Psyched for Spring Term

LEXIE THAYER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER

LILLIAN ROUTOWICZ
STAFF WRITER

4/13/2026

With the Winter 2026 semester coming to an end, Alma students are gearing up for their respective Spring Terms. As courses wrap up and campus transitions into a new pace, students are preparing to shift their focus to new content and academic experiences. Alma students must complete two spring terms during their time at Alma to fulfill their graduation requirements, making this a defining moment of their college careers.

With the new three-credit system being put into place in the fall, all future Spring Term courses offered at Alma will be worth three credits rather than four. Spring Terms take place about a week after the conclusion of the winter semester, giving students a short break before jumping back into classes. While brief, the four-week structure encourages focus, allowing students to engage deeply with one subject at a time and absorb material in a more concentrated way than during a traditional semester.

Alma College travel Spring Terms provide students the opportunity to learn alongside their peers and professors in a real-world setting, while also experiencing different cultures and gaining opportunities they may not otherwise have. 

“This year, I am traveling with the choir. I am excited to go during a time of year when I get to see Edinburgh for what it is the other 99% of the year, as well as experience other parts of Scotland, as well as Ireland,” said Erica Jonhson (’27).

Unlike Fall and Winter semesters, the Spring Term allows students the unique opportunity to go out into the world and build on the groundwork they have established in class into something bigger.

“My last trip was an out-of-the-country one with the theater company. We wrote a show during the Spring Term and performed it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. People from all over the world come to perform, and the streets were so, so busy,” said Johnson.

Local Spring Terms meet on campus every weekday for three hours for the entirety of the term. This consistent schedule helps students stay engaged while allowing time outside of class for assignments and reflection. Students utilize their time in the short term by taking full advantage of the courses that Alma offers in regard to their prospective interests. 

“I’m taking a spring term on Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. It will be the first Spring Term I’ve taken, but I am very excited to explore this opportunity given to me by Alma. I find it very interesting that there is a very wide variety of spring terms I can take,” said Jushawn Ferrell Jr. (’27).

Spring Terms are a great opportunity for students to delve into their interests. Whether it be local or abroad, Alma students are challenged to make the most out of their experience.

“I am most looking forward to how the spring term will further set me up for a career in writing. I am an English major, and I am reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, and I am very interested since I have not watched any of the movies. The spring term is a great opportunity to jump into the world of such a famous work of literature,” said Ferrell.

If you missed out on taking a Spring Term this year, you can plan ahead with the Spring 2027 courses that were recently announced via Outlook and can also be accessed through the course catalog. Whether you travel or stay local, spring terms are a great opportunity to develop new skills and to obtain new experiences.