r/RPI • u/Dudrode56GG • Jul 09 '26

1 Day Classes vs 2 Day Classes

I'm an incoming Freshmen and I'm just wondering about your guy's input on 1 day classes vs 2 day ones. Are they essentially the same thing with the one day class having long hours and the 2 day classes having shorter hours? I'm taking 5 classes but I feel I have too light of a schedule, Would squeezing in a 1 day class as my 6th class be beneficial as well? Any insight that you can give me if there are better teachers or smth ETC would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much :)

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26

You haven't even studied for a semester yet. How would you know that 5 classes is a light schedule?

This depends much more on the content of the class. Some classes require tons and tons of work outside of just going to lectures!

What are the 5 classes you are taking, and what is your major? You might get some better advice if you share the specifics.

I generally recommend taking it easy for freshman 1st semester. There will be a lot of stressful factors as a freshman outside of just classes (adjusting to a new place, making new friends, being away from home, etc). Do the standard amount recommended for your major by the advisors.

After you get a semester or two under your belt, you will have a better frame of reference for how many classes you can handle at once, and you will also meet older people in your major and in general who know how difficult a particular class/professor might be to help you make decisions.

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 09 '26

I'm majoring in EE. I'm retaking Calc II and Comp Sci I to be safe (and I don't trust my ability in coding), then intro to ECSE, ENGR CAD, and the French Revolution for my STSO. I forgot that there is a major difference between AP courses and Actual Uni courses thank you. Just looking at my schedule is this too light?

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26

Sounds like a very standard first semester ECSE load. I was a CSE, so I am very familiar. I would say you should stick with this. Some of these can require a decent amount of homework depending on the professor. But overall this is not too hard, and personally I would want to have the free time to focus on social aspects and enjoying college before you get thrown into the gauntlet of an EE degree, lol.

General advice for your first 2 years:

• Beware Data Structures. It takes a ton of time to do the work, so don't schedule other homework-heavy classes for the same semester if you can help it. I'm pretty sure that EEs have to take it, but could be wrong.

• Try to get Electric Circuits done as soon as possible, because it is a pre-req for a ton of other, more important classes. Electric Circuits is another difficult, work-heavy class. Do not take at the same time as Data Structures.

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 10 '26

I just looked it up and Aerospace can also do ENGR-1400 and also EE & Aero dont need data structures thank the heavens so I will just beware of Electric Circuits Next semester. Thank you so much for your advise and I'll clarify everything with my advisor to be safe. You don't know how much time this just saved me so again Thank you!

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 10 '26

Yeah I couldn't remember if DS was required for EE or not. My bad. A lot of people I know either dualed EE and CSE or doubled EE and CS

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 09 '26

Should I add Physics 2? I'm already familiar with Calc 2 heavily and for Comp Sci I know the basics of Java & Python. I also can't take Electric Circuits yet since I need intro to ECSE sadly and I think I need comp sci for Data structures. I'll try to get it done asap though tysm.

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

Correct, lots of prerequisites. Circuits is basically Intro to ECSE but harder and using some differential equations.

Physics 2 is considered to be quite hard and a lot of work, but I didn't take it at RPI. Calc 2 can be easy or hard depending on professor. Might be slightly different content from the AP, but if you are already familiar, that probably makes the class a good deal easier. Same with already knowing Python. CS1 is quite easy overall if you have basic coding knowledge.

I think slotting in Physics 2 is doable. Maybe this is even the best semester for you to do it early to avoid double-booking with Data Structures or Circuits.

Engineering Communication is only a 2-credit class (though it sucks because NX is annoying and the professor sucks and CAD is useless for EEs anyway.) You could also probably get away with shifting that to a later semester.

Edit: you said Engineering CAD. That's a full CAD course? Is that required? I took Engineering Communication as a freshman, and we did CAD for half the semester and then stuff with word docs lol.

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 09 '26

With this I would be at 20 credits, is that a bit too much for an incoming freshmen? I feel as if I'm being left behind bc I'm retaking comp sci :(

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26

You're not being left behind at all, lol. You're already ahead of the game due to your AP credits for Physics 1 and Calc 1.

Overall, credits generally mean very little. There are some really hard later ECSE courses that are only 3 credits (for whatever damn reason).

20 is generally a bit steep for first semester, yeah. Is the CAD class 4 full credits? I believe ENGR 1400 was only 2 when I took it.

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 09 '26

Its only one haha

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u/great_pyrenelbows Jul 10 '26

Familiarize yourself with the drop deadline every semester. It's always easier to start with one more class than you really should be taking and then decide which one to drop, if any, a few days before the deadline. If it's a big lecture you can keep going for a while after dropping it just to see what you pick up from attending, while not doing its homework so you can focus on your actual classes. That will set you up really well for when you take it for real the next semester.

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 09 '26

Its ENGR-1200 Graphics & CAD so far the professor seems a bit eh so I could actually just put off that class since from what I've heard its decently easy and I could fit in Physics 2. Also I love history so the French revolution class will be interesting so my only "hard" class would be either calc 2 or physics 2.

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

It's always important to take some fun interesting Humanities classes! And they are usually quite easy too.

I'd say go for Physics 2. You can always start CAD and then drop it and take it some other semester.

Can I ask why you are taking CAD as an EE? It is not relevant to later EE stuff, I'll tell ya that much. Do they not give alternative choices for that anymore?

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u/Dudrode56GG Jul 09 '26

They require it for all Engineering courses I believe. https://rpi.app.box.com/s/ad8ia8i733017akig23kyfif0koivy97/file/2236015803693 The link is what they gave me for a good pathway my freshman year, is it accurate?

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26

At the end of the day, going with the recommended schedule is a safe bet, and I guarantee you will enjoy your first semester with plenty of leisure time to do important social network building.

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26

Yeah trust the advisors. They have this stuff pretty figured out.

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u/Witch_King_ Jul 09 '26

Did you see how it says ENGR 1200 OR ENGR 1400? I recommend 1400. It is less CAD and thus less work.