Demystifying Mods 101

Incoming students always wonder what a mod is and why we are always at its mercy. Here is my first attempt at breaking it down...

• The most common 9-month academic term system as it relates to the US higher education is the semester system which consists of the Fall (Sep - Dec) and the Spring (Jan - May) semesters.
• The module (or mod) system at Owen is very similar to the semester system (the rest of Vanderbilt University works on the semester system.) Each semester is chopped into two halves giving us four terms. Each term is 7 weeks long and is called a mod.
• We treat each mod as a new academic term which means we have a whole new set of classes each mod.
• The mods are numbered and the numbering is quite complicated... Mod 1, Mod 2 (Christmas break) Mod 3 (spring break) Mod 4 (summer).
• The classes are intense and we do almost a semester's worth of work (most of the time) in 7 weeks. We are business school students so its fair to assume that we are sharp, bright, hardworking overachievers... so doing a semester's worth of work in 7 weeks is no biggie.
• Besides, being sharp, bright, hardworking overachievers we only have a 7 week attention span ;-)
• The mod system gives students tremendous flexibility. The introductory courses allow students to pick and choose areas of interest without having to commit an entire semester of their 2-year education to a course they might potentially not like. And if they do like an area of study or they want an in-depth course in a particular area, they take an advanced course in that area for 7 weeks.
• Mod's are also motivating as they make the class go by quickly. You can imagine the value of this when the class requires a lot of effort (i.e. when you are getting destroyed in the class)... all you have to do is hold on for a few more weeks!
• Mod's can also be scary... if you drop the ball in the first week of classes you better catch up fast because when weeks 3 & 4 roll around, its time for mid-terms! This is especially challenging in the first mod of your first year... you walk into school, you try to get your bearings, you realize that the class is kickin' your behind, and suddenly its week #3 and you have a mid-term worth 50% of your grade. Fun!
• Job hunting normally happens in 4-7 week cycles (based on the industry/function) involving networking, interviews etc. Mods allow you plan ahead and take a less demanding set of classes for a particular mod when you know that you are going to be spending the bulk of your time managing your internship or full-time job search. When the next mod rolls around you can pick up right where you left off.
• Advice that you will receive and that you will give to students coming in after you: Get organized quickly, stay ahead of the game, relax and recharge your batteries on Thursday nights.

If any of the Owen students reading this have other insights on mod's, please leave a comment so that our incoming students know what to expect.

But don't give away the rhythm of the samba...

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