Grad school schedule and breaks

[CBG321]

So I realize that of course like every question on here "every school is different" but in general what is a typical course load in graduate school?  I know in my undergrad minimum full time was 12 units (semester system).  

Also as I am strongly considering attending a grad school out of my state do Grad programs have the same breaks as undergrad programs?   A month off in December and typically a month or a few weeks off between Spring and Summer coursework?  I'd like to visit home during those times  if they have them...

[jpiccolo]

Our Christmas break and spring break is the same as undergrad because they're university-wide school closures. Summer may vary on the school. My program started in June and didn't follow the typical summer terms as the rest of the university. But I still had the month of August off to visit home. This summer we're off on first externships for 8 weeks and the rest of the time is ours to go wherever. 

Except for summer a typical load for me has been 11-12 credits. 

[NorcalSLP]

I honestly don't recall the number of units I took a semester but 12ish on average sounds about right. Schools generally have the course sequence with number of units listed somewhere. As for being able to go home, that all depends on clinical placements. If you are on campus and the campus is closed (like for spring break or a long weekend) then the clinics are usually closed. If you are off campus you will be on two different schedules, your clinical and your academic. I was never able to go home for spring break because I still had a responsibility to my clients even though I had a week off of classes mid semester. But I was able to go home for breaks between semesters/ for holidays like Thanksgiving because my clinical placements had ended by then. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about not getting to go home on all school breaks. Because once you enter the real world, you won't get much time off (unless you work in a school). Plus you will still have a good handful of semester breaks. 

[CBG321]

Thanks for the responses!  

 

[MangoSmoothie]

I think you have your answers, but I'll echo looking at the university calendars and then the department course listings. You can usually find course dates on school's websites. It takes some searching, but the information is there. Departments also don't withhold this information, so feel free to email them and ask.

My graduate program has the typical month-ish long winter break both years. First years get a spring break, but in the second year we don't because you'll still have your externships, and the scheduling there does not align with university scheduling.  We only have a week off between spring and summer semesters, although we have all of August off. We also are expected to be on campus until the official last day of the semester, through the exam periods, and are told not to plan to leave for vacations for these times, in case our clinical paperwork isn't finished or needs revising. My university has three semesters of on-campus clinic (Fall, Spring, Summer), then two separate 25-30 hour/week externships the second year, although these externships fall within the semester timeframe.

I'll also say this: While visiting home is nice, don't ignore or neglect your cohort. You may find you enjoy being around a lot and don't want or need to visit home every break (which is also expensive!). These breaks can be a good time to spend more time with the friends you make in your cohort or your new city, since you don't really have that much time to hang out when classes are in session. Of course, many people are travelling and doing things, and going home for the holidays is great and expected, but try to leave some room for your new friends, too. I was gone most of my winter break travelling and visiting old friends, but I wish I had left some more time to hang out with my friends from my cohort before classes started again.

[CBG321]

9 hours ago, MangoSmoothie said:

I think you have your answers, but I'll echo looking at the university calendars and then the department course listings. You can usually find course dates on school's websites. It takes some searching, but the information is there. Departments also don't withhold this information, so feel free to email them and ask.

My graduate program has the typical month-ish long winter break both years. First years get a spring break, but in the second year we don't because you'll still have your externships, and the scheduling there does not align with university scheduling.  We only have a week off between spring and summer semesters, although we have all of August off. We also are expected to be on campus until the official last day of the semester, through the exam periods, and are told not to plan to leave for vacations for these times, in case our clinical paperwork isn't finished or needs revising. My university has three semesters of on-campus clinic (Fall, Spring, Summer), then two separate 25-30 hour/week externships the second year, although these externships fall within the semester timeframe.

I'll also say this: While visiting home is nice, don't ignore or neglect your cohort. You may find you enjoy being around a lot and don't want or need to visit home every break (which is also expensive!). These breaks can be a good time to spend more time with the friends you make in your cohort or your new city, since you don't really have that much time to hang out when classes are in session. Of course, many people are travelling and doing things, and going home for the holidays is great and expected, but try to leave some room for your new friends, too. I was gone most of my winter break travelling and visiting old friends, but I wish I had left some more time to hang out with my friends from my cohort before classes started again.

Good advice about the cohort and I won't I am pretty darn social!   And I guess I'm already leaning towards a program that really emphasizes work/school/life balance so this is just another sign that I should go there ?!  Beyond seeing family here and there it is more about having a short break so I'm happy to hear those still happen in grad school ?.  Thank you for the details.