If you discovered that you were able to condense a full semester of coursework into three weeks, would you ever pass that up?
Quinnipiac University decided to offer that opportunity to its students beginning in 2011, allowing them to register for fully-online, three-credit courses that are conducted in between the fall and spring semesters.
During the aptly named January Term, or J-Term, students can register for courses ranging from Understanding Theatre to Managerial Accounting. These courses are efficient ways to check off any University Curriculum requirements you need.
Classes are broken down so that one day of work is viewed as the equivalent to one week of work during a normal 15-week semester. Despite the quick pace, the flexibility that comes when a course is asynchronous makes for a less stressful experience.
The only issue that might deter students from partaking in a J-Term course is that they are held directly after the holiday season, right in the middle of winter break. Students likely just finished a difficult fall semester and the last thing they want to do is complete more coursework, especially when it’s accelerated to near-lightspeed.
However, with good time management, there is no possible way for a J-Term class to take up more than two hours a day for less than three weeks. If the three credits you take in January means three less credits you need to take in the spring, it should be no question.
J-Terms are even offered at minimal cost for those in accelerated programs at Quinnipiac. If people in those programs take one J-Term every year of undergrad, that’s nine free credits for courses where the work is likely much less difficult than it would be during a full semester.
However, there are chances that students might not learn as well in an accelerated online setting, or feel isolated from their classmates. Those problems might carry more weight if a student is taking an online course during a full-length semester.
But remember, J-Terms are for the sole purpose of working toward your degree when you are home for winter break, when you likely would not be interacting with your classmates anyway.
J-Terms are simply a perfect means to an end, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re in the right place. If your academic advisor recommends taking one at any point during your undergraduate education, don’t pass it up. You likely won’t realize what you’re missing until the opportunity has already passed you by.
