Students talk advantages of winter session

“Our’s is the best of both worlds,” Allan Fanjoy says, Administrator of Special Sessions, of the university’s quarter system

Other schools might not realize the benefits of introducing a Winter Session into the schedule, according to Fanjoy. This winter session, 7,025students were enrolled in classes. However, junior Josh Masonsays winter session is not a productive time for the majority of students.


“This is the first time I’ve taken winter session classes,” Masonsays. “I’ve never done anything during winter session for that matter, aside from hanging out at home. Hanging out at home gets boring.”

Winter session has been a part of the university’s curriculum for more than 30 years, he says. The shortened period provides students with some flexibility when arranging their schedules and allows them to do undergraduate research during the winter, he says.

However, junior Brittany Kalmansays she is opposed to the idea of winter session for students altogether unless students use the time to study abroad. Kalman says studying abroad during winter session made all the difference in terms of her productivity.

“If I didn’t do study abroad, I wouldn’t have been very productive,” Kalman says. “In previous years, I didn’t do much during winter session; I went on vacation and hung with friends.”

During his first winter session, freshman Sam Washabaugh took two classes and he says he felt he utilized his free time well.

Washabaugh says he spent his extra free time catching up on some much needed sleep. Although, he appreciates the university’s schedule, he says he felt as though two classes were a bit much for one month.

“I think I would only take one class in the future,” Washabaugh says.



Sophomore Danielle Parry opted not to take classes on campus, instead, she took one class at a community college close to her home. She says she felt more likely to waste time or become lazy during the winter session.

Students could avoid having nothing to do if the university made the winter session shorter, she says. The university should start spring session earlier, Parry says. 


“You have a lot of free time,” Parry says, “Winter break is really long.” 


Although Mason says most students are not as productive during winter session as they are during regular sessions, he says he appreciates the fact that the university offers winter session.

His free time, despite having too much of it, during winter session offered him a chance to accomplish all of his work, he says.

“It gets really boring if you aren’t doing winter session, but the opportunity to just bang out a class that you really don’t want to do - especially in a time where going outside isn’t as tempting as it would be during a summer session- I think its definitely beneficial," Mason says.