The first winter term, or J-term as it is now known, was held in 1972. Mount Holyoke was the first college to join Hampshire in launching the new calendar. It was required that students participate in at least two winter terms during their time at Mount Holyoke. Winter term offered a chance for students to participate in fieldwork as well as interdisciplinary courses for intellectual pursuit rather than academic pressure. Among the more unusual offerings were hackysack, knitting, and wine.
Winter term at Mount Holyoke
Winter term also gave students time to connect outside the classroom. One year, they built the world’s largest Trivial Pursuit game!