Quarter Vs. Semester

Student Lounge College Life
81

<p>well, I would like to say that your articles don't actually help your argument...</p>

<p>Your first article, <a href="http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/articles.asp?ID=18755%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/articles.asp?ID=18755&lt;/a>, gives pros of each system. For example, they say that the quarter system allows the university to offer more classes for the student. "About 25 percent of the courses we currently teach would disappear in a semester system," shows a nice benefit of quarters. Smith, the person who said the last quote, also says that "students learn faster in the quarter system."</p>

<p>the 2nd article doesn't really say anything besides results of polls in the 70's.</p>

<p>the 3rd article doesn't say anything besides they are thinking about looking into seeing if they should think about changing.</p>

<p>the 4th article is pro semester.</p>

<p>and the 5th article has pro semester quotes in it, but also gives rasons why both systems are good and what both systems offer that the other one doesn't.</p>

<p>To go along with the whole idea that it doesn't matter what system a school is, a good student going to a good school is going to get a good education, here is an article. <a href="http://acm.ewu.edu/csd/semester_vs_quarter/index.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://acm.ewu.edu/csd/semester_vs_quarter/index.asp&lt;/a>
go to the first link. They explicitly say over and over that there is no clear cut winner. College is what you make it out to be, the only major concern with the quarter system seems to be administrative costs, which should not be considered when deciding which school will give you the best education. I would say more, but I need to study for a Test. heh.</p>

82

<p>ok this topic isn't really going anywhere...seems like it's a matter of preference</p>

83

<p>so what would you prefer?</p>

84

<p>I already said: semester system. quarter system just seems too rushed</p>

85

<p>Fei that is your own opinion. I personally didn't choose Northwestern (where I attend) because it operates on the quarter system. I chose which school could offer me the best education that fits my needs and interests.</p>

<p>Semester and quarter systems both work fine.</p>

86

<p>funny thing, my woman is sitting right next to me yelling and complaining how she cant take the classes she wants at uc irvine b/c of GE requirments. i thought you would have the time to take all the classes you want on quarter system? too bad so sad.</p>

87

<p>If you haven't fulfilled the prerequisites, you can't enroll in the classes you want regardless of whether it's a semester or quarter system.</p>

88

<p>she cant take the classes she wants at uc irvine b/c of GE requirments</p>

<p>funny thing - she's not complaining about the quarter system, but GE's... which, I might add, you'll find at the vast majority of colleges.</p>

89

<p>
[quote]
its too easy: <a href="http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/articles.asp?ID=18755%5B/url%5D%5B/quote%5D"&gt;http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/articles.asp?ID=18755

[/quote]
</a></p>

<p>"UCLA administrators and faculty are considering following a recent trend in public universities to move from quarters to semesters.</p>

<p>The change would be costly and involve changing every course on campus, but administrators and faculty are willing to do this for what they say will improve the quality of education"</p>

<p>"I have not yet met anybody who has been in both extensively who believed that students learn more in the quarter system," said Chancellor Albert Carnesale.</p>

<p>While Carnesale would not say if he approves of the change, he is concerned about how much students can learn under the current quarter system</p>

<p>"There are not very many first-rate universities in the country that have stayed on the quarter system," Carnesale said.</p>

<p>Hey don't mind me, I'm the delusional guy with the nonsequitur argument and extremely flawed logic right? Haha, seriously posters on this board crack me up.</p>

90

<p>Afterhours, what others said doesn't make what your said right earlier. LOL! Don't try to use quotes from others to hide your own mistake, please. By the way, did you FINALLY understand the basic concept of event spaces and sets? </p>

<p>Well, I work in LA and a few of my coworkers graduated from USC. Funny how during a professional seminar, I was the only one who could recall redox by micros and interacted with the speakers while those from USC looked clueless and confused. So much about needing more time to absorb. LOL! The students at CalTech, Stanford, Northwestern, and UChicago all seem to learn pretty well....</p>

91

<p>That article doesn't say anything about semesters being better. It just says quarters might not be better.</p>

92

<p>I wouldn't trade quarters for semesters in a heartbeat. Go Northwestern!</p>

93

<p>
[quote]
Afterhours, what others said doesn't make what your said right earlier. LOL! Don't try to use quotes from others to hide your own mistake, please. By the way, did you FINALLY understand the basic concept of event spaces and sets?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You're right, I'm sorry for quoting an unbiased chancellor of a top class university and citing the sentiment of the school's adminstration and faculty. What was I thinking? Maybe I should relegate my argument to hearsay and biased opinions. </p>

<p>Also I understood it the first time you said it. It took me a semester, but damn did I get it down! P-hat forever! </p>

<p>
[quote]
Well, I work in LA and a few of my coworkers graduated from USC. Funny how during a professional seminar, I was the only one who could recall redox by micros and interacted with the speakers while those from USC looked clueless and confused. So much about needing more time to absorb. LOL! The students at CalTech, Stanford, Northwestern, and UChicago all seem to learn pretty well....

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well good for you, do you want a gold star? For someone that went to UChicago, Northwestern, and Stanford, you sure seem to get defensive. But I understand, to go to those schools you have to be near perfect and rarely be wrong. I guess slighting a university and its alums to reiterate a point is just a case of the ole competitiveness you held as a undergrad - can't blame ya! I'm shocked that you actually have SC co-workers. Are you sure they are "co-workers"? Not minions?</p>

94

<p>
[quote]
That article doesn't say anything about semesters being better. It just says quarters might not be better.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You should be a politician.</p>

95

<p>"she cant take the classes she wants at uc irvine b/c of GE requirments</p>

<p>funny thing - she's not complaining about the quarter system, but GE's... which, I might add, you'll find at the vast majority of colleges."</p>

<p>my point, genius, was that even with the ability to take more classes on the quarter system at uci, my woman still cant the classes she wants. againa, great retort.</p>

96

<p>MrTrojanMan, you are an official A+ Moron.</p>

97

<p>look, i spent minimal time on the net and found articles from UC's mainly saying how and why semester sytem is better than quarter system. unless you can find any kind of evidentiary support to back your empty claims, i suggest you not speak on it.</p>

98

<p>"Afterhours, what others said doesn't make what your said right earlier. LOL! Don't try to use quotes from others to hide your own mistake, please"</p>

<p>there's nobody better to quote than carnisale himself. that northwestern, stanford, chicago education really paid off, huh?</p>

99

<p>"MrTrojanMan, you are an official A+ Moron."</p>

<p>what a great argument for the quarter system.</p>

100

<p>I, personally, enjoy the quarter system. I can see some of the benefits of the semester system -- lower cost for the uni, more time to really get into the meat of the material -- but I still prefer the quarter system. I agree with the previous posters who said that it's really a matter of preference.</p>

<p>The difference between the semester and quarter system is (generally speaking) about 1-2 classes per year (3 quarters X 3 classes per quarter = 9 classes on quarter, 2 semesters X 4 classes per semester = 8 classes on semester), which is a remarkably small number considering the amount of debate that goes into this. </p>

<p>So, why I like the quarter: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Material is fast. I'm one of those people who get bored quickly in a stagnating class, so constant fresh material keeps me on my toes. </p></li>
<li><p>Since I have 3 classes per quarter instead of 4 per semester, I actually get MORE time to devote to the various subjects. This is particularly useful now, in my freshman year, while I'm taking a variety of classes, including those in subjects I may not be so adept at. </p></li>
<li><p>If I don't like a subject/class, I can at least look forward to the fact that it won't last too much longer (a good 5-6 weeks shorter than classes on the semester system); if I do like a subject, the quarter system often has many others like it that are offered the following term (which may not be true on a semester system, because there are certain things they 'have' to cover over the years). </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Why I don't like the quarter: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Material is fast. Sometimes, it's very difficult to take in so much information in such a short period of time. </p></li>
<li><p>Constant deadlines! I always have some papers due, some midterms, finals come quickly, and there are always projects going on. </p></li>
<li><p>About the time I'm taking midterms, priority enrollment begins. That's right: when I'm halfway through my classes for this quarter, I already have to be thinking about what I want to be taking next quarter. </p></li>
<li><p>In addition to in-class deadlines, there are administrative deadlines that seem to come up awfully quick. For example, dropping a course is allowed only up until the third or fourth week of the quarter, which often isn't enough time to get to know whether or not that would be advisable. In addition to this, if I do decide to drop a class, because the material in other classes is running so fast, I'll often come in and have a LOT of catching up to do.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>For me, the pro/con weighing comes in qualitatively, not quantitatively. I value the three points in favor more than I am irritated by the four points against. </p>

<p>MrTrojanMan, while it is unfortunate that "your woman" can't take the classes she wants because of GEs, I agree with Icarus in that it isn't because of the quarter system but because of the GEs. Most schools do have GEs, and if you don't have them satisfied through APs/previous college work, you are going to have to take them during your undergrad years. If she had been going to a school with semesters, I'd wager she'd probably have the same problem, because GEs take up an average percentage of the classes that you need to take regardless of the quarter/semester debate. </p>

<p>In the end, my major preference for the quarter system comes from the way I approach education in general: a place to introduce me to basic concepts, to engage me in various ideas and give me a chance to explore what I'd really like to learn, and then a place to give me access to deeper knowledge in whatever areas I wish.</p>

<p>In a sweeping, generalized and probably untrue statement based on my experience and my experience alone, I'd say quarters work best for the aggressive student and semesters are more for the passive student. I don't mean that the passive student is not active about their education, but about their learning: they'd probably be better served by going over the material at length, having it presented to them by a knowledgable body (like a famous/esteemed professor) and going from there. Passive is not negative! A student on the quarter system (who enjoys it), then, is probably more likely to get the surface value of the material and seek out reputable sources to verify it/work with it. I guess, in that sense, I'm saying the quarter system has no room for extraneous information, while the semester system allows a more tangential approach.</p>