With Veteran’s Day being observed Friday, many Boston University students are excited about a four-day school week, but are left wondering why BU gives them certain days off while other Boston area schools are still in session.

The academic calendar, which is ultimately approved a little over a year in advance by the University Council, goes through many drafts and reviews before it becomes final, BU spokesman Colin Riley said. Even so, Riley said the basic “bookends” of the calendar do not change from year to year to keep it predictable and stable for students and faculty.

“The calendar is a template,” he said. “It doesn’t vary greatly. The calendar first works around university holidays and a beginning date post-September 1. We wouldn’t start before that because leases for students living off campus might start after that date.”

Because BU receives federal aid, Riley said it must also submit to providing a minimum number of weeks of instruction.

Breaks and days off are scheduled by “what the university feels is necessary,” Riley said, adding that because BU schedules all its final exams to end before the intersession break, a fall break, which is common among other area schools, would not fit into the calendar.

University Professors Program junior Sarah Bormel said she likes how the university’s schedule includes scattered days off because they benefit her study habits.

“I enjoy the single days over one long fall break because it allows us to continually catch up on schoolwork as opposed to only one weekend,” she said.

College of Arts and Sciences senior Andrew Golden said he likes the calendar and would rather not see so many individual days off so the schedule could be condensed and finished sooner.

“The schedule is fine with me,” he said. “I’d love to sleep in more and have lots of days off, but I’d be paying for them in May. If people want days off, schedule it so you don’t have classes on days.”

Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences freshman Aliza Alter said she would like to see BU cancel classes on key religious holidays, as many students already do not attend classes those days and have a hard time making up work.

“I skip classes for the high holidays and go to synagogue instead,” she said. “I think we should have off for at least Yom Kippur, preferably Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These are the three holiest days in the Jewish year and a lot of students are fasting on Yom Kippur. It’s near impossible to function well in class when you haven’t eaten in awhile.”

BU’s policy on religious holidays stated in the university directory is “the school, in scheduling classes on religious holiday, intends that students observing those holidays be given ample opportunity to make up work. Faculty members who wish to observe religious holidays will arrange for another faculty member to meet their classes or for canceled classes to be rescheduled.”

Riley said the calendar cannot be arranged to take off every religious holiday because “we’d never have classes,” adding this is why BU has the policy in place.

Bormel said her professors have cooperated with her about these issues in the past.

“Professors are generally understanding about missing classes for holidays,” she said. “But you still miss class and are sometimes behind for a few weeks.”