By: Tayton Ornelas
For as long as people have known, interterm was well known here on the McPherson College campus. Students would return from winter break in the first week of January and take a three-week class, concluding in the last week of January. An entire semester of a course was condensed in just three weeks. Interterm was either loved or hated, there was no in between. Many students used it as an opportunity to get a class they were dreading out of the way in that short period of time.
Starting in the 2024-2025 academic year, interterm is no longer a thing at McPherson College. With interterm being taken out, students get a longer winter break. They also get out a week earlier in May, which many students are happy about. Since there is no interterm, students are allowed to take up to 18 credit hours per semester with no course overload charge. In years past, anything over 18 credit hours would have resulted in a course overload charge.
Classes for the spring semester will begin on Jan. 15. of this next year. Having no interterm will for sure be an adjustment for everyone, but it will not necessarily be a bad adjustment. With a longer break in between the end of fall semester and beginning of spring semester, it will give students more time to relax, work, or explore career opportunities. It will also give faculty more time to prepare their coursework and materials for the spring semester than in previous years. On top of that, classes will also conclude a week earlier, with commencement happening on the same weekend as All Schools Day. This moves other late-spring campus events like Campus Blowout in April instead of May. Overall, having no interterm is for sure going to be a big change for everyone come spring semester.
