Univ of Chicago was on a quarter system, and while it was intense, it was soooooooo much better than these GD semesters. I'm already 7 weeks in, and I'm only 1/2 done, for goodness sake! In a quarter-system class, we'd be getting ready to wrap things up. In medical school it was even better. I don't think a single one of our blocks was longer than 5 or 6 weeks. That way if you hated something, it would be over fast.
I was looking at the syllabus for one of my classes, and we have 28 lectures per semester. Ugh. It's obscene.
I have Spring break starting in a week, where I will try to catch up on all the things that I have been putting off in order to finish this damn paper, and then it will be back to the same old grind for another 7 weeks. I guess the silver lining is that after this semester I should be mostly done with class for good. I'll still take a stats class here or there, but other than that, just dissertation work. I CAN'T WAIT. I am so tired of exams and bullshit final projects that have no relevance for my work overall.
And this week is really going to suck. Yay midterms! I haven't had a day off in over a month, and have been working 12-14 hours most days for the past 3 weeks (yesterday I only worked 8 hours -- woohoo!), trying to get this manuscript out by Tuesday.
Oh, and if you want to tell me that YOU are working harder at your job or with your kids -- guess what, I don't care. I'm not interested in getting into a martyrdom contest with some overachieving competiti-freak medical professional.
That is all. Now back to work.
8 Pearls of Wisdom:
Was it harder to learn all the information when it's coming at you so fast though? When you only have 6 weeks to learn everything you ever need to know about [insert class]? It seems to me like it's be easier when you can just learn a little bit everyday over a couple months.
Quiet time of year for me. Gearing up for spring, accumulating CE credits, and shedding out my horse.
Not gloating, but sending you a cup of virtual tea... caffeinated.
Brit -- It felt fast during med school, but these long semesters drag things out so long that I forget the stuff I learned at the beginning of the semester by the time the exam at the end of the semester comes around. This means 2x the work.
I wish I had the luxury of studying a little bit every day right now. Unfortunately, every spare minute is taken up by doing analysis and preparing manuscripts. This causes me to leave more stuff until the end out of necessity, which is also stressful.
I'm with you, I HATE long semesters.
Hope that you have a good reading week and that your exams are all easier than you think they will be!
I totally agree! Semesters suck compared to quarters. I liked the fast pace of my undergrad quarter system compared to the semesters I have now in grad school.
I have done both - at two separate Universities. I like that quarters are done quickly, but yet it is a lot to absorb in a quick amount of time. Like drinking from a fire hose turned on at full blast!
The flip side, just as you are getting burned out on your classes, they are just about done!
Speaking of which, I need to go study...
Good luck on midterms!!! You can do it!
I've never done quarters but I love taking Block courses within the regular semester...if you hate it only 8 weeks and if you love it well phooey for you.
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