Keeping it real: substantive learning on a short calendar.

Many institutions offer courses that last less than a quarter and are a student's sole academic responsibility for that short term. There is an unfortunate and incorrect perception that such short classes cannot be used to teach substantively. At Colorado College, we teach all of our courses in 3.5 wk, including majors' courses in molecular cell biology and related fields. The article presents strategies for exploiting short terms as excellent venues for deep learning in the biological sciences.