<p>It’s true that Yale requires 36 semester-courses to graduate, so people have to take 5 courses in half of their semesters. And it’s common for people to try to take 5 courses in both semesters freshman year, because the introductory courses are considered somewhat easier than the later courses. It’s also common for people to take more courses than they need to graduate, because many people there really like taking courses.</p>
<p>Harvard only requires 32 semester-courses to graduate, so four/semester is the norm there.</p>