Semester Vs. Non-Semester

      Unlike all other schools in Ontario, Colonel By Secondary School is non-semestered. Now what's the difference between semestered and non-semestered you may be asking? Well, lets find out.

     Generally speaking, semestered High Schools consist of two semesters per year. During the first semester students will most likely take half of the classes they've registered for, and come about mid-January, they will officially complete the courses, with the course examinations. Then, come second semester, after a short break, students will than enrol in the second half of their year with new courses, and again complete the required examinations come the end of the semester.

     In a semestered school, the year is generally comprised of three terms; however the difference is that you're taking all courses throughout the entire year. All examinations are completed within a two-week span, at the end of the year.

     So what are the pros and cons of semestered and non-semestered schools? Well, it depends. Being at a non-semestered school, means there’s usually a lot going on at once. Having all your courses at the same time can bring on a heavy work load. Not to mention, all of the exams, tests, and summatives are usually due around the same time of year. However, being in a non-semestered school, the classes generally rotate and this usually allows a sufficient amount of time between classes for homework and any questions you may have for the teacher regarding the course material. Also a great benefit includes the fact that students are given more time to learn the material throughout the year. Being in a semestered school, what some may consider pros, may include the fact that you’re not forced to take all your courses at once, but rather you can focus on a few for the first half of the year, and the second half during the second semester. On the other hand, some may believe that it’s more difficult to handle the workload and homework, because students in the semestered program generally have the same classes every day. This may take any time in between classes, to get any issues worked out. Not to mention, students may feel that the material they are learning is more rushed and they have less time to learn the subject matter.

     Jonathan Dalton, a grade 12 student at Colonel By Secondary School, stated that; "In semestered schools, it's harder to catch up on school work if you fall behind. However, with non-semestered schools, you have to remember everything from the entire year when you go in to write the exam...there are pros and cons either way."

     So, it truly is a matter of personal preference. It depends on the person, and their requirements, and whether or not the school system is right for them. So, if you could choose between semestered or non-semestered, which would you choose? Even if you're done with High School, looking back, would you have liked to have chosen a different semester system?

     Personally, presently being in a non-semestered school, I understand the negative aspects of my choice, however I've learnt to cope with it for the last four years, and I wouldn't know it any other way. I'd like to know what it would be like to get half of my courses done with halfway through the year, and to see whether or not my grades would be higher due to the fact that I'd get the opportunity to focus on a more manageable amount of courses. Who knows where I'd be had I'd chosen a different High School completely. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. So I have no regrets. Do you? Let me know your opinion on the matter.