When I talk to college students who are on semesters, they are always a little perplexed about how the quarter system works. Technically they are trimesters, but who says that? It definitely has its advantages and disadvantages and it takes some definite getting used to.
It's fast paced and we take more classes than semester college students would. We change classes 3 times within a school year: fall, winter, and spring quarter. Every class is set up on a 10 week schedule. That's fast paced on it's own now add on to that the professor's who already teach in a fast paced manner on top of the tight schedule. Midterms come before you know it and when the final comes it feels like the midterm was just yesterday. It's not for everyone and there is no room for falling behind. Since we change courses 3 times a year, semester students always ask "shouldn't you be graduating earlier than me?" I WISH. No, quarter system just means our school requires us to take more courses to graduate. The worst one in my opinion is not getting out until June for summer break. It takes some strong will power to push through those last few weeks when most of your friends are already out for summer.
BUT
The good news is long breaks and learning more. Once Thanksgiving comes, we don't have to go back until after the new year. It's about a 6 week break in the winter. It's great, but also dangerous because it's difficult to get back into the swing things when returning in January for the winter quarter. While the fast paced schedule can be a con and sometimes overwhelming, it's also a positive because I never get bored. The courses don't drag on; we learn what we need to learn in the 10 weeks and then were on to new classes and new topics. We gain more out of an academic year because we are essentially taking on an extra set of courses within the time frame of one school year.
I don't hate it, but I don't love it. It's a big adjustment for many who are used to semesters in high school, but it's not something that you should let deter you from a school you are highly interested in.
