<p>I've heard a lot of talk about Dartmouth's quarter system being a lot more stressful and overwhelming compared to the traditional semester system. Anyone want to comment?</p>
<p>I don't know precisely about Dartmouth's quarter, but Northwestern also uses quarter and some NU students said that it definitely contributes to increased workload and they're always working. At the same time, they said they never get sick of classes or professors when things get dull.</p>
<p>In the quarter system...are there finals every quarter? How do they wrap up the classes?</p>
<p>It's more of a trimester deal because one of the quarters is during the summer, but the D-Plan is still one of the coolest things about Dartmouth.</p>
<p>D is an 08 at Dartmouth. Right now they are in the winter term with the first set of midterms being held next week</p>
<p>As you know they attend school on a 10 week quarter system. On the quarter system where the normal course load in each of the four terms of the academic year is three courses. A student may without permission or extra charge undertake during a college career a four-course load up to a maximum of three times</p>
<p>While two- or four-course loads are allowed within specified limits, no matriculated undergraduate may have in any term a load of fewer than two courses or may in any term take, or receive credit for, five or more courses. </p>
<p>She has 1 class that meets (tues/thurs) and 2 classes that meet pn (M,w f). In addition each professor has an additional X hour each week which they can use to hold class. Some professors only use their X-hours for review sessions while others use their X hours each week making the class meet from 3 to 4 times a week. </p>
<p>If you take a foreign language, there is a required a 45 minute drill 4 days a week outside of the normal 3 x per week class time and X hours (D's spanish drill met at 7:45 in the morning). </p>
<p>If you take a science with a lab, your lab can meet from 4 to 6 hours per week (depending on the course). Things happen at a very fast pace as the students have 2 rounds of midterms and final exams each term. </p>
<p>One thing that D has told me about the quarter system is that you must really stay on top of things. Not doing the reading/assignments or missing a class (even due to illness) can really set you back. </p>
<p>She find the only down side is that she leaves for school much later than the rest of her friends at other colleges, she is the last one home at the end of the year she has an earlier winter break than her friends like 3boysnjmom says it can be a pain backing them up to go back on jan 2 when every one else is jus getting into the swing of being home.</p>
<p>Even this tends to balance it self out because she only feels bad until she gets back to school :)</p>
<p>Yes, the quarter system is more stressful. 3 quarter classes is probably the same amount of total work as 4 or 5 semester classes, but sometimes you need a longer amount to digest all the information which you don't get with the quarter system. It also makes the enviroment more of a grind and less intellectual.</p>
<p>That being said, there are some humanities classes that, if done right, could work under the quarter system, but math or sciences do not.</p>
<p>dcd:</p>
<p>I would disagree with your analysis. Frosh Chem is Frosh chem, whether taken over three quarters or two semesters. Ditto, Calc, Bio, Physics, et al. IMO, quater vs. semester is indifferent for the sciences, particularly the first two years. </p>
<p>Where a quarter can be limiting is that 1) there is little time to get sick, and 2) ten weeks is a short time to 'digest' enuf humanities material and be able to write a thoughtful 8-10 page term paper about the subject.</p>