Readers react to a column about the benefits of the quarter system. WSU is the only public university in the state that does not follow the quarter system, which makes each semester one-eighth of a student’s college career. There is little room for error in a semester system, when quarters allow for students to focus on fewer classes in a 10 week course than a semester’s 15 weeks.

Brandon Brackett: “I worked at a quarter school. The pace is unreal. Midterms happened weeks 3-4, 6-7 and then finals, my students were always prepping for exams. It was stressful for students and staff. It would also be harder [for] graduate studies and research to move to a quarter system.”

Jennifer Weir: “Quarters are so much better. I did my associate’s on the quarter system and I learned so much more in each class when I only had to focus on three courses at a time. The five-course semester system is ridiculous. Plus, this would make transferring credits much smoother.”

Meghan Swanson: “I did a year of quarters and so preferred semesters once I got to WSU. The quarter system is so rushed, semesters give students and professors time to dive deep into a subject.”