Passage Two

Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives a credit which may matter toward a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester. Normally a student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread the period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular practice. For every course followed a student is given a grade, which is recorded, and the record is available for the student to show to prospective employers. All this imposes a constant pressure affairs. Elections to positions in student organizations arouse much enthusiasm. The effective word of maintaining discipline is usually performed by students who advise the academic authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating, has to appear before a student court. With the enormous numbers of students, the operation of the system does involve a certain amount of activity. A student who has held one of these positions of authority is much respected and it will be of benefit to a later career.

Normally a student would at least attend ______ classes each week.