Undergraduate School: Length of Time

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dewdrinker23

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I think undergraduate school could easily be done in a two year time frame (120 credits). One class at a time should be teached. Each class could have a one month period (1-5 credit classes). This way a student could just focus on one subject at a time and really get into the subject material. Once that one month period is done, then comes the next class. A 4 credit class could easily be done in a month period. Just think about it, a 3 credit class has 150 minutes (round out to 3 hours) of lecture for a good 15 weeks (some schools have more weeks then others, I think..not really sure). This means a typical 3 credit class would have about 45 hours of lecture time a semester. If each class was held for a 3 hour period each day (which is less time in class then the way school is done now), this could lead to more hours in lecture in a single month then the current format.

I would prefer to to go one class a month and really learn the subject and concentrate on the subject.

School could easily be done in a three year time period instead of four to 5 years.

Heck, if a student wanted to, they could take two classes a month and be in lecture for 6 hours a day and easily be done in a two year time period.

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I dont know about you, but I think that there is more to the college experience then just going to classes nonstop. I would think that this intense of a schedule would drive people crazy. I dont know why so many people want to graduate so quickly, go out and enjoy yourself a little bit
 
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I've taken courses over one month during the summer like you describe. Time management is much easier because you leave class each day knowing exactly what you need to do that night. However, this system is not realistically effecient over more than two months. Burnout will set in.
 
:eek: There's only one thing I remember from college and that is all the crazy stories I've got from doing stupid sthff with my friends.

While theoretically your idea works, it leaves out the fact that college is as much about developing as on independent, social person in society as well as getting an education.

Don't forget this b/c its even more important for med students.
 
colorado college has a schedule like this. one class at a time and then a five day break then the next class.
 
My brother is a student a Colorado College. He loves the block schedule...one class at a time for a month, then five days off for a road trip, then another class for a month, ski trip for 5 days, and so it goes. Each class is the equivalent of 4 credits...you take 4 classes each semester at Colorado College. It is a great school. And you get the Rocky Mountains too.
 
My brother is a student a Colorado College. He loves the block schedule...one class at a time for a month, then five days off for a road trip, then another class for a month, ski trip for 5 days, and so it goes. Each class is the equivalent of 4 credits...you take 4 classes each semester at Colorado College. It is a great school. And you get the Rocky Mountains too.

I considered it when applying for undergrad. but I figured that in life, you never get to deal with just one thing at a time, you have many things hovering over you at any one time. Why should I baby myself another 4 years?
 
You wouldn't absorb the material as well. This kind of method would be a lot like cramming for an exam.
 
I think undergraduate school could easily be done in a two year time frame (120 credits). One class at a time should be teached. Each class could have a one month period (1-5 credit classes). This way a student could just focus on one subject at a time and really get into the subject material. Once that one month period is done, then comes the next class. A 4 credit class could easily be done in a month period. Just think about it, a 3 credit class has 150 minutes (round out to 3 hours) of lecture for a good 15 weeks (some schools have more weeks then others, I think..not really sure). This means a typical 3 credit class would have about 45 hours of lecture time a semester. If each class was held for a 3 hour period each day (which is less time in class then the way school is done now), this could lead to more hours in lecture in a single month then the current format.

I would prefer to to go one class a month and really learn the subject and concentrate on the subject.

School could easily be done in a three year time period instead of four to 5 years.

Heck, if a student wanted to, they could take two classes a month and be in lecture for 6 hours a day and easily be done in a two year time period.

I had the same idea, but I actually got it down to 1.95 years by cutting showers down to once-a-week, liquid meal replacements during lecture, and wearing loafers instead of lace-ups

really, I feel sorry for everyone else - they'll never get those 0.05 years back!
 
You wouldn't absorb the material as well. This kind of method would be a lot like cramming for an exam.

Actually, the block system works quite well at Colorado College. You have an entire month to think exclusively about one subject. Typically you are in class with about 15 students from 9am until noon. For subjects like geology, the class will take off into the Rocky Mountains for a week and examine rock formations and camp out together. That kind of experience can only occur when you are taking one class at a time. Colorado College owns a retreat center in Eastern Colorado...a class in Buddhist poetry will go to the retreat center, meditate and study Buddhist poetry for two weeks. It is very cool. Colorado College students are quite successful with graduate school admissions, including medical school.
 
I've taken summer classes and it's great for non science classes. But to fit in the normal amount of class time over a semester for science classes into a summer session (which would be the equivalent of your proposal) meant two labs a week etc. I couldn't imagine if someone wanted to be a science major and having to do that for your entire college career...it was exhausting over one summer!
 
it would work for some classes but not all. For instance, my two senior design courses involved the design and (perhaps) construction of prototypes for various engineering problems. We spent up to 30 hours a week sometimes on this ONE CLASS, and that was over a full semester. On top of our other class load. That's 600 hours over the entire semester for that one class. There are only about 720 hours TOTAL in a month. That leaves 4 hours a day for sleeping, eating, and all other activities :)
 
If universities adopt your proposal in conjunction with mine...(which is to abolish all powerpoint lectures and adopt a curriculum largely composed of online self-directed learning while maintaining small group/lab experiences as well as more office hours for Q&A)...then I think the sky is truly the limit.

I have had a few individual courses like this and the potential for learning under such a curriculum is phenomenal!!! It is amazing how much more you can learn if you don't need to spend 1-2 hours every other day per class simply receiving the study material from the professor during lecture. The mainstream curricula which employ traditional powerpoint lectures that students must learn and regurgitate on exams is widespread and sadly outdated.
 
They finish undergrad and medical school in 4.5 years in India. Why can't students here in America be able to finish undergrad and medical school in 6 years?

I agree with the OP to finish undergrad in 2 years!:thumbup:
 
What happened to enjoying life and youth??

I hated summer school as it was because of its compact schedule. I don't know what i would do with such routine for two years. Plus, i would probably forget things more easily since i'm only exposed to that subject for one month.
 
I have a friend that graduated from Colorado College. He loved it. They would go away on several week long field trips and totally immerse themselves in subjects like ecology. Other subjects, like Calculus however, totally sucked that way. I wonder if CC is the only one that does it this way, everyone above mentioned only them.
 
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