Can I take more than 30 units in my first year as a Life Science student? I'm left with 2 elective courses after all my mandatory ones for my second year program and I want to take French which takes up those two. But I also want to do Psych 1X03 and 1XX3 because the MCAT now has psych on there. Will solar let me do it or am i supposed to contact someone or am i just not allowed? Anyone have experience with this stuff?

Hey Adam

A good question. It isn't recommended that you overload yourself with extra courses, because you'll want to not get overwhelmed or have so many projects on the go that it gets hard to handle them all. Your stress level will be through the roof!

However, it IS possible to do, but requires permission and a certain average to do so.

A similar question was asked in the forums, and one of the MI staff, Jeremy, found this quote from McMaster:

"Overload Work: If you wish to take more than the normal number of units prescribed for a Level, you may do so only with the permission of the Office of the Associate Dean of your Faculty. Normally, a Sessional Average of at least 7.0 in the immediately preceding review period will be required if an overload is to be permitted. Additional academic fees will be assessed for overload work."

Overloaading in first year is a mistake. Your first year is your most important year at McMaster academically, as your first year grades will be the determinant of what paths are open to you. Other than Honours Life Science and Honours Chem, all Honours non-Physical Sciences programs (such as Bio, Biohem, Chembio) are all limited enrollment and thus require a much higher average than the stated minimum of 6.0.

Once you are in the program you have some room with your average as you only need a 6.0 Cumulative to stay in Honours or a 5.0 cumulative after 120 units to graduate. That is to say, you would need a 6.0 at your most recent review to continue in Honours, but if your average remains a 5.0 after your final session, you are still eligible graduate. With the extra average room, you can afford to take some risks. Load up on easier electives in first year where you can and avoid Physics 1B03 unless it is required for entry into your program.

You CAN raise your average after first year, but it is hard to do. For example if you take some number of units in first year and average a 6.0 and then take the same number of units the next year and average a 10.0, that is still only 8.0, which won't be enough for most programs. Assuming that you wouldn't be permitted to overload in second year, your average would come out even lower. You could conceivably get your average up enough after third year if that's what you wanted to do, but all the while, core courses for the program you want would be closed to you and it would tack two or three extra years onto your education.

The other option you have is to take those courses you would overload with in the summer, since grades are only reviewed after sessions of at least 18 units. The results of the summer session would be irrelevant to your acceptance in a program if you were accepted from your fall/winter grades.

Unless you are absolutely certain that you want Honours Life Sciences, Honours Chem, or a three-year program, overloading in first year is in no way advisable.