The U.S. college calendar is often confusing, in fact, it may sometimes vary from institution to institution. Some universities have academic cycles organized in semesters, quarters or trimesters. In general, however, American institutions divide the year into two semesters of 16 weeks each, or approximately three and a half to four months per academic program.
The fall semester is the beginning of the school year and generally begins in August or early September. It lasts until December, with the winter vacation that usually lasts approximately three weeks to enjoy the Christmas and New Year's vacations.
The second semester begins in January and ends in May with the summer vacation, the longest of the school year. This period of rest lasts approximately two and a half months. Undoubtedly, it is a long time, so some students usually visit tourist places in the United States, return to their countries of origin or even, depending on each institution, enroll in classes to advance credits in their university career.
In addition to the two major vacation periods (winter and summer), there are short breaks in between semesters. For example, "Spring Break" is a one to two week vacation period in March or April. There are also holidays such as: Martin Luther King, Jr. 's Birthday, Presidents' Holiday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
When does the sports season start for student athletes?
The start of the varsity sports season depends on the discipline and division each student athlete belongs to.
Fall
Fall is the start of the season for disciplines such as women's volleyball, men's water polo, field field hockey, soccer and football.It begins with the school year, from August or September through November or December.
Winter
The season for sports such as basketball, bowling, fencing, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and diving usually begins in November or December and ends in February or March.
Spring
Finally, the season for tennis, baseball, beach volleyball, men's volleyball, women's water polo, golf, rowing, track and field and lacrosse begins in February or March and ends in May or June.
It is important to review the calendar of each institution according to its discipline and division, because as mentioned above, dates may vary.
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