many credits you take. 

Most colleges encourage students to plan on spending at least 2 hours studying for every credit hour they take. If you take 12 credits, you should plan on spending at least 24 hours studying each week and 12 hours in class each week, totaling 36 hours. If you work 10-20 hours a week, you have at least 46-56 hours of every week occupied with class, studying, and work. Considering only 24 hours are in a day and 168 hours are in a week, school and work leave little time for anything else.

These numbers aren’t meant to scare you, but they should help you to see that working does put a limit on how much time you have to work on school. Consider how much work you need to cover your expenses and then decide how much time you have for your courses. Knowing this fact will help you determine how many credits you can truly handle.

So, how many credits should a college freshman take? In my personal opinion, no more than 16. Being busy doesn’t make you a better, smarter, or more successful student. It just makes you busy. Being wise with your credit load is often the key to your academic success. Don’t fall into the trap of taking on more than you can handle just because other students can.

Know your limits. Plan for your success. Choose the number of credit hours that gives you the best chance of succeeding. This number is the amount of credit hours you should take.