Schools divide the year in different ways, and the difference affects how long each class runs and how many you take at once. The School Term System setting (Settings → Profile) lets this site’s Archive match the way your school does it.
Semesters, Trimesters, and Quarters
| System | Terms a year | Typical length | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semesters | 2 (fall and spring) | About 15 weeks | Most US colleges and high schools |
| Trimesters | 3 | About 10–12 weeks | Some colleges and K–12 schools |
| Quarters | 4 (three in the main year, plus summer) | About 10 weeks | Some universities; K–12 grading periods |
Many schools also run a shorter summer session on top of their main terms. Shorter terms move faster: a quarter packs a course into about ten weeks, so falling behind for a week matters more.
What the Setting Changes
It’s a display preference, not a grading input; it never changes your GPA or any grade. It only changes how the Archive page groups your past classes and assignments:
- With Semesters, Trimesters, or Quarters, each school year in the Archive is split into its terms (for example “Fall Semester” and “Spring Semester,” or “Quarter 1” through “Quarter 4”).
- With My school doesn’t use terms, the Archive groups things by school year only.
How Terms Are Dated
The site splits a standard August-to-July school year evenly into terms; it doesn’t read your school’s actual calendar. If your terms start or end on different dates, an assignment near a boundary might be grouped under the neighboring term. Its due date and details don’t change, only the heading it sits under.
Where to Change It
Go to Settings → Profile and choose your system under School Term System.