When will years start beginning in January?

[RoJoHen]

Well, two years after college, and I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that years start in January. I always had the school mindset: years run from August until May...and then Summer exists outside of the year.

Now, obviously, I know this isn't true, but it's always been my perception. If you were to bring up a date in 2005, I would have no idea what you were talking about. On the other hand, if you told me "Junior year of college," I would immediately have a frame of reference.

I also have a hard time thinking that the year begins in the middle of the season. Why would they do that? The year should start at the beginning of a season, like Fall, when school starts.

So, grown-ups, does this ever change?

 

[Vanyel]

Nope. You'll have to get used to fiscal years, years of employment, Employment contracts, Union Contracts (if you belong to one) and the list goes on. Remember the 2009 Football champions won't be decided until 2010.

 

[SeerSGB]

I don't think they ever do. It's a decade and a half since I had to worry about getting up for any class, and I still think in terms of "school year". My "week" runs 14 days long-- cause that's when paychecks cut, and that's how my brain's wired "Paycheck = end of week". And I'm still on a swing shift-- despite not working swing for at least 5 years-- sleep cycle.

 

[MetalPants]

Well, two years after college, and I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that years start in January. I always had the school mindset: years run from August until May...and then Summer exists outside of the year.

Now, obviously, I know this isn't true, but it's always been my perception. If you were to bring up a date in 2005, I would have no idea what you were talking about. On the other hand, if you told me "Junior year of college," I would immediately have a frame of reference.

I also have a hard time thinking that the year begins in the middle of the season. Why would they do that? The year should start at the beginning of a season, like Fall, when school starts.

So, grown-ups, does this ever change?

Yeah, it changed for me when I was like 8 or 9 years old.

 

[Candlelight]

Come to New Zealand.

They ALL start in January...

 

[Freakness]

just start going by the Hebrew calendar! our year starts...uh, this Friday night.

 

[RoJoHen]

I should just keep as many different calendars around as possible so that I can constantly have New Years parties.

 

[sbk1234]

Well, I'm a teacher, so I never got away from it!

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, I'm a teacher, so I never got away from it!

My mom is a teacher, and my siblings are still in school, so I think that's part of my problem.

 

[WillsBabe]

Well, I work for a charity and our funding starts with the tax year so years run from April to April for me. But, I have to say, even though I've been out of education for over 20 years there's still a part of me that thinks there's something shiny and new about September - when I used to go back to school as a kid after the summer hols. I think for parents, too, there's always going to be the same sensation.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I have a bunch of different years in my head. There's the calendar year, the "school" year (which for me was more about the new TV Season ), the fiscal year, the academic year from when I was at a teaching hospital, and my own personal year which begins on my Birthday.

I like the idea of Summer existing "outside of the year," though. Interesting concept.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Come to New Zealand.

They ALL start in January...

Or come to Australia.

Here high school starts late January, uni starts (if I remember) sometime in Feb/March.

 

[Candlelight]

Come to New Zealand.

They ALL start in January...

Or come to Australia.

Here high school starts late January, uni starts (if I remember) sometime in Feb/March.

Well that's what I mean. Our year is late Feb to late Oct/early Nov.

Summer at Christmas, snow in July.

 

[Australis]

Celebrate New Year really BIG. Then you remember.

 

[RoJoHen]

Celebrate New Year really BIG. Then you remember.

I always do, but it still never feels like a new year. It just feels like a big party in the middle of winter.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I like the idea of Summer existing "outside of the year," though. Interesting concept.

It's kinda the opposite of what ancient Romans had (until G. Julius Caesar). They had a 10 month calendar (March to December) and then a nebulous two months until spring where there were no months. The problem is that you could bribe the priest who was in charge of deciding when the new year started to get you an extra month or so of time in office if you wanted it.

 

[Maestro]

The calendar year is about the only year that starts in January. Almost every other thing of relevance has a year that begins elsewhere. The "School Year" runs from September 1 to May 31. The "Fiscal Year" runs from July 1 to June 30. The "Church Year" runs from four Sundays prior to Christmas until a Sunday five Sundays prior to the next Christmas.

Even service groups like the Lions Club have their own year for things like finances, membership dues, officers, etc. We have the "Lionistic Year" which matches the "Fiscal Year." We even denote it special. This current year is: LY 2009-2010.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I like the idea of Summer existing "outside of the year," though. Interesting concept.

It's kinda the opposite of what ancient Romans had (until G. Julius Caesar). They had a 10 month calendar (March to December) and then a nebulous two months until spring where there were no months. The problem is that you could bribe the priest who was in charge of deciding when the new year started to get you an extra month or so of time in office if you wanted it.

Woo! No months, no rent. I like it.

 

[Holdfast]

Nope. You'll have to get used to fiscal years, years of employment, Employment contracts, Union Contracts (if you belong to one) and the list goes on. Remember the 2009 Football champions won't be decided until 2010.

QFT.

The only thing that changes in January is the number at the end of the date. Everything else changes all over the place. I think it's partly this constant flux of change that makes it appear that years fly by quicker as you get older.

There's always something else to renew or commemorate just around the corner, so it's harder to stop and appreciate the present.

 

[Verteron]

The six years of my life I spent at my eponymous alma mater left me not only confused about the year, but weeks too.

For some reason they ran weeks from Thursday to Wednesday (Saturday as a working day and Sunday as a rest day in the middle of each week). Goodness knows why, but apparently it's been working well this way for 800 years.