The Quarter System

by phil on Wednesday Oct 1, 2003 4:00 PM
Stanford

Here's how the quarter-system at Stanford works. The first week is really hard because I don't have any study buddies and/or the material looks new, and therefore is intimidating (plus contrast with summer of no work no nothing).

Then, the second week is really easy. The first homeworks are usually review, and the lectures are all ease-your-way into the course stuff. That's when I start to ramp up on other activities and work cuz I feel bored and get the illusion that the rest of the quarter'll be easy.

And then then mid-terms come along. At that point, life pretty much sux. Every hour is packed with crap... somewhere around 2 or 3am I lay back and reflect, thinking, where the hell am I?

After mid-terms, I become nihilistic. I stop doing homework, stop going to class, and just kinda let the chips fall where they may.

And yet, by finals, I manage to get my act together, and out comes a quarter-passed.

Whee, isn't college great?