Hello and congratulations to all incoming students! I am so excited to meet you all this coming fall at orientation! I understand that starting a graduate program can be incredibly daunting; however, I know that you can always reach out to us for help. Although I already know how a quarter system operates with my undergraduate being at UC, I also understand the challenges that some of you might have coming from a semester system as I was taking classes at a local college while I was applying to MBKU. So I will list out some pros and cons that I notice for the quarter system in a graduate setting.
Pros:
Exams on Limited Materials: One thing that surprised me when I started my program at MBKU was that we have exams every week. At first, I panicked a little, but then I found that it is not as bad as it seems. With most of the professors, the exams are based on materials that is lectured on from the lecture after the previous exam to the most recent, which is usually only 5 - 8 lectures worth of materials depending on how many times class meet for lecture per week. To me, this makes it more manageable to study and is not as stressful because I am not worrying about cramming in the short amount of time I already have.
No Time For Procrastination: For me, the quarter system is an efficient method of keeping me from procrastinating because I have no time to “rot” in bed. I am usually on campus on the weekend as well, studying with my classmate. This does NOT mean that I don’t have time relax. I do relax, but I have a healthy amount of pressure on me to keep me from relaxing too much.
Cons:
Time Limitation: One of the major challenges that I notice with the quarter system is time. Not all students understand materials or memorize them at the same rate. Therefore, this might become a major problem, especially for students who were used to the semester system and now must transition to a faster paced learning program with more difficult materials. With the quarter being only 10 to 11 weeks long - excluding the final week - there is a limited amount of time to go through the necessary concepts, it can cause a lot of stress for those who are not used to learning at such a rate. With that in mind, a way I combat the stress of the time crunch is to pace myself from the start; I restrained myself from procrastinating and review the material that I just went through, even if for just a few minutes.
I might be a bit biased to the quarter system, but I think it prepares me for the 6 weeks classes of therapeutics that I will be taking in the fall of my second year. All in all, I believe that if you go into your respective programs mentally prepared for the fast-paced learning system, you will adapt adequately and do well. Van Nguyen, COP Class of 2028