<p>Delaware has a 2 month long winter break. Do many students take a few weeks off in December and then return for a 5 week Winter Session? Do you like having Winter Session, does it give you the opportunity to take 1 or 2 harder classes and focus exclusively on them, so you don't have to deal with those during a regular "fullly loaded" semester?</p>
<p>I have friends here that are skaters and they have practice all the way through winter break. They say taking 2 classes is hard to do but they take one and it's doable. It's a good way to not have to take 5 classes a semester.
Loads of people use the time to study abroad which is pretty cool.
You can stay in your dorm for free but have to buy a meal plan. I know that tuition for winter is pretty $$$ for OOS studends though.</p>
<p>Freshman year most students go home for winter session, but after that a lot stay. Like you said, many will take the harder classes during winter session just so they can focus more time/energy on them. Also, some may get their language requirement over with over winter because it's 4 credits and that may be difficult to schedule during the regular semesters. I'm a freshman, and I took a course online and lived at home so I could work. It was cheaper, pretty simple, and I got to earn money, so it was a great situation for me.</p>
<p>I took winter session Freshman year and by April I was crazy burned out. But if you get breadth requirements out of the way over Winter, that shouldn't burn you out (I took a hard science). Also, if you want to get invovled in research, you can get a stipend to stay in the dorms and research full time--I did that this year and it was a great experience.</p>
<p>Ebola, why is the school doing freshman housing by major this year. Have you heard? Don't most kids want to mix with kids that have a variety if interests? And who knows if a kid might become fascinated with something they heard about a subject they would never have taken.</p>
<p>The school has been doing freshman housing by major for some students for several years. The difference is that this year all students will be grouped in this way (except possibly for Honors students who live on East Campus). There are several advantages to this method of housing assignments, and they largely have to do with aiding the transition from high school to college. Living with students in your major allows you to immediately make connections with people you will take classes with for years to come. It also helps students form study groups and, on those first few days of classes, makes them a little more comfortable.</p>
<p>As to the obvious concern about lack of educational diversity and only being around people who are similar to yourself... The program doesn't group people in, for example, a "Biology Residence Hall". Rather, half of a floor may consist of bio majors and the other may be poli sci majors, with chem majors living above you... Most people seem to enjoy this system</p>
<p>S is currently a Jr. at UD. Winter break is approximately 6-7 weeks long, depending on last day of finals. He has used winter break each year as a study abroad option. To date, he has studied in Martinique, Geneva, and Paris. He has had the benefit of studying in three different locations abroad without missing any of the action on campus fall or spring semester, and has met his foreign language requirements as well as requirements for his major. This gives him 2 weeks at home prior to going abroad, and the benefit of 6-7 credits over winter session. We see it as a very positive aspect of UD's 4-1-4 caldendar.</p>
<p>Are the study abroad programs very competitive? I am sure that they take limited numbers of students, and especially if they are during Winter Session, then even more students applying?</p>
<p>Some fill up more quickly than others. They aren't competitive by GPA if that is what you mean. They like to have a good mix in each group which is why you might get credits in 2 very different areas. You could be a history major studying the history of the natives of somewhere while traveling with art majors interested in painting them. You really have to be aware of the deadlines. Some are much earlier than others. Another good thing about them is they change as the professors' interests change, so there aren't the same trips every year.</p>
<p>Most of the programs require an online application as well as a teacher recommendation. Many of the programs are open to incoming freshmen, as well. In that case, they will accept a high school teacher or GC reference. The more popular trips may require an interview. Last year Geneva (international economics), and this year Paris (history), had more students applying than spots available.</p>