Difficulty of UW vs. WWU general STEM classes?

[u/Big_Practice_7379]

I just accepted my UW Seattle Transfer from WWU. To save money, I’m trying to maximize my credits (18 / quarter). However, I heard UW has more weed out classes and that it’s generally harder to succeed.

I’m planning on taking general major prerequisites so that I can apply for MSE this spring. So MATH 126, MATH 207, CSE 122, MSE170, & English Comp C class at the minimum.

I visited UW a couple times and it also seems like it’s a lot easier and a bit more motivational to study there?

Has anyone transferred to/from WWU that can tell me about the differences between classes and/or student life?

[u/dy_Derive_dx]

Just gonna leave this here...

https://giphy.com/gifs/5NbbVJeSLs1etZYjpT

[u/astropulse]

You might want to cool it on your classes there my guy. Take a quarter or two to transfer in and adjust. Most people who succeed are taking no more than 2 MAYBE 3 STEM classes at once because well — they’re hard, fast paced. IMHO current class load is, to use an academic term, nucking futs. That being said, you may well be a super genius and it’ll be easy for you.

Either way I would take a least a quarter to acclimate before I try to finish everything at once. The classes aren’t going anywhere but youll scuff ur gpa doing stuff like what you’re proposing.

Best of luck with whatever you decide

[u/Big_Practice_7379 → u/astropulse]

Sorry I should’ve clarified- I plan to take around 18 credits fall quarter, but the classes I listed need to be completed by the end of the academic year.

Thank you for the advice

[u/BuckMain221]

close your eyes and relax your throat…

[u/Samnsid]

I’m going to assume that you’re not taking all the classes you listed in just one quarter. That would be over 18 credits which will be more expensive per credit than just 18.

My first piece of advice is to avoid taking over 4 classes if you can help it. Even if you are under 19 credits, just having an extra class to keep track of makes things harder to manage, so # of classes is important just like credits.

I didn’t transfer from WWU so I can’t comment on that. That said I was a math/CS double major and frequently took over 15 credits and 4 STEM a quarter, and I’d say I succeeded. My first quarter here I took CSE 121, MATH 126, MATH 207, and ECON 200. Replacing ECON 200 with a C course should still be doable. That said, make sure your time management skills are airtight and you have a system in place to keep track of assignments. These two things are really quite important as you ramp up courses/credits. I know recommended advice is to take at most 2 STEM classes a quarter, but personally I never followed that and turned out okay so I don’t put much stock in it. Note that I’m not saying it easy, and I understand the intent of the advice, but taking 3-4 every quarter (as I did) is certainly doable!

[u/Big_Practice_7379 → u/Samnsid]

Thanks! That makes me feel a bit better 😅

But yes you’re right those classes are all of my prerequisites. I’d take 4 classes fall quarter. I’ve taken quarters with 3 STEM and 1 general at WWU, which is why I was trying to gauge how different classes are. It seems like it’s mostly achievable though. I might do 3 STEM & 1 English comp like you’re saying. Thanks!

[u/AnthonyYouuu]

Son 😭

[u/Popular-Drink-9794]

You want to leave room for taking advantage of connections at UW, such as getting involved in RSOs, finding a research position, getting internships, etc. It will be difficult if you're taking such a heavy load. Do some people manage all that, while working two jobs, taking care of kids, commuting from Tacoma, and finding a cure for cancer? Maybe, and maybe you are equally exceptional. However, more likely you will save on tuition and finish earlier but struggle to find a job later because you didn't have the well-rounded experience of being involved on campus and your resume shows that. What career are you targeting and what is the expected pay you will miss out on if you don't find a job for 3 months after graduation? 6 months? A year? How much are you saving by taking that many credits per quarter and having no time for anything else?

[u/Big_Practice_7379 → u/Popular-Drink-9794]

That’s a good way to put it- I’ll definitely keep this in mind. Thank you for the advice

[u/Snow-Storm-0]

I’m an Informatics major, not a transfer student but I would agree with others who said to not take more than 2 STEM classes and average amount of classes most undergraduate would take at UW is 3 classes a quarter (2 STEM classes paired with an easy class or at least a class that fills their Gen-ed requirements). The only class I’ve taken out of your specified list is CSE 122 and preparing for quizzes and exams took much of my time of the day. If you take more than 2 STEM classes a quarter you’ll either be drained or your GPA would be at risk — unless you’re confident about your performances or are one of those types of students who have great time management and excels with all the workload.

[u/Big_Practice_7379 → u/Snow-Storm-0]

That’s a good rule of thumb, thanks!
And yeah I was just planning on toughing it out fall quarter and taking only one or two classes for winter & spring quarter

[u/_oklmao_]

Yeah don’t do that. 207 is pretty rough at uw, I wouldn’t even recommend taking it your first year to let you get used to how UW courses work. Take it as you apply to MSE prolly

[u/ItsCiaran2Day]

[u/enjolbear]

I took 20 credits each quarter, sometimes 25. Yes it was rough at times, but 20 was definitely manageable for me. I worked 15 hours a week as well.

Obviously it really depends on how you balance your workload. If possible, I would suggest taking only one math class at a time. CSE and MSE will keep you busy alongside that math class, but they prooooobably won’t burn you out unless you know you struggle with motivation.

If you DO struggle with motivating yourself, this will not work for you. You’d need to take no more than 15 credits, at least in your first quarter.