Students are excited that the fall semester is coming to an end, and they can have a break. But for some students, they’re anxiously waiting for January to begin college. Winter intake students have been an option at Fanshawe for some time now, but where did it all start from, and what are the benefits of starting in January opposed to September?
Krista Vogt is the Senior Associate Registrar of Admissions at Fanshawe College, and says the background of the Winter semester is different than some may think.
“The history of the January intake was we started creating them for students who started in September and then they fail out, but they want to stay in college. So, a lot of our programs like Graphic Design, Social Worker, Child and Youth Worker, tons of programs where we have a Level 1 start in September, and a Level 1 start in January. And that’s really great for students who start in September, they don’t do so well, and then they can try a second time.”
There are many benefits to starting in the Winter semester, opposed to the fall, which include:
- smaller class sizes
- more opportunity to ask questions
- more one on one time with professors
Mike Dennis is a Fanshawe student who decided to start in January opposed to the September term. But, why did he choose to wait?
“I started in the Winter opposed to the fall because of the flexibility that it offered. A lot of time in the Winter, there’s smaller class sizes, so I definitely preferred that over the larger fall sizes. Another reason was financial situations, I was able to work longer, and save up more money.” 
But, does Dennis regret starting in the Winter and missing out on his summer?
“Absolutely not, the class sizes ended up being perfect. It allowed the teachers to get to all the students who had questions quicker, and overall I think it really improved my learning.”
The class sizes are drastically smaller in the Winter term, going from 7000 students in September, to only about 2800 in January. And whether you decide to begin in September, or January, the learning curriculum is the exact same for the program you choose to go into.
