USCGA classes question

[Draygonus]

Hey, I just had a question about how classes are laid out during the academic year. Is it block schedule or is it everything in one day? How long are the classes in a day? I understand 4/c year you have like 20 credits so I was just curious how they organize that.

 

[Kaydet2023]

No, it's not block scheduling. You meet for your class at the same time every day you have it, which depends on the number of credits it's worth. Classes are typically 50 minutes long but can also be 2 or 3 hours depending on the class. It boils down to how many credits each class is worth. Usually for how many credits a class is, you spend an equivalent amount of time in it each week. For example, a calculus class is worth 4 credits, you meet 4 times a week, each time for 50 minutes. But for physics, another 4 credit class, you meet 2 times a week for 2 hours.

 

[DeltaDogs]

The length of each time is based on the number of credits. Labs, such as Nav labs or chem Labs are 3 hours (all morning or all afternoon) and their respective lecture classes meet 3 times a week for 50 minutes. Calc 1 meets 4 times a week, 3 times for 50 minutes and I think Tuesdays were 75 minutes. Some classes, like swimming and prin fit, only meet twice a week for a shorter period of time and last only half a semester. Physics met 3 times a week for 90 minutes )but my class always got let out a little early). I think most M/W/F classes are 50 minutes long, while T/TH classes tend to be longer (in my experience).

 

[trackandfield08]

Depending on your major, you may also get to the point where you no longer have a full day of classes. I remember having at least one or two periods off a week as a 4/c. As a 1/c, my second semester schedule was amazing. My tuesdays and thursdays were pretty much full but I only had one 0800 class on MWF. The Wednesday was a full day internship that I loved but I certainly appreciated the slow start and easy end to each week that semester.

@CGAprof wrote a post about recent changes to the curriculum, it looks like the 20 credit requirement of old has changed:

No need to apologize and thank you for being an Admissions Partner. We appreciate the great students that you recruit for us! The curriculum has changed with the class of 2021. We are also getting used to it. Just to fill the group in on the some of the changes that are hard to pick up, we no longer require a minimum of five 3 or 4-credit classes each semester. Now the classes must just add to at least 15 credits (not including HPE) and meet your program requirements. If you meet this requirement and have a free elective, it may be skipped. There are also many 2-credit classes.

There is also not a common 4/c year across all majors. The 5 majors run out of engineering are all common in their 4/c year (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, as well as the relatively new Cyber major). There is a also a pathway for any major to request a change to any other major in the spring of 4/c year, but note that this may require summer school and assumes that the student is on a normal schedule. As noted in other threads, the number in each major is set at levels above the Academy. Although there is great flexibility, say within the engineering department (provided majors due not greatly deviate from directives), I would not want to apply for a major that did not interest me in the hope of switching. Our Admissions officers/partners here would know the numbers better than me, but majors like Government and Marine and Environmental Science start off fairly full. If my kid was interested in one of them, I would recommend applying at application time. Similarly, if my kid wanted an engineering major, I would want them in at the beginning to ensure they are in the proper sequence. If my kid was not sure about, say, Civil or Mechanical, I would not worry.

That thread may answer any other questions you have about classes: https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/academics-related-questions.74791/

 

[ekb1398]

Depending on your major, you may also get to the point where you no longer have a full day of classes. I remember having at least one or two periods off a week as a 4/c. As a 1/c, my second semester schedule was amazing. My tuesdays and thursdays were pretty much full but I only had one 0800 class on MWF. The Wednesday was a full day internship that I loved but I certainly appreciated the slow start and easy end to each week that semester.

@CGAprof wrote a post about recent changes to the curriculum, it looks like the 20 credit requirement of old has changed:



That thread may answer any other questions you have about classes: https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/academics-related-questions.74791/

All Tuesday and Thursday classes? You must have been a Government (or maybe management) major.

But I just wanted to chime in that this is absolutely true - engineers tend to have tough M/W/F but only a class or two T/Th.

 

[trackandfield08]

All Tuesday and Thursday classes? You must have been a Government (or maybe management) major.

But I just wanted to chime in that this is absolutely true - engineers tend to have tough M/W/F but only a class or two T/Th.

Guilty as charged, I'm a former Government major. Other than the free MWF, we were also well-known (with the management majors) as 1/c for not seeing the outdoors from November through March thanks to the wonderful bilges running from Chase Hall to Satterlee Hall.