With regard to the length of time required to complete a typical Degree course:?

Question

Is it possible to shorten the length of University courses by removing the long summer vacations. Students would then only have to attend for 2 years or so. I believe the original idea for long vacations/holidays for students goes back to medieval times when they were required back on the farms to help with harvesting etc

Answer 1

3 years is an average degree in the UK.

The vacations are very long - but they did permit me to harvest some money to pay for my education!

Interesting and probably quite right about harvests (?)

Answer 2

I've just graduated from Staffordshire University, and they've recently introduced the 2 year degree. Cuts out the extraordinarily long summer break, cuts down on fees and costs and gets everything out the way in 2 years instead of 3!

Although that is also a cut down on drinking time. Boo.

Answer 3

The criteria for recieving a degree are in the course work and in demonstrating your skills and knowledge.

MANY people get their degrees at a more rapid pace than the usual school structure set up for. Every once in a while, the news programs run a piece about some prodigy or other, receiving his Phd while still a teen.

If you can handle the workload, you can accellerate your education as much as you want.

Fifteen units? HA! (snap of your fingers) Give me twenty-five!

Answer 4

I have worked in a university (as a research technician) and more recently I have attended university as a mature honours degree student. I can tell you that university students are not as clever as you (and they) might think. I suspect many of them would not cope with a more compressed time-frame.

I think you would also find that a limiting factor is the amount of time that lecturers are willing to spend lecturing! And you can't just hire extra ones because they are a very expensive commodity.

Having said that don't forget that a lot of pure & applied research is done by University types and their ability to carry out research would be seriously cramped by having to carry a heavier burden of lecturing.

The whole educational system in this and many other advanced nations is rather like a convoy, as fast as the slowest ship/learner. If it was possible to progress through the system at the fastest pace that one was capable of instead of being fixed in a year or grade by age or by calendar, then you would see real progress by those capable of it. This, of course, does not suit our 'one size fits all' way of doing things.

Also you would need to have teachers capable of responding to individual requirements and heaven forfend that they should be selected and paid on their ability to do this.

BTW with regard to our mediaeval forbears I think you would find that those with families rich and important enought to be able to send them to university would not be the type of individuals required home to help with the harvest, peasants did that sort of thing.

Answer 5

You can take summer classes but generally the max credits you can take is 6. That is because they cram 16 weeks (like a normal semester) into 6 or 8 weeks. You can't really get it done any sooner unless you max out your credit limit every semester and take an easy degree like business. This isn't medieval times anymore....

Answer 6

Wouldn't that be a great idea?! Get it done with and get earning. The advantage of the holidays is you can work full time to save for further qualifications after your degree.

Answer 7

I did my degree distance learning, but even then the minimum time is three years. I think you can do a BA or BSc without honours in two years now, but it should be a major undertaking.

Answer 8

i say free education for all rich or poor, i did'nt go to uni. but most students have to work part time to pay for their education and full time in the summer vacs. this is in between studying. if you had your nose buried in books for 8 months would you not want a break. this is university not play school there is no short change or leway and they have to work during time off. my g/f plucked chickens served in restaurants served bar during her "summer hols" without it she could'nt have put herself through university.

Answer 9

Because we are used to the long breaks it wouldn't be conducive to change them. Some of us need a rest in between months of hard work.

Answer 10

students need the summer off to recover from all the dibauchery and drinking and to have summer jobs so they can earn enough to do it all again next year!