Benefits of Non-Semestered High Schools
By Megann Licskai
When I casually mention that I attended a non-semestered high school, people react with mild horror. “Ah!” they say, “I could never handle 8 classes!”
However, I have very few complaints. In fact, I think it’s a pity that so many schools have moved away from this system because there are so many benefits, including:
- Variety. I loved not having to go to the same classes all the time. There was no such thing as having a bad semester because I had different classes every other day.
- In a semestered system, there’s a risk of going an entire year without having math or French or music. While this sounds great to people who don’t like math et al, going to a non-semestered school meant that I never had to worry about forgetting the quadratic formula or how to use plus que parfait.
- More time! Even though you have to worry about more classes, you never have to worry about handing in a homework assignment the next day when you’re on a 2 Day Cycle. This leaves lots of time to get help and clarification.
- When you’re balancing 8 courses, you learn to make it work. This means that you develop a host of time management and organizational skills. And, as an added bonus, when you go to university, not only will you know exactly how to use your time, but you’ll go down from 8 classes to 5 classes, instead of going up from 4.