Students Unaccustomed to Semesters Find it Difficult to Adjust Pt. 2

 For part one, click here.The day President Obama came to Athens was a historic day for many students, but for two juniors it was also a chance to make a statement about semesters.Stationed just across from Baker Center on South Court Street next to two Christianity advocates toting biblical verses and a very bloody picture of Jesus Christ, Tyler Dawley and Cody Walker boldly held up homemade signs that read, “God hates semesters.”“Cody actually came up with the idea and I went along with it,” said Dawley. “It wasn't really the hating semesters that made us do it, rather, we did it just because that's our sense of humor and we knew people would love it because there seems to be this unanimous hate for semesters on this campus.”“Well I saw the two men on the corner telling everyone that God hates sinners and that we're all going to hell,” said Walker. “After I stood there and watched these men yell at my fellow classmates about their futures in hell, I knew something needed to be done. I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and make signs that say ‘God Hates Semesters.’”“If it wasn't for the substantial amount of positive we were receiving, we would have left much sooner. What started out as a simple joke turned into a tiny protest,” he said.“We knew it was a relatable thing,” Dawley said.The juniors, who had experienced quarters for two full years before the transition to semesters, both say they prefer quarters and that semesters are harder.“My homework has doubled and extra, fluff material has been added to the course,” said Walker. “In all honesty, I have yet to meet one student who is in love with semesters. If you bring semesters up at a party, you should wear a hat because someone will pour beer on you.”Walker said that not only did undergraduate students appreciate their “tiny protest,” but graduate students and professors also joined in on the chants, as well.“When I was told we were going to semesters, I was reassured by most of my professors that semesters meant less homework, as well as more time to cover all of the course material,” said Walker, recalling the beginning stages of the transition period. “Within two weeks of my first semester, I came to the conclusion that they were just as knowledgeable about semesters as I was at the time.”Dawley added that semesters put on more stress. “Everything is spread out, so while there are more weeks in between tests for the most part, now there are things such as weekly homework and writing assignments that really tack on the extra work,” Dawley said. “Plus with semesters, you take one more extra class than you normally would on quarters.”Besides Walker and Dawley’s overload of homework and stress resulting from the semester switch, Walker also pointed out that the new winter break schedule has disrupted his availability to work with UPS and earn some extra cash for the holiday season.“I haven’t surveyed the entire campus, but I am sure that the majority of students wish we would’ve just stuck with the quarter system,” said Walker, who wrote, “R.I.P. quarters, warm spring fest and long winter breaks,” in an email.Dawley is a bit more optimistic about semesters: “I think with time, the student body will learn to accept semesters. It's just this transition period we find ourselves in that seems to be the most difficult.”