1, semester system: it is the academic system adopted by most schools. In the traditional semester system, the nine-month school year is divided into two semesters, the longest 16 weeks, and some schools offer the longest 18 weeks. Usually, each semester has about fifteen weeks of teaching time and a week of final exams. The first semester begins at the end of August, and there is usually orientation week for freshmen, which ends in the middle and late June of that year. The second semester begins in early January and ends in late May.
2. Credits are calculated according to the semester system, and one hour of class per week is one semester credit. Usually three hours a week, students can get three credits. In a school with one semester, the average student needs 120- 128 semester credits to apply for graduation.
3. academic year system: most universities in California adopt the academic year system, which divides the one-year course into four seasons, namely, spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each season has a $ term, and each semester is only two and a half months (ten to twelve weeks, and about eight to ten weeks in summer), so the course is very compact.
4. Foreign students studying in institutions that adopt this system must attend at least three academic seasons (pay tuition fees three times) each year to maintain their student status. If they are not registered in any academic season except summer, they must report to the school authorities. Summer school offers formal courses, but they are optional.