by Luke Butner

For the 2022-2023 school year, Greensboro College tested a new academic calendar that started a little earlier than the typical school year. This new calendar faced its fair share of criticisms as well as received some praise from the GC community. Still, ultimately, Greensboro College decided to reinstate the traditional schedule. The Collegian interviewed Katherine Burgess and Sandra Kiyaya, two students here at GC, about their thoughts on the schedule change from the early schedule back to the conventional schedule.

Katherine Burgess was for the change, saying that she thought the schedule is too condensed. She believes the new schedule “condenses” a lot of school activities that would normally take more time to prepare and execute. The result of this time crunch leaves organizers more stressed while also harming attendance due to other commitments or events happening at the same time.

“Breaks are part of the college experience,” Burgess claims. She further states her belief that breaks, such as the Thanksgiving and Spring breaks, afford students extra opportunities for social time with friends and family, as well as give students a much-needed stress relief from the busy semester.

Burgess also believes that “[there is] too much time between semesters.” She claims this break makes the new semester “feel like a new school year, [making it] harder to get back to the ‘swing of things.’” She explained this meant it is harder for students to focus on school after such a significant break between semesters.

Sandra Kiyaya claims this longer break is largely beneficial, allowing “plenty of time to rest” in-between semesters. Kiyaya is a mother, and the break allows her to “spend time with family, and [I am] able to work.” Lastly, Kiyaya tells The Collegian the extensive break allows her to not hire a daycare worker or babysitter but rather be able to take care of her child and spend quality time with them.

Although many would argue the large breaks are mostly beneficial, it comes at the cost of having GC start weeks ahead of many other schools. While GC advertises the Consortium as a unique academic opportunity, Burgess notes “off the traditional schedule, the logistics [of the consortium] do not add up.” In other words, the scheduling difference practically renders the consortium useless or, at least, very difficult and inconvenient for use by those who need to use it.

It seems the GC community still has mixed feelings about the schedule change. While Burgess believes the traditional schedule is beneficial, allowing ample time for socializing and use of the Consortium, Kiyaya enjoys the new schedule better because she’s able to see and better provide for her family.