Uchicago - how crushing is the quarter system?

[Anonymous]

Hi, does anyone have any insight as a parent of current student (or current student) into how the quarter system at Uchicago works in terms of volume of work? DC is really interested in school but I am concerned that it would by really hard to slog through so much work. DCis a strong performer in a rigorous high school, but has slower processing speed so it takes longer to do work.

[Anonymous]

I personally didn’t like the quarter system. I like to mull over things and the quick term was less successful for me.

Other people like the fact that things you don’t much like are over quicker.

Makes no difference for language classes, or even for intro math classes.

YMMV. For me it was harder (I transferred from near ivy to ivy so I saw both at rigorous private schools), but other people think it is great.

[Anonymous]

I found it crushing. I got straight As every fall and winter quarter, but never did as well in spring quarter because I was so drained. Intellectually, it was a great experience because I really had to push myself, but it makes it hard to do all the other stuff students are supposed to do (apply for internships, jobs, scholarships, network).

[Anonymous]

My DC at Dartmouth says it is intense and fast paced. You have to work everyday and be good at time management.

[Anonymous]

If you don't think you can handle it, then you aren't the student you think you are.

[Anonymous]

My sister went to UChicago for undergrad and I went for grad school. It’s very challenging, but for a motivated and smart kid, it’s definitely doable.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on how many courses are taken. The advice is usually to start with 3 per quarter in freshmen year to acclimate. However, I don't believe my kid was unusual in taking 4. The thought being it would leave him room to drop whichever one he didn't like. It never happened though and there were quarters I thought he was burning too many candles between studies, ECs and recruiting. But he apparently didn't. The university now allows up to 5 classes per quarter which leads me to believe there is demand for that pace. My kid could graduate junior year and that's with two majors. He is not alone in that. Many of his friends are in the same position and interspersing their last two years with travel abroad and internships or adding a masters degree. I don't know how these kids do it. However, this isn't everyone. There are kids who basically take 3 classes and have a lot of down time. The key is that the quarter system allows the flexibility to pace the undergraduate experience they way they want. I would say the only down side is if you get sick, it's tough to catch up. But I think there are options to drop or take an incomplete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't think you can handle it, then you aren't the student you think you are.

If you have nothing helpful to offer, then please scroll on by.

The pace is different. Better for some, worse than others.

[Anonymous]

Has DC been admitted?
Slower processing speed ?? Unless you exaggerate that doesn’t seem especially compatible with the quarter system. They go from 0-90 in week one. There’s not a ton of downtime.
But honestly all colleges have difficult work depending on the major. Your DC will have to figure out what’s right for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't think you can handle it, then you aren't the student you think you are.

If you have nothing helpful to offer, then please scroll on by.

The pace is different. Better for some, worse than others.

It’s true though - why sugar coat it?

[Anonymous]

To give you an idea of how much downtime there is if a kid takes 3 classes per quarter - my DC is also an athlete w 4-5 hours of practice a day plus also a research assistant and a TA and part of a social club. To do all this, you need discipline in time management.

[Anonymous]

My SLAC was on the quarter system. I would have preferred semester. I felt I was just getting settled into the class and a midterm or paper in all three courses were due. But Chicago is a fantastic school. I wouldn't give that up just because of the quarter system

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't think you can handle it, then you aren't the student you think you are.

I was PBK @ Harvard and am pretty sure, watching my DC currently at UChicago, that I would have found the quarter system crushing. Probably still would have gotten excellent grades, but the system would have sucked a lot of the joy out of learning. I like to explore, read everything that’s assigned (as well as stuff that isn’t), and then have time to synthesize and reflect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To give you an idea of how much downtime there is if a kid takes 3 classes per quarter - my DC is also an athlete w 4-5 hours of practice a day plus also a research assistant and a TA and part of a social club. To do all this, you need discipline in time management.

That's true but a kid doesn't have to do athletics or sign up for multiple activities. If all you did was three classes plus may be one EC, there's plenty of non class time to focus on papers and studying. My point is that to a large degree the schedule pressure can be self-driven. Unless you are on work-study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To give you an idea of how much downtime there is if a kid takes 3 classes per quarter - my DC is also an athlete w 4-5 hours of practice a day plus also a research assistant and a TA and part of a social club. To do all this, you need discipline in time management.

That's true but a kid doesn't have to do athletics or sign up for multiple activities. If all you did was three classes plus may be one EC, there's plenty of non class time to focus on papers and studying. My point is that to a large degree the schedule pressure can be self-driven. Unless you are on work-study.

Don’t you generally need 4 courses about half the time (and 3 the other half) to accumulate enough credits to graduate in 4 years?

Also, workload may be a function of number/selection of courses (with the latter not always in the student’s control, both because lots of (STEM?/core) courses are sequences and because undergrads do get shut out of top choice classes), but pace is a function of the length of the term.