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I am a huge fan of the quarter system, and think that every school should be one it. It takes a bit of an adjustment - finals really sneak up on you first quarter of rist year - but after that it’s the perfect pace of work. Classes generally move at just the right pace (obviously dependent to the professor), and you rarely get the feeling of stagnation or boredom that comes near the end of semesters. Also, classes that need more time than a quarter are spread out into sequences that span 2-3 quarters. For instance, Intermediate Micro/Macro are each 2 quarter sequences. Calculus and Real Analysis are both 3 quarters. I’m pretty sure one of the standard bio sequences is like 5 quarters. So the system offers flexibility for classes, to find the right length, rather than having every class forced into semesters.</p>
<p>Generally classes range from 0 to 3 midterms. Quizzes and other examinations are rare, and are usually token completions if they exist. The quarter system is perfect for 1-midterm classes, where you’ll have a midterm around 5-6th week (Note: 10 weeks of classes, 11th week is finals week). It’s also very nice for 2-midterm classes, with midterms around 3rd-4th and 7th-8th week. A couple of classes, most notably general chemistry, try to stuff in 3 midterms, which is pretty horrible. 3-midterm classes are pretty rare, but if you’re a science major be ready for genchem (which will screw you over in all kinds of other ways as well).</p>