How many classes do you need to graduate from college?
How do grades work in college?
How do the classes work in college?
How long are the classes, and what kind of classes are there?
How large are the classes?
Did they have the right class for you?
Students of Washington Latin Public Charter School
How many classes?
The number of classes that are required to graduate from college vary from school to school. Generally, schools use a system of “credits” to calculate the number and types of classes you need to take. Usually, each class is assigned a certain number of credits. In some cases, like at Middlebury, each class is only one credit, and you have to have 36 to graduate. However, at some schools the number of credits received for the class depends of the difficulty and/or type of class. For example, your Calculus class may be worth 4 credits, but your World Religions class worth 3 credits.
When you enroll in a college, they will tell you how many credits you need to accumulate in order to graduate. However, I wouldn’t worry about it, because even though each school may have a different system for calculating, you are going to end up with about the same amount of coursework.
Grades
At Middlebury, the grading system works on a scale similar to high schools, that generally looks like this:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = Below 60%
Some independent study projects are pass/fail, but most grades are determined based on the above scale.
When you graduate, all of your grades are factored together to give you your GPA, which is a number equivalent of the average of all your grades that looks something like this:
A = 4.00
A- = 3.67
B+ = 3.33
B = 3.00
B- = 2.67
C+ = 2.33
C = 2.00
C- = 1.67
D = 1.00
F = 0
At some colleges, grades are done based on evaluations by the teacher and they do not use a number scale to rank students. Also, some schools will allow you to take some classes Pass/Fail, which means you are not graded, it is just determined by your professor if your performance is worthy of passing or failing.
When you enroll in college you will be notified of the grading system, but if you really want to know how you are going to be evaluated by the school then ask them!
Class size, type, and length
The size of your class will depend on two things, 1. the size of your school, and 2. the type of class you are taking. At a small schools like Middlebury, classes range anywhere from 4 to 80 students. However, in a larger schools, it’s possible to have a class with hundreds of kids in a lecture hall. However, generally, the larger classes are introduction classes on various subjects. When you start taking more specific classes for your major, the class size will generally drop.
With regard to class length, it can also vary. At Middlebury, classes are most commonly between 1 to 2 hours. However, if your class meets only once week, it could be 3 hours long. The more frequently your class meets the shorter the class tends to be. Also, the style of the class will affect the time. For example, some classes meet for three hours in the evening to screen a movie, some meet just for 50 minutes each morning if they are language classes, and some meet for a 1 to 2 hour lecture twice a week and then have a 1 hour discussion section once a week.
>>For answers to the rest of your questions, see this post: Scheduling Classes as a Freshman.
