<p>Like the topic says, I was wondering how "free" winter break for UCI really is. I'm used to high school winter breaks where we get 2 weeks off, but it's really 2 weeks to do the pile of stuff teachers piled on us before winter break.</p>
<p>UCI, however, has a quarter system, where we take our finals right before winter break. Does that mean we (I'll be a freshman) actually get the weeks off to do what we want, like travel aboard, vacation, etc? Or do we have projects and stuff due the first few days of 2nd quarter? </p>
<p>Thanks to anyone here that can help. (Biological sciences major, if that has any effect on anything)</p>
<p>you’re totally free for winter break. you usually don’t get work ahead of time for a class before the quarter actually starts, although i’ve heard some teachers do give out assignments or readings.</p>
<p>Yeah it all depends on what classes you take. Some teachers like for Literary Journalism or English “suggest” that you start reading ahead so they assign you some pages to read for the beginning of class. But other than that, you’re totally free. Same thing for Summer Vacation and Spring Break.</p>
<p>These “readings” and “assignments”… are they anything too strenuous? Like reports/essays that’ll take days? Or are they something that can be done in one day if someone really sits down and concentrate?</p>
<p>^ Haha, I know, but I was gonna use it to catch up with friends, or just to have fun. Never liked the idea of teachers giving hw in winter break</p>
<p>What sucked most about HS was that after winter break we were always back for a week and then had finals; we had to spend winter break STUDYING!!! lol</p>
<p>i’ve never been given any assignments beforehand so you’ll have to wait for a reply from someone who has… but i doubt it would be something like a paper due before you’re even learning anything</p>
<p>Nope like I said, usually teachers will just say “Read pages 4-25 by the first day of class so we can discuss it.” Sometimes I read it and sometimes I don’t, but in college you have to hold yourself accountable. No one is going to get on you to do homework or anything, so if you don’t turn in an assignment, you get a zero and that’s it.</p>
<p>All your breaks are free. The quarter system runs for 10 weeks, then a finals week after that and then you’re free on your vacations. That’s the thing I liked the most about it was that they couldn’t assign you homework during breaks, which gave me and my friends ample time to catch up during these times. And no, your future teachers won’t give you any early reading or early homework to do during those breaks. So ENJOY THEM!</p>
<p>except for maybe hum core, no classes will ever make you do reading/assignments in the breaks. a lot of kids end up taking year breaks between typical sequence classes (chem 1a frosh year, take other classes, take chem 1b soph year… see it with physics a lot)</p>
<p>sometimes you will get emails from profs like 1-2 days before class with some “assigned” reading. although you can play the “i havent checked my email” card and they really can’t do anything. nor will they. </p>
<p>the only exception will be any research you do with professors. you may even come in on weekends during the year to do work.</p>