Thank you for the wishes. I'm rather chuffed that anyone remembered at all - and you're not late, as I logged into LJ after you. :-)
How are you? What's new with your college girl? (Please tell me she hasn't already graduated - I lose track of time, and it always seems shorter in my mind than in reality. She's no more than a Sophomore, right? Right?) Shoot us an update when you can - not that I'm one to talk. :-)
Sarah is starting her third year in a few weeks. At current rate of progress she could take several more years to graduate! She usually enrols in 4 courses per semester (the standard number) and then drops one which means she has to make up the number at some time or other. Although there are probably more similarities with the US university system than the British, we don't have the sophomore designation so I can't tell you whether she is one or not.
Sophomore is the 2nd year - so I seem to have been close. Do they have summer semesters at Sarah's university? (well, I guess the seasons are different, but you get the idea - it's a third, shorter 'semester'). In US, students make up for credits in the summer. Or they get extra credits so they graduate one year early. Either way, it gives them some flexibility.
There are two semesters, each with a short break in the middle. They do run some courses over the long summer break but she would have to be in Canberra to take any of them. At the moment she doesn't want to do that. There are some that run over the inter-semester winter break which would count - mostly along the lines of a 4 week field course. As the science component of her degree (she's doing a combined Japanese and science degree) is earth and marine studies this is a possibility. The combined degree already makes the course a year longer and they are a year longer here than in England in the first place (again, don't know about the US)
Typical college degree in US takes 4 years. Sarah's majors are fascinating!
I understand your concern with the length of her studies. (Do you pay for uni, like in US? Or is it free?) However, as long as she likes what she does, and makes good progress each year, she will get to where she's going.
There is a student loan system and that is for the number of courses rather than the period of time you spread them over, so her debt will work out the same. We pay her accommodation expenses so that works out more. 4 years is standard here but a combined degree works out an extra year (I think). She will have a B of Asia Pacific Studies (major = Japanese language, minor = linguistics) and BSc (major = earth studies, minor = earth and marine studies). Next year she will be able to do a course in Japanese scientific and technical language, which sounds useful. Of course if she gets a semester in Japan, that just makes the course take longer!
How are you? What's new with your college girl? (Please tell me she hasn't already graduated - I lose track of time, and it always seems shorter in my mind than in reality. She's no more than a Sophomore, right? Right?) Shoot us an update when you can - not that I'm one to talk. :-)
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I understand your concern with the length of her studies. (Do you pay for uni, like in US? Or is it free?) However, as long as she likes what she does, and makes good progress each year, she will get to where she's going.
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