Hi: I hope someone can help me on this. I'm quite clueless on this issue. I went to an undergrad school that had a semester system. So I am well versed on this system but am curious how does the quarter and trimester system work. 1) Does one finish school faster through a quarter or trimester system? 2) Are the courses more hectic through a quarter or trimester system? Thanks.
A trimester system is essentially a year-round semester system. They hold two semesters during the normal academic year and a third semester during the summer. The CSUDH HUX program is a trimester program. A quarter system usually holds three quarters in roughly the same time as two semesters. They may or may not hold a summer quarter as well. So a trimester program is at least potentially fastest. Then comes a four-quarter (including summer) system. Finally the two semester and three quarter systems (with summer off) are about the same. The quarter system is the most hectic. Classes are only 2/3 the length of a semester course. As soon as a quarter system class starts it seems like it's already midterm time. The trimester system is the same as the semester system.
Dittos--except some "trimester" systems are really quarter systems without a summer session (e.g., Lawrence Unversity, Appleton, WI). With out doubt, the quarter system is the most demanding; one cannot afford to become ill! As one subject to sinusitus and respiratory allergies, let me say I've suffered through quarter system education. Semester is much better for me--a least a week of illness won't kill your term! Also, the trend in acadamia is clearly away from quarter calendar systems: in the past two years Auburn University, The University of Southern Alabama, The University of Minnesota--Twin Cities, Utah State University, and The University of Utah have ALL abandoned quarter for semester systems (and those are just places I have connections with). Apparently, ed-research shows that students retain more information from term-to-term on the semester than the quarter system. Ergo... --Orson