<p>I was looking at Northwestern's calendar online, and it says that Commencement is June 17th. Does Northwestern really end that late? I thought most colleges got out weeks ago?</p>
<p>Yeah. It’s late. However, finals are over about a week before that.</p>
<p>sallygirl-NU is on the quarter system, not the semester system. They don’t start classes until mid-September, the 20th next fall, and the last week of finals is the first week in June.</p>
<p>Actually finals are the second week of June, the first week is reading week. One thing about trimesters is that you certainly get your money’s worth!</p>
<p>Graduation in 2014 is June 20th. My daughter just got home two days ago. The quarter system is intense!</p>
<p>amtc-sorry, of course you are right that finals are the 2nd week in June. I should know that since my NU child just arrived home on Saturday.</p>
<p>It’s also the third round of classes you’re in by the time you’re done in June. You get a “real” spring break (no homework or classes in progress) in late March, and you get to start all over with new classes when you come back. You get out late, but it’s an after-effect of what I would call a benefit of the quarter system, getting to take more classes than you would on the semester system.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the info. My current school is on a quarter system as well, and the schedules sound pretty similar.</p>