<p>Can anyone explain the 10 week semester more clearly. Does a class meet three times per week like normal at other colleges or more times per week to make up the slack? Are assignments (problem sets or papers) different as well because the pace of material is quicker? Are some classes more manageable than others?
etc, etc, etc</p>
<p>a 10 week term is typically named a 'quarter'. Approx. 20% of American colleges are on the quarter system, including most UCs, the Univ. of Chicago, Stanford, Northwesternl, and several liberal arts colleges (which call their term a 'trimester'). In a standard quarter college, the material appears to move much faster, but for the many classes it doesn't. Frosh Chem is Frosh chem, whether taught over 3-ten week terms, or 2-15 week semesters; the big difference is one more midterm and final under a quarter system, which is both a plus and minus (chance to improve grade or the alternative). On a quarter system, you would take fewer classes per term (typically need to average ~4 to graduate on time), than a semester (typically 5-6).</p>
<p>But, Dartmouth's quarter system is different. Frosh chem is two quarters, not three. So, the D-Plan is quicker. But, at the same time, you only take a standard of 3 classes per term, literally half the courses that you might take on a semester system.</p>
<p>Most classes meet three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or two times a week (Tuesday, Thursday) So, Dartmouth students spends less time in a classroom than people at schools where you take 4 or 5 classes at once. Dartmouth students have a larger chunk of each day to manage as they see fit.</p>
<p>"Most classes meet three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or two times a week (Tuesday, Thursday) So, Dartmouth students spends less time in a classroom than people at schools where you take 4 or 5 classes at once. Dartmouth students have a larger chunk of each day to manage as they see fit."</p>
<p>Each course, regardless meeting 2 or 3 time a week, has a scheduled but not necessarily used X-hour meeting. Some professors use the X-hour more than others. In addition to that, each laboratory course has a lab meeting of 3 to 6 hours weekly. I would suggest that the work load of 3 courses a term is not light at all.</p>
<p>I didn't say the course load was light! Just that schools where you take 5 course at once often finds kids in the classroom for the bulk of the day. Other schools have x hours, labs AND two more courses. In fact,Kids in other schools on a science track are more apt to take two lab courses at the same time. Just saying Dartmouth kids aren't sitting in classrooms as much as many other college kids.</p>