Quarters vs Semesters which are harder

aquapt
Sun, 05 May 2019 17:28:41 +0000

I think it’s a rare student for whom quarters-vs-semesters should outweigh other factors. Most people can make either one work for them. There are pros and cons either way. Quarters allow a little more variety/exploration but also the hassle of an additional round of registration each year. The faster pace of quarters means that it’s tougher to recover from setbacks like illnesses; but then again, for some students, the longer timeline of semesters can pose more of a temptation to procrastinate and end up even more crunched at the end, because then you’re behind in 4-5 classes instead of 3-4! So, it takes discipline either way.

If I were you, I would map out my approximate course plan at both schools and see how the different subjects end up being distributed. Yes, computer science type classes can get intense on the quarter system, but then again they may get spread out such that you’re only taking one such intense class per quarter, whereas on semesters the more intense classes could get doubled up. Look at the actual path to your degree at each school and compare how the classes would be grouped. If one looks significantly more humane than the other, then you have your answer. If it’s a toss-up (more likely) then don’t worry about it and choose based on other factors.