University Student

The day of a university student varies substantially depending on where they go to school, what level of university they are in and what subjects they study.

A university student who is taking an arts program may attend 15 - 20 hours of classes a week and have a very flexible schedule. A science student might have 15 - 20 hours of classes in addition to labs in which they practice what they are being taught. They also have a flexible schedule. Arts students generally have more work they must do on their own to balance out the difference with science students.

Classes at the university level are called lectures or tutorials and take place in lecture halls or classrooms. Some lectures at larger universities can be gigantic, holding up to 500 students (or more). Others, especially in specialized programs or upper-year programs, might have as few as five students in a very small classroom.

Classes are usually taught by professors who have received a PhD in their subject area. These days, there are many classes being taught by graduate students.

A lecture taught to a larger class generally involves the professor talking for the duration of the class, with students taking notes. Some students will take notes by hand while others may use a laptop computer. Smaller lectures may follow the same format or become a discussion of the topic of the lecture by the professor.

Students in many universities may make up their own timetables, fitting classes into the week to suit their own schedules. It is not uncommon for a university student to go to classes four of the five weekdays and then use the fifth day to work at a part-time job.

Classes at university are generally an hour to an hour and a half long, depending on the course, but may be as long as three hours long. A student may have the same class on multiple days throughout the week. For example, they might attend History 101 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 11-12. The same professor would teach the class on both occasions and new ground would be covered each day the class was held.

The majority of universities in Canada are semestered. This means that the academic year is broken up into three sessions: fall, winter/spring and summer. Students might take full-year courses that last from September until March or April. A half-year course would last from September until December or from January until March or April. Courses are also offered during the summer at some (but not all) Canadian universities. These generally only last the summer. A full-year course is usually the equivalent of one full academic credit, while a half-year course is equivalent to a half credit, though there are half-year courses which cram a full year's worth of learning into half the time.

What students do between their classes varies as widely as there are universities in Canada. Some students study or work on essays or assignments, while others socialize with fellow students in the campus pub or in the cafeteria. They may buy lunch or bring their own food to eat. Classes may begin as early as 8 a.m. and go as late as 10 or 11 p.m., so some students may eat dinner on campus as well.

Libraries are generally open late and students will often study or do research until late in the evening. Students in upper-year science courses may be able to sign out keys or gain access to labs on campus and work all night.

In the middle of each semester students take tests called mid-terms (though not every class will have mid-terms) and have assignments due around the same time. At the end of the semester, there is an exam period of two to three weeks. This will happen once in December and once in April or May. The exams in April or May are called final exams. Where there are summer semesters, there will be a summer exam period as well.