Quarter system far superior
By Michael Pellicio
Welcome back, Santa Clara students and faculty. Now that the first day of school has passed, students are most likely moaning about nasty roommates and questionable Benson food. The ever popular quarter system also seems to draw criticism.
I have definitely done my fair share of complaining here. While there are both positive and negative aspects of our quarter system, the best excuse most come up with for hating it is that San Jose State students get all the part-time jobs.
I love the quarter system. I made it a point to go to a school that used it because, academically, it is far superior to the semester system. Students at this school who don't appreciate the wonders of the quarter system simply don't realize how it works to their advantage.
We have more opportunities to satisfy requirements and to explore subjects outside of our major because we take more classes. As a result, we have fewer fifth-year students and our impressive 82 percent graduation rate is much higher than most other schools.
The quarter system also makes life as an underclassman bearable since classes only last 10 weeks. There's nothing better than ending a class with a boring professor who lectures on a tangent. Though freshmen are likely to replace their professor with an equally stale one, ignorance is bliss. Semester schools can't offer that.
Also, with the quarter system comes perfectly planned vacations that don't interfere during midterms. Our winter break conveniently occurs after first quarter, which is a relaxing way to bid adieu to finals. Our spring break falls between quarters for us and gives a rather irritating break in the middle of other schools' semesters.
Who seriously thinks semester kids will get any work done during a rowdy spring break? We have time to come back and readjust without having to worry about getting any extra schoolwork done.
There are virtually no drawbacks to the quarter system in my opinion. Some people might complain that we have more finals, or that the curriculum is "too fast-paced," or that it's hard for Santa Clara students to go abroad.
There is plenty of time to study for finals and plenty of time to go abroad since the quarter systems produces a hefty graduation rate. Personally, I'd rather do fast-paced than time-consuming. But most chose whining an alternative.
So to the supposedly two percent of the population that suffers from panic attacks, the quarter system might not be right for you. But I expect the other 98 percent of us to support the university in one of its better administrative decisions.
*Ã Ã Michael Pellicio's column appears once a month. He can be reached at mpellicio@scu.edu.