How many classes to take
Obtaining a bachelor's degree at Iowa requires a student to earn 120 to 128 semester hours (s.h.) of credit.

Full- or part-time
Most individual courses at Iowa are offered for 3-4 s.h., and students are classified as "full-time" when enrolled for a minimum of 12 s.h. per semester (or about four classes). This might not seem like a lot of work, but professors recommend that you spend at least two hours studying outside of class for every semester hour of credit a course is worth.

For instance, if you enroll in a 3 s.h. class, expect to spend three hours in class, plus six hours each week outside of class reading, studying, and working on assignments for that course. Going to college is a lot like having a full-time job.

The typical first semester includes between 13-17 s.h. To graduate in four years, you need to take an average of 15 s.h. per semester, but some students may not be ready for this course load and may want to take fewer semester hours in their first semester in order to lay a foundation for success.

Class formats
Course material is presented in several different formats, including:

• Lecture/discussion—Many introductory-level courses are presented in this format, which involves meeting two to three times a week for a lecture and once or twice a week for a discussion section led by a teaching assistant (TA).
• Lecture/lab—This format includes a lecture given by an instructor two or three times a week and a smaller group lab session led by a TA that meets once or twice a week.
• Single section—These are generally small classes that meet two or three times per week and are taught either by professors or TAs.

Plan with your academic advisor
Success in college is measured not just by your total semester hours earned, but also by your grades and growing grasp of University life. Learning to manage your time and make good choices will help you make a successful transition to Iowa.