Overloading isn’t something to be taken lightly, especially at Boston University. This semester, I am taking twenty credits because I want to be able to take a bunch of fun and exciting classes for my major.
For those of you who don’t know, overloading is when you take 5 or more classes exceeding the 17-18 credit limit. It doesn’t seem like a lot, I know, but trust me….those who have overloaded know how much work it really is.
Not only is it the class time you need for these classes, but also the extra homework time, crying time, exam time, and heartbreak you have to save! Honestly, it is quite tiring.
I decided to compile a list as to why people overload based on a few students who have overloaded in the past or are currently overloading. Here it goes!
1. You have a lot of prerequisites.
This is probably one of the most common reasons for overloading at Boston University. Since almost every major here is incredibly intensive, students sometimes have to overload in order to finish up their prerequisites on time to take a required class for their major.
This is partly the reason I have to overload. There are a ton of amazing classes to complete a Journalism major at BU and in order to have the ability to take them, I have to take a bunch of pre-requisites first!
2. You studied abroad or want to study abroad, so you have to catch up.
Studying abroad, probably one of the most fun experiences I have ever had, is absolutely one of the best experiences that BU has to offer. Therefore, a lot of students want to participate in it. However, when studying abroad, it is hard to take the exact classes you need to graduate. So at some point, if you came into BU with no AP/IB credit, you might have to overload depending on your major.
3. You have a lot of lab sciences, so you need to overload.
CALLING ALL SCIENCE MAJORS! I didn’t believe it was true for the longest time but alas, it is. When you’re a science major, you have so many labs, pre-labs, discussion, and lectures that you need to do before you can take major-specific courses. Because of these requirements, a lot of students studying science tend to overload in their early years of university so that they can graduate on time. It’s crazy, but it’s true.
4. You want to graduate early!
This is my main reason! In order to graduate early with a journalism degree, you have to overload for a semester or two so you have all of your major requirements done. This applies to a lot of majors at BU as well. If students want to graduate early, typically at least one semester is overloaded. This is totally cool, but you trade in your sanity for that overloaded semester.
From all the people I talked to, these were the most common reasons for overloading. I’m not saying these are the only reasons, because that’s just not true. Everyone has their own reason for overloading, but just know, no one just WANTS to overload. Typically, it’s out of necessity. If you see your friends struggling while overloading, give them a little pat on the back. They definitely need it.
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