oyinkan050When you decide to go to the university at a certain point in your life, there are some things you need to consider. One of those things is the academic calendar, as you might want to know how it affects your personal calendar. You should find out how many semesters the university of your choice has and how their calendar is structured. It’s advisable to take into account the academic calendar of each institution to be able to choose the right one that suits you.
Most of the time, university degrees usually last two to four years. It’s not really a marathon thing, meaning you’re not actually going to be in school all year. There are breaks and holidays when you get to take your time and do what you love. In this article, we’ll take a look at the semester structures of colleges. You’ll get information about calendars at a two-year college. If you’ve been looking for an answer to the question – how many semesters in a year at universities.
What is a University Semester?
A semester is also known as a term; that’s what some universities call it. The reason behind semesters is to break the academic year into smaller chunks. This way, it’ll be easier to learn, and the whole academic system will be better structured. There are twelve weeks in a semester, and this can be a mixture of assessments, lectures, holidays, and tutorials. Usually, the semesters in all years are the same, but they may be different according to degrees.
For instance, if you’re in a postgraduate study, the dates won’t be the same as that of undergraduates. The latter tends to have a longer duration with few holidays. If you’re going for a postgraduate study, you’ll have more holidays, and the sessions are short.
How Many Semesters in A Year?
All universities and colleges operate in accordance with the academic calendar. The structure was created to show important dates like the beginning of a session and the end of another. An academic year has two semesters; the fall semester starting in August or September and the spring semester starting in January. Most schools using the semester calendar usually offer summer sessions for students interested. The summer session is very short compared to a regular academic session. You should note that this summer’s lectures are not part of the academic year.
Apart from semesters, there’s another type of term called a quarter. Some schools use this instead of semesters. This quarter consists of a 10-week academic session, and because the learning period in a quarter is short, three of it is required to make a full year. The fall quarter starts in September, just like the semester. The winter quarter starts in January, and the spring quarter starts in March.
Some schools using the quarter-based calendar often offer a summer quarter just like that of semester-based schools. The summer quarter isn’t part of the academic year. It’s not an official term but is prepared to help interested students learn more during the summertime. Universities in the United States mostly use the tri-semester calendar, with each semester having a duration of four months.
The Fall Semester (starts in August/September)
The first semester in the academic year starts around August. The year begins with the first sester, getting new and old students in to start lectures. If you’re entering the school as a new student, this is a period you should be looking forward to. Students who need assistance or aid are provided with them during this time before the lectures start. This semester is also called the fall semester, given the season it starts, and it goes for fifteen weeks in duration. It’s possible to also hear people call it the autumn semester.
The Spring Semester (starts in January)
The second semester starts in spring, hence the Spring Semester’. It starts in early January and until May. Study shows that 85% of universities admit new intakes during this semester. You need to understand that some universities admit new students two times a year, during the fall and during the spring. They split the intakes between the two semesters to ease the onboarding process. But the fall intake is generally larger than that of the spring.
Also, the rate at which schools offer aid and assistantships is comparably low to that of fall. It’s advisable to join the fall intake if you need assistance or you want to apply for financial aid. Although you don’t have access to these assistantships, you can find on-campus jobs that will support you throughout your study. These jobs pay well enough to cater to your personal expenses, accommodation, and living expenses. Don’t expect to pay tuition with the money you got from working, as it won’t be enough.
The spring semester also has fifteen weeks, and you can hear some people calling it the winter semester.
The Summer Semester (starts in June)
The summer semester is very short compared to others. It has only twelve weeks or ten sometimes, and it starts in June. It’s not common for universities to have intakes during the summer semester. For those that do so, it’s always very small. It’s important to note that even when schools take in new students in the summer, some departments may refuse. That’s why you should confirm from your department before applying for a summer intake program. The same rule applies to spring semester intake, as the general rule of thumb is to get intakes in the fall.
The summer semester isn’t compulsory for students; only those interested should take it. Most of the time, students prefer to stay on campus and work full time or enroll in industrial training. As a regular student, you only need to complete the fall and spring semesters, which make up the full academic year. That’s all you need. Taking summer classes is absolutely based on preference. If you decide to go for it, that’s great, but it isn’t required.
What Is the Difference Between Quarters, Semesters, And Trimesters?
It’s exciting to see different academic calendars in schools across the country, giving you many options. Although the universities offer similar programs, their calendar isn’t the same. The effect of this is the varying courses you take during each session. There are three main types of calendar systems used in universities across the USA. We have the quarter system, the trimester system, and the semester system.
We’ve discussed the two-semester system and the trimester system; now, let’s look at the quarter system.
What Is A Quarter?
This type of system follows the four natural seasons in a year. There’s the fall session, spring session, winter, and summer session. Like other academic systems, the summer session is available to take. It exists as an extra addition to the year for students who want to increase their knowledge in particular fields. Each quarter session lasts for ten weeks, and you are required to take at least three classes to build your credit scores. The academic year begins during September, and it ends in June. Most colleges offering associate degrees follow the quarter-based system as well as community colleges.
If you choose a school using the quarter system, you need to attend every semester that makes up the full year. You’re not considered to have completed the academic year if you don’t take the summer program. If you attend two terms only, it equals half the academic year. To have all credits in an entire year, you must take all courses in the four sessions.
Final Note
When preparing to attend a university for a degree, it doesn’t matter if it’s an undergraduate or postgraduate study; the academic calendar is one of the important things to consider. Once you’ve decided on the field of study, the next thing is to check the calendar of your preferred school and plan your time accordingly. It’s best to keep the end goal, which is to graduate with a degree. That’s a common fact; all universities work towards the same goal. Now that you have it use the information to make the right decision and get back to us about your academic journey.
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