Many people seem to be able to perform at a higher level if they can focus on a single task, project, or responsibility.
Such people often find a single challenge, even one that is difficult, less daunting than two, three, or sometimes even four far less difficult ones.
It should be no surprise that these same folks almost always adapt well to a one-course-at-a-time calendar, particularly if they are enrolled in a degree program while juggling family, professional, and/or other responsibilities. For that reason, online degree programs are often offered in a one-course-at-a-time format.
While most people know how online degrees are structured, few seem to realize that three otherwise traditional liberal arts colleges also offer students the opportunity to take one course at a time. At Colorado College, the most selective of the three, the calendar is referred to as the Block Plan, which breaks the academic year into eight three and a half week segments. Courses may be one, two, or three blocks in duration, depending on their scope.
At Iowa's Cornell College, the academic year also consists of eight terms of three and a half weeks, with students enrolling in a single course per term.
Tusculum College, in Greeneville, Tennessee calls its system a focused calendar. The Tusculum calendar consists of four blocks per semester, with a four day break between blocks. Three optional blocks are offered during the summer.
There are lots of differences between the three aforementioned colleges. Colorado College is far more selective than the other two, and Cornell is more selective than Tusculum. The cities or towns in which they are located offer very different environments, as do the campuses themselves. But, the websites of all three tout the same potential advantages of their academic calendars; the time to focus on and learn a subject, the luxury of keeping a lab project or interesting discussion going longer than would otherwise be possible, and the chance to study with a professor who does not have to devote time and energy to other classes.
If you like the idea of taking one course at a time, and if the advantages of a block schedule appeal to you, one or more of these three unique colleges may be good options for you.
