This year marked a significant change in the school schedule: the switch from a four quarter system to two semesters. This altered the way grades are entered and organized. So the question is: was the change worth it?

When the change was originally announced last spring, many students were a bit suspicious. Alexis McKeown, a junior, was surprised when the change was unveiled, and concerned as to whether or not it would end up being a good system. Tess Lunetta, another junior, was also worried. “I didn’t think I would like the change,” she said. “I’ve gotten used to having four quarters.”

Some students were excited from the start. Abby Duggan, a senior, said that even though she’d been so accustomed to the old system, she was very interested when the switch to semesters was announced. “I hated the quarter system honestly,” she said. “It was really stressful having to get your grades where you want them in a month or so.”

McKeown agrees. Although she was surprised when it was announced last spring, she ultimately believes it was a change for the better. “It’s less stressful for the students because teachers aren’t cramming in tests that need to be done before the end of the quarter,” she said. “I have more time to do it [my work], so it’s done better and correctly.”

While Duggan and McKeown are both in favor of two semesters, Lunetta wishes it would “just go back to the way it was”. She explains that she’s had a system with four quarters since the beginning of middle school, and she was very comfortable with that system. “The quarters gave me time checkpoints throughout the school year,” she said. “Now the year feels like it’s going by much slower.”

For Duggan, the new system decreased stress and boosted her grades. “It’s really helped me relax,” she said. “I’m glad that, even if just for one year, I got to have this system.”