Calihua 1

Jesus Calihua

English 134

Instructor: Isabell Hope Garcia

12 November 2023

Change from a quarter system to a semester system will it benefit or affect students at Cal Poly

San Luis Obispo? Commented [JC1]: Made the title a bit more shorter, but
better to understand.

In the dynamic world of higher education, institutions are continually evolving to meet the needs

of their students. Cal Poly, renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation,

is embarking on a significant transformation: the switch from the quarter to the semester system.

"Terry Nguyen explains “Students on the quarter system take shorter classes that are typically 10

weeks long, and they usually register for new courses three to four times in one academic year.

In a semester system, students will register twice a year for courses that run longer, lasting about

15 weeks” (1).This transition for some students will not be purely a change in the academic Commented [JC2]: Added this quote that goes along with
my prompt.
calendar but a profound shift in how they experience education. It will lead to a more enriched

learning environment, better student outcomes, and greater personal and academic growth

opportunities. According to University Wire Uloop, “The semester calendar will allow students

more time to review course material, to infiltrate the summer job market during the same period

as those who attend other universities and allow students to join over 90% of American colleges

who utilize the semester system.” (1) However, from the other perspective of how this change

from the quarter to the semester system will affect students. ‘The unavailability of required

classes for seniors who graduate in June are feeling frustrated.” (1)
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The semester system has established itself as a basis in higher education, adopted by most

institutions across the United States. According to Brianna Burrows, “About 90% of colleges in

the USA run on the semester system, making it the most common type of academic schedule in

higher education.” (3). This shows the widespread recognition and acceptance of the semester

system as the standard academic schedule in higher education. Universities and CSU’s that have

made the transition from quarters to semesters have reported notable successes and advantages

post-implementation. Institutions such as UCLA, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Long Beach, and more

institutions have witnessed significant positive outcomes after making the change to semester

system. They have highlighted several advantages stemming from the switch, contributing to an

enriched academic experience for their students.

According to the President and Vice President of SU Bakerfield “Student learning may be

facilitated by the slower pace, allowing students to think about and grapple with difficult

material in smaller chunks” (3).

The extended duration of weeks in a

semester offers the potential for a more in-

depth exploration of course content. Cal

Poly students will have additional time to

get deeper into the subject matter, engage

in research projects, and participate in

hands-on learning experiences. This shift Commented [JC3]: Added the picture and paraphrase the
paragraph to make more sense.
can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of concepts and foster critical thinking skills.

The semester structure allows for longer class sessions, encouraging more profound discussions

and interactive learning among students and faculty. Also, while adapting to the semester system
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might initially pose challenges, the longer duration between assessments could release some

stress commonly associated with the quarter system. Students may experience reduced pressure

from a more evenly distributed workload, offering increased opportunities to balance academics

with extracurricular activities, internships, and personal commitments.

For other Universities and UCS in California, the transition to semesters aligns more closely with

industry standards and expectations. A calendar structure coordinated with many industries

allows for smoother integration of internships, co-op programs, and practical experiences. This

alignment enhances students' preparedness for their future careers by providing them with more

extended periods for immersive learning experiences and industry connections.

Though this change from a quarter system to a semester system is as good as it sounds, it will

affect students. According to Valerie Bostwick “Using panel data on the near universe of four-

year nonprofit institutions and leveraging quasi-experimental variation in calendars across

institutions and years, we show that switching from quarters to semesters negatively impacts on-

time graduation rates. (40). As a student most of us would want to graduate on time, we do not

want to spend another semester or a year in school because that means spending more money on

tuition, having to do more homework, midterms, finals it could get stressful at some point.

Emely Rimar's article talks about how research was conducted by The University of Minnesota

Twin Cities, and it states, “Students performed collectively better under the quarter calendar.

Specifically, students studying under the 5-quarter system “earned significantly more A’s and

B’s and fewer C’s, D’s, and F’s (p<0.00012) than did the students enrolled in the semester

calendar” (qt. Gibbens et al. 2015), this just goes to show how even the quarter system even

though is fast-paced, students still have better grades than the semester system which is slightly

more lowered pace. The quarter system has its own advantages like less time in classes you don’t
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enjoy, you don’t want to be stuck in a class u don’t like for 15 weeks (about 3 and a half months)

because that would be painful and boring, students get fewer exams, homework, and classwork,

also your classes having more terms in a quarter system means you could when would you like

to take a particular course, take classes outside of your major, and even retake failed classes,

being stuck in a semester system there is less chance for having all these options that you

normally have in a quarter system.

In a survey made by Stephanie Herrera “Quarter to Semester Conversion: How Do Students

Feel?” there was mixed opinions on students on what they prefer “For most seniors and juniors,

graduation comes before the conversion but for sophomore Shirley Ho, it matters. ‘I don't really

like it because if we change to 15 weeks, I might not be able to graduate within 4-5 years,’ Ho

said.” (1), but there is always another side to the story “Other students like first-year Sierra Freire

feels everyone's worry is overblown. ‘I feel like it will be a change but not much of a dramatic

change because the difference is five weeks. The time now in school goes by too fast and with

the conversion, we will have more time for lectures and not rush into things as some do now,’

Freire said.” (1). This is how most of the students' opinions at Cal Poly are right now some like

that Cal Poly is going to make the change, but others do not like this change.

In another article by Lauren Pohopien talks about how they did research on 4 students and an

administrative staff member (Two of the four students are from a past quarter, they graduate that

same year, and the other two are from the current spring quarter, they are transfer students from a

semester-based community college.) These students and administration were from Cal Poly

Pomona, the research is about student stress in a quarter system, overall, the results were

“Students in the research group found the quarter system to be a bonus in helping them manage

time and avoid procrastination.” (10). This shows that even the transfer students that arrived
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from a semester-based community college were able to adapt to the quarter system and in the

end, they enjoyed it because instead of the change affecting them, they benefited from it. Commented [JC4]: Added this paragraph because it
added more context to the opposing side.

The transition from the quarter system to the semester system at Cal Poly signals a new chapter

in the academic journey of its students. While the change may initially pose challenges, it

promises to bring opportunities and benefits. From expanding learning horizons and promoting a

healthier work-life balance to aligning with industry standards and making a culture of

exploration, the transition to semesters offers a promising future for Cal Poly students.

Embracing this change presents a gateway to enhanced academic experiences and a more

integrated learning environment for students at Cal Poly.

Works Cited Page Alphabetical Order by Title

Office of the President Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs California
State University, Bakersfield. (2012, April 3). “DISCUSSION PAPER Conversion of
Academic Calendar from Quarters to Semesters.”
https://www.csub.edu/q2s/_files/discussion_paper.pdf
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“How to Prepare for the Quarter to Semester Shift.” University Wire, Uloop, Inc, 2016.
https://csucalpoly.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_PSU/1ctbot6/cdi_proque

st_wirefeeds_1762587599

Herrera, Stephanie. “Quarter To Semester Conversion: How Do Students Feel? 1.” University
Wire, Uloop, Inc, 2015.
Quarter To Semester Conversion: How Do Students Feel?: [1] - ProQuest

Rimar, Emily. “QUARTERS AND SEMESTERS: AN ANALYSIS OF CALIFORNIA

POSTSECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEMS. (2015, season-03).

https://www.cob.calpoly.edu/economics/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2019/11/Rimar.pdf

Bostwick, Valerie, et al. “Semesters or Quarters? The Effect of the Academic Calendar on
Postsecondary Student Outcomes.” American Economic Journal. Economic Policy, vol. 14, no.
1, 2022, pp. 40–80.
https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190589.

Burrows, Brianna. “What is the Difference Between Quarters, Semesters, and Trimesters?”

https://www.studyusa.com/en/a/1235/what-is-the-difference-between-quarters-semesters-

and-trimesters
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