1. Time crunch – the worst.
Let's cram 15 weeks of class into five, and see what happens! New concepts are introduced faster than you can say "Mississippi." Hope you don't have any absences, because one day counts as two or three days. You are going to have homework. Every. Night. Don't forget the weekends, too. Better keep your weekend getaway confined to somewhere with Wi-Fi.
2. Class material – the best.
Because of the time constraint summer courses are under, a lot of material doesn't make the cut. Instead you focus on the most important parts of the class with a lot less fluff. Perfect for general requirement classes or major requirements you're not so crazy about. I'm looking at you, Early American Literature.
3. Cost – the worst.
Don't let them fool you that summer classes are cheaper. Sure, you're paying a decent price for a few credits, but the flat rate for 12-17 credits isn't that much more. I like to get more for my money, and would rather have 17 credits for a little more than the price of nine during the summer.
4. Parking – the best.
If you park anywhere on or around campus besides Julia Davis or Ann Morrison, chances are that you're getting a better spot. As a certified lazy person, I have absolutely no objections to a closer parking spot, especially when it's 100 degrees outside.
5. Textbooks – the worst.
Amazon doesn't have an "I only need this for a couple weeks" rental option, and neither does the bookstore. So you can pay an insulting price to have a textbook much longer than you need it, or you can pay an even more insulting price to buy said textbook for a five-week course. Your pick.
6. Grades – the best.
Providing you pass your class(es), your GPA will get a sweet little boost. There's no Dean's List to fret over during the summer, although overachievers like me miss its presence. It's an awesome deal in Greek life; my chapter tacks summer grades onto spring GPAs. Summer classes are also great for reducing the number of classes you need to take in fall or spring, hopefully upping your GPA, because trust me, 20 credits a semester can be suicide for grades.
7. The weather – the worst.
The weather for summer classes is both a curse and a blessing. No stomping through puddles or biking through snow, just cloudless skies and temperatures around 100 degrees. You do get to sit around in an air conditioned classroom, providing the AC is cooperating that day. But there's a good chance your friends are using the heat wave as an excuse to float the river, while you're stuck working out redox reactions in Chem.
8. Class size – the best.
Summer classes are generally pretty small, because few sane people volunteer their summers to study stoichiometry and argument methods. This means you can actually get some interaction from your professor when you need it. But this makes it harder to skip class or take an unnoticed nap.
9. Missing a "normal" summer – the worst.
There are a lot of amazing non-academic opportunities that pop up during the summer. It's rough to miss out on some of the fun your friends are having, especially when it comes across your Instagram feed in the middle of a lecture. But summer classes can make more room for fun during the regular academic year, and can even bump up your graduation date. Hello, real world!
10. Accomplishment – the best.
If you complete and pass a summer class, give yourself a serious pat on the back! It takes a lot of hard work and focus to get college material done at three times the normal pace. Go treat yourself and enjoy what's left of summer before fall semester starts!
