#I should do a headcanon list for Pac Tech

[philcoulson-redtapeninja]

Trying to figure out Pacific Tech semester schedule

Okay so, we know that Pac Tech is largely based on Cal Tech, which uses a three semester schedule and the movie takes place between winter break(Mid-December to early January) and June 27th when they test the laser and Hathaway loses his house to popcorn

Now, I found the academic calendar for Cal Tech's 2005-6 (1984 started on a Sunday, so did 2006) and it's roughly layed out like First Term Sept 19-23 New Student Orientation Sept 26 Beginning of instruction Dec 7-9 Final examinations, first term Dec 9 End of first term Dec 10-Jan 3 Winter recess Second Term January 4 Beginning of instruction March 15-17 Final examinations, second term March 18 End of second term March 19-26 Spring recess Third Term March 27 Beginning of instruction June 7-9 Final examinations for undergraduates, third term June 10 End of third term Summer Term June 12 Summer term begins September 1 Summer term ends

Now we only see the students taking one final and no midterm which I always found weird, so that means that Pac Tech is probably following a two semester schedule. Also, we know from the script that Chris and Mitch have their breakthrough on the last day of finals and that the test of the laser occurs on the 27th of June and isn't long after the breakthrough.

So, Spring semester in Pac Tech is probably from Jan 4 - Jun 28th, which lasts for 26 weeks or 18 days over Cal Tech, jegus crust I'm guessing that their Fall semester is about 23 weeks long, Cal Tech is 13 weeks, would be from Jul 12 - Dec 20

Which means that a Cal Tech student is in school for 36 weeks and a Pac Tech student is in school for 49 weeks, over a four-year span means an extra 52 weeks, which explains how they shoved a five-year undergrad + masters program into a four-year college. Bc there is no way that Hathaway's team is a bunch of undergrads at the level of research they're doing