Quarter-System

<p>For students who go there, do you like the 10-week fall, winter, and spring terms? Do you feel like you're always studying or studying just enough with time for partying and extracurricular clubs?</p>

<p>i would like to know this too. it seems kind of intense.</p>

<p>i think it sounds cool because it keeps you on your feet but i'd appreciate it if a NU student talked about this? Please?</p>

<p>depends on the school. engineering students are very busy with the engineering grind while the people in the music/education&social policy schools never complain. it seems to me for communications students, the busier their schedule gets, the more fun they enjoy (like a hobby). it's hard to generalize for wcas. it also depends on how smart you are of course. nu does have a good social scene and many people play hard.</p>

<p>i want to double major in wcas...do people typically have one major or two?</p>

<p>I'll start with the cons:</p>

<p>You'll be working hard MOST (I want to say all, but admittedly no one works during week 1 of every quarter) of the time.
You'll be having midterms starting the third week of school through the rest of the quarter every week or so and then finals right after you finish your second set of midterms.
You'll be taking three sets of finals. Yes.
You'll be getting out of school a month to a month and a half later than your friends back home.</p>

<p>The pros:</p>

<p>You'll take 12-15 classes a year. More variety, better chance for your GPA to recover from a bad grade in one course.
You'll never have anything to study over your breaks, you'll have finished your finals before you go home for winter or spring.
You'll be chilling your butt off at home until the last week of September. But no one will be around, so this can be a con too.
It is ridiculously easy to pursue a second major, adjunct major (Int'l Studies, Global Health, Business Institutions, etc.), or do a study abroad or field study. You'll have plenty of time to finish everything or maybe graduate a quarter early if you'd rather do that.</p>

<p>That's about it, I think.</p>

<p>I am an adult--not a student--poster who is familiar with Northwestern University. The students tend to be actively involved in extracurricular activities while energetically attending to their classwork. Northwestern University is a school for motivated & involved students. There is a spirited social life on campus. There are also substantial social opportunities in the adjacent, upscale shopping & dining area of Evanston. Easy access to Chicago shopping, dining & entertainment. Lots of high quality student productions on campus. The four course quarter system is demanding and creates a great deal of appreciation for leisure time--which tends to be used creatively and enthusiastically by most students. Double majors within the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences are common. Application to NU is made to one of six schools, with the largest school being the WCAS and the smallest being SESP. The music school requires an audition and is the second smallest school at NU. It is uncommon for WCAS students to double major outside of the CAS, but students in the other five schools at NU are permitted to double major, and minor, in the WCAS.</p>

<p>A printout from the Office of Undergraduate Admission at Northwestern University reveals that the NU Class of 2009 enrolled 1,056 students in the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, 210 students in the School of Communications (which includes the highly regarded theatre/drama dept.), 40 students in the School of Education & Social Policy (the only such undergraduate program in the country, and it is really more like attending graduate school), 368 students in the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science, 169 students enrolled in the world renowned Medill School of Journalism and 109 students enrolled in the School of Music.</p>

<p>Double majoring is made much easier under Northwestern University's four course per term quarter system than under the traditional five course per term semester system or under the usual three course trimester/quarter systems because students are able to take substantially more courses over a normal four year undergraduate period of study. Over four academic years, the normal number of courses completed at Northwestern University is 48 versus 40 under other schools' semester system, and versus 36 courses under the typical trimester or quarter system. Of course, NU students are able to take even more courses if so desired.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Of course, NU students are able to take even more courses if so desired.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I knew a girl from Hong Kong double-majoring in EECS/econ, getting CO-OP certificate (6 quarters of CO-OP), AND doing ULP (undergrad leadership program) all in 4-years. I didn't know her well and don't know the specifics how she did that. But one time when I ran into her, she told me she was taking 6 classes.</p>

<p>yeah, while the quarter system certainly has its downfalls, it does allow you the opportunity to do a lot of different things. i'm a freshman and i took 5 classes winter quarter and am doing so again this quarter, its hard but not impossible.</p>