<p>It was a huge difference from semester to quarter when I was a freshman in undergraduate (not at NU), but after having finished my degrees, I can say I preferred quarter over semester. The fact that breaks came after finals (and not in the middle of a term) played the biggest role in my being focused throughout my studies. If I were halfway through a term, spent two weeks getting trashed in Mexico, only to return to class, I’d have been a much worse-off student.</p>