<p>In a discussion with my girlfriend (a UCLA student) and friends of mine, we were discussing the various merits of the semester system vs. the quarter system when she pointed out that with the quarter system, it's possible to take only three classes every quarter for one's time at UCLA and still graduate in four. Having distinctly remembered someone of this board say that some quarter you must take 4, I argued "well, probably only with AP's," but she replied her friend who isn't minoring is and has only taken 3 classes/quarter and is trying to find some way to spread her classes out so that she doesn't graduate in less than four. Is this true? Do you guys only have to deal with 3 classes a term - assuming no double major/no minor/no AP credit?</p>
<p>5 units a class x 3 classes = 15 units a quarter</p>
<p>15 units a quarter x 12 quarters (4 years) = 180 units</p>
<p>180 units are needed to graduate. </p>
<p>the catch is that not all classes are 5 units each. most people fluctuate between 3 or 4 classes. factors include getting the classes that you want, AP/IB credit, how fast one wants to finish college, double major or minoring, the difficulty/length of your major, etc.</p>
<p>I called about this, and you are right. If you use your AP credits, you could potentially go over the 180 needed to graduate. If you get to 230 credits, you are forced to graduate. Many want to use the AP credits to graduate early, but if you get to 230 including the AP credits, but you don't want to graduate, then they will just not use the AP credit.</p>
<p>eh, like flopsy said, most people fluctuate between three and four classes a quarter. I know a lot of people who take only three classes the majority of the time.</p>
<p>"don't most students take 4 classes (16 units) every quarter? "</p>
<p>yea you're right because when you hit upper division classes, most of them are actually 4 units instead of 5. therefore,</p>
<p>4 units a class x 4 classes = 16 units a quarter</p>
<p>taking 3 classes would mean only 12 units... but there's no rule to this because students combo up 5-unit classes and 4-unit classes and maybe add 1-unit fiat luxes or 2-unit performance classes or 2-unit(?) research credits. haha</p>