Trimester/Quarter System vs. Two Semester System

[Anonymous]

It sounds like Northwestern and Dartmouth are two schools that work on a quarter system, rather than a two semester (+ summer) system. As we understand it, students typically take classes three semesters of the four (the fourth being summer, which is actually a required on-campus quarter for Dartmouth students after sophomore year.)

We'd love to hear from anyone at a college (or with a DC at a college) with this type of system. What do you think?

How many courses do they take per semester? Do these courses cover as much ground as similar courses taught in a peer two semester school? How does that work load feel?

Also, does this mean more kids opt to spend a semester or more of their year off-campus pursuing internships, research, or other types of applied learning? Or do more opt to stay on campus over the summer to take classes?

Or do students at these schools literally take more classes (4 x 3 semesters a year x 4 = 48 classes) and get "more" of an education than their peers at schools with a more typical two-semester system (4 x 2 semesters a year x 4 = 32 classes)?

Any other thoughts about how the quarter (trimester) calendar impacts the student experience?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

It means the classes move faster (they have less time to cover the same material). Usually these students take 4 classes per semester instead of 5 and the school year starts later (late September). Has pros and cons. Can take more classes over 4 years, but is faster paced and the schedule is different from other schools which can make summer jobs tricky.

[Anonymous]

Everyone I know on this schedule hates it.

[Anonymous]

University of Denver is also on a quarter system. DC's friend went to Northwestern. The only thing I have heard is that he was still at home with all his friends having started freshmen year weeks to a month earlier. Although, on the University of Denver tour, we heard it can be easier to get internships because students on a quarter system are available when other students are not. I am not sure how true this is because many internships are advertised for specific time frames. But, these schools may have connections that help.

[Anonymous]

There are other schools in it including state schools. Both my DH and I were at schools on the quarter system. It moves fast and both of us loved it. We have two in college now and both wanted quarter system. The only one thing we noted is study abroad is easiest in fall or summer. No problems with internships or anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like Northwestern and Dartmouth are two schools that work on a quarter system, rather than a two semester (+ summer) system. As we understand it, students typically take classes three semesters of the four (the fourth being summer, which is actually a required on-campus quarter for Dartmouth students after sophomore year.)

We'd love to hear from anyone at a college (or with a DC at a college) with this type of system. What do you think?

How many courses do they take per semester? Do these courses cover as much ground as similar courses taught in a peer two semester school? How does that work load feel?

Also, does this mean more kids opt to spend a semester or more of their year off-campus pursuing internships, research, or other types of applied learning? Or do more opt to stay on campus over the summer to take classes?

Or do students at these schools literally take more classes (4 x 3 semesters a year x 4 = 48 classes) and get "more" of an education than their peers at schools with a more typical two-semester system (4 x 2 semesters a year x 4 = 32 classes)?

Any other thoughts about how the quarter (trimester) calendar impacts the student experience?

Thanks.

Kid is at an LAC with a trimester schedule. They like it. It does not mean they are getting “more of an education” as the hours of instruction per year work out to about the same. What it means is they change courses more often, which means it’s easier to try something new; ie, it doesn’t represent as much of an investment of your total course count available. It also means they don’t have schoolwork hanging over them on winter or spring breaks. It also makes it easier if you are an athlete who wants to take a less intense load when in season. At their school (Carleton) the norm is 3 full credit classes per term rather than the usual 4, so each single class actually meets for more time and assigns more work, which might work a little better if a student’s learning style is to go deeper on fewer things in a given week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It means the classes move faster (they have less time to cover the same material). Usually these students take 4 classes per semester instead of 5 and the school year starts later (late September). Has pros and cons. Can take more classes over 4 years, but is faster paced and the schedule is different from other schools which can make summer jobs tricky.

This is why my applicants ruled out these schools in favor of traditional semester schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know on this schedule hates it.

I was on the quarter ststem at my slac. It moved much too fast. You are finishing week one and suddenly you realize you have papers due in four subjects at the same time midterms are looming.

[Anonymous]

I went to quarter system schools for both undergrad and grad. Carleton undergrad. We took 3 classes per term. We finished fall term before Thanksgiving which was great. We had to be back right after new years and ended later in spring than semester schools. I liked the 3 class approach as it allowed for more focus, even if it was at a faster pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means the classes move faster (they have less time to cover the same material). Usually these students take 4 classes per semester instead of 5 and the school year starts later (late September). Has pros and cons. Can take more classes over 4 years, but is faster paced and the schedule is different from other schools which can make summer jobs tricky.

This is why my applicants ruled out these schools in favor of traditional semester schools.

At our trimester school students get 6-7 weeks off for winter break making internships then easy. My kid had three good offers, and might use one to test things out at a company with an eye on a longer stint there next summer. I think it can work well either way.

[Anonymous]

It’s great for the right person. I did semesters as an undergrad and trimesters at Dartmouth for my MBA. Semesters aren’t good for procrastinators and if you make some bad course selections, it is a very long 4 months. Trimesters are good if you train yourself to not procrastinate, but for complex courses or ones with heavy reading and writing loads, they can move a bit too fast.

It’s really important to choose experienced professors for trimester classes, because the worst possible scenario is a guest professor from a semester institution trying to compress their syllabus into a trimester.

Regarding Dartmouth’s undergrad schedule: I have a lot of friends who are alumni and they loved it. It was easier for them to get certain competitive internships (especially in DC and in NYC/LA) during winter or spring term. Finance can be a little tricky depending on how traditional of a path someone wants to take. But I know enough people who did the investment banking route that it can’t be impossible.

[Anonymous]

*PP and I meant to say that semesters are good for procrastinators. But I actually think they’re bad because they allow that behavior to continue. Quarters/trimesters trained the procrastinator out of me and I wish that’d happened earlier in my adult life!