Hey guys!
I need some pros and cons for each system! If you know someone who could easily answer this, please tag them.
I’ve been accepted into 4 colleges so far for Psychology major:
UCI Honors (Quarter)
Cal Poly SLO (Quarter)
UC Davis (Quarter)
SDSU Honors (Semester)
After I got waitlisted at my dream school (UCSD) I’ve asked myself if I’d honestly be able to handle the quarter system. I guess I’m also a little biased already because I live in San Diego and really want to stay at home (implying SDSU). I’m pretty sure that even if the quarter system ends up being perfect for me, I’ll already have a negative view of the other school(s) because I’d have to move away from my family.
I’m a hard working student and I’ve taken many AP classes (Well, only 5, but that is a lot for me because I have ADHD and anxiety). 4.18 W GPA, 4.18 UC GPA, 3.92 UW GPA, 33 ACT Composite. Would going to a school with a quarter system (aside from being away from home) be overwhelming? Are the classes too quick? Is there no down time?
What are the pros and cons of each system?
P.S. If you have any info regarding these 4 schools/ their psychology programs I’d greatly appreciate it!
Thank you B-)
I went to UC Davis and liked the quarter system. You don’t have much time to drop a class if you don’t like it (I think quarters are only 10 weeks long) but you have the option of fitting in more classes and if you really despise a class it’s over in 10 weeks. It really isn’t too overwhelming to do quarter classes. And, of course, I’m biased since I attended UCD (I was a Psych major, too!), but really it’s a great school and a fantastic city. You should visit.
Davis does not offer a Clinical Psychology PhD so I found that the Psychology program was more geared toward graduate study in the other areas of Psychology (social, comparative, etc.). But really, it’s a wonderful school.
PS I also have ADHD and anxiety. I liked the fast pace of the quarter system. Not much time to get bored.
An academic year is 30 weeks of instruction. The semester system divides it into two 15-week semesters (summer session is usually an 8-week half-semester). The quarter system divides it into three 10-week quarters (summer session is usually another 10-week quarter).
A year long course like frosh-level single variable calculus will be divided into three pieces under the quarter system, versus two pieces under the semester system. However, some courses may be compressed. For example, a 4 semester credit course may be taught as a 6 quarter credit course under the quarter system, with one-and-a-half times as much class time and work per week over two-thirds as many weeks.
Note that 1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credit.
I went to a college with a quarter system. It’s really not that big a deal, but a quarter system does mean you have 1 additional round of papers and exams per academic year. It also means you get to choose more courses (although, where I went, many courses were 2 or even 3 quarters long, so depending on your choices there may not be much difference over 4 years.)
On balance I’d prefer a quarter system, but other differences usually ought to matter more.
The main advantage of a quarter system is you can finish up a course quicker.
My son considered WPI which is on the quarter system… The students generally have three classes that end after 7 weeks so it is over quick. By the end December, two quarters are done and six classes completed. A typical semester system will be a 5 class load. The quarter system puts you one class ahead. By end of freshman year you are two classes ahead.
My son prefers a semester system because it allows time to breath. The quarter systems work so fast that if you fall behind it is easy to become swamped. If your the type who does really well with immersion into fewer classes then a 4 quarter system would work well.