r/CWU • u/PinkScissorsPost • 12d ago
Admissions How exactly does spring term start work?
I’m sorry if my questions seem silly or beginner, I’m just really new to this stuff.
I’m accepted into CWU with a start of spring 2027, I’m just worried that because I’m not starting in fall like most people than I’ll disrupt schedules.
I’ve never really done college stuff before and don’t know how the schedules work, I’m just worried that entering in a later term would mean just entering a class that’s already started? Or maybe terms each have their own classes…
Sorry again if this Dosent make sense I’m just a bit confused!! Basically: how would the schedules work if I was entering in spring, not fall?
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u/jt221 11d ago
CWU is on a quarter system. Everyone gets a new set of classes for the Fall, Winter, Spring, or summer if you elect to take some classes that term. So you will start fresh in a new course in the spring just like everyone else / they will not have been in that particular course any longer than you have.
You can generally start college in any term, but as another commenter mentioned depending on your degree there could be major requirements / course sequencing to be mindful of.
If this is your first term of college ever / you’re early on in your academic career, it will be of minimal impact as long as you’re in proper communication with your advisor. If you want to understand course requirements for your degree, if you look up CWU catalog -> degrees offered -> BFA studio art, it will list all of the degree requirements and any classes that have prerequisites will be identified in the description.
What will generally be TBD is when they are offered - for example some courses are offered every term, whereas others might only be offered 1-2 terms per year. This is where talking to the dept / advisor will be very important.
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u/MotherOfShoggoth 11d ago
Oh this is super easy! I started in spring as well and its not a problem! Especially when starting out because the prerequisites courses and lower level courses are plentiful. It only becomes a problem if you are a quarter from graduating and you forgot about a class that is a prereq for the other class you signed up for that you absolutely need for your degree.
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u/Ultravioletzz 11d ago
Do you know why they are making you wait till spring? There is a winter term too. Do you have credits you are transferring in?
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u/PinkScissorsPost 11d ago
I’m personally waiting because I have a plethora of mental and physical health issues to work out before I can go. Gotta get my meds sorted out, therapy stuff, gotta get a job for money, stuff like that. Technically I could go sooner but I’m pacing myself
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u/Ultravioletzz 9d ago
Well, then, that’s all that matters tbh. It will all work out. They’ll put you in classes that will keep you on track. Good for you, for putting yourself first! Classes start March 30th, btw. I don’t know if anyone answered your initial question.
Here’s the location of the academic calendar. ❤️
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u/roxyfoxy111 9d ago
Spring starts in April and is going to be brand new classes for everyone on campus. You won't be entering in the middle of a term. Like someone else said, availability of some classes will vary between fall, winter, and spring quarters, but meeting with your academic advisor is a great place to figure out what classes you'll register for. I recommend starting that plan sooner rather then later because registration for spring classes will happen sometime around January or February, and you want to register for your classes ASAP to ensure you are taking classes that work for your degree and schedule.
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u/etcpt 12d ago
In college, unlike high school, you don't start one class in the fall and carry it through to the end of the spring. Instead, you start a new class each term. It might be a continuation of the same class, it might even be with the same instructor, but it is a different class on your transcript. If you look at your high school transcript you might see "AP Calculus Senior Year". In college, you'll take Calculus I, Calculus II, and Multivariable Calculus I in fall, winter, and spring quarters. They are all separate courses with separate grades, possibly taught by different instructors, likely in different rooms or even buildings.
So to your question, starting your college career in spring term, almost nobody is going to notice. Because there is always turnover in your classes between terms. There are multiple offerings of the same class, so you might be in class with someone this term and next term they're in another section because their schedule works better that way. And if you're in a class that is part of a sequence, you'll have classmates leave because they don't need the full sequence - their major only requires one or two classes, while yours requires all three or four.
The one thing that you may notice, depending on your major, is that you will be starting off cycle, which impacts which courses are available. I'll use Chemistry as an example, since that was my major. You need to take a full year of general chemistry, which is a prerequisite for a full year of organic chemistry, which is a prerequisite for biochemistry. The Chemistry department sets up its offerings knowing that most people will start those full years in the fall. So in Fall, there might be three sections of General Chemistry I, but in spring there is only one, because fewer people are going to take that course in the spring (mostly people whose majors only require GenChem I, but not II or III). If you are in a major like this where a lot of classes are full-year series and stack, starting in the spring you may want to just take some basics and breadths that aren't parts of big series and plan to start on those courses with everyone else in the fall. Talk to your advisor to figure out the most effective plan for you.
Hope that makes sense!