Don't get me wrong: being an adult is great! You can do amazing things, like buy a whole gallon of Blue Bunny ice cream and eat it in an hour while bingeing "Game of Thrones". But being an adult also requires decision making. And as a college student, one agonizing choice is whether to take courses in the summer. Let's put our "adulting" hats on and analyze this problem.
1. Length of Classes
Summer classes- in my experience- typically run shorter than a semester course. For instance, I am currently taking a Math course (which I hate so much) that runs 3 weeks. I took the pre-rec course last fall which lasted from August to December.
Pros: Sometimes getting information in short bursts is better. Someone might learn at a quicker rate than others, and like the fast pace of a summer class...
Cons:... I am not one of those people. You want to take a full semester class in a month. Sure, no problem! We will fit almost four or five months of information into three weeks. Makes perfect sense.
2. Professors
Whether you are avoided a certain professor your roommate insists is out to get everyone, or if you just need to have Dr. Jones for biology, your relationship, or lack-thereof, with the professors in your major/college also effect if you decide to take courses.
Pros: If you don't like to meet one-on-one with professors, summer classes are great! Most communication is done through email, unless you have to meet in person for finals or projects.
Cons: Most professors seem to think that responding to an email within a 12 hour span or before an assignment is due will give them hives.
3. The Real Cost
One topic you will hear college kids discuss is how broke they are. This is true. That's why free anything--food, clothing, hugs, hateful glares--are so welcoming. Unfortunately, classes are not cheap, or free.
Pros: It might be easier for some to spread their spending throughout a whole year. If you take classes in the summer, that might save you a few hundred in a semester. That is a lot of Netflix.
Cons: Classes that are strictly online are often more expensive and many loans and scholarships require a student to have a certain amount of credit hours. It might be difficult for some to take that many credits in the summer, which means paying out of pocket. That dream of going to a Twins game? Send it off on a mighty funeral pyre.
4. Social Life
Friends are great right? They give laughter, comfort and advice. Hopefully they are also understanding. Even if they aren't, time management will be either your greatest strength or your downfall.
Pros: You might make some new friends from your online courses? Starting a study group is a good way to start a new social circle. Your friends might also make good study buddies.
Cons: If you don't have understanding friends, they might get aggravated when you have to ditch plans to go out for doing that American Indian Studies homework you procrastinated on. Or if, by some miracle, you do manage to make it out of your homework dungeon, you will spend 84 percent of that "Harry Potter" marathon doing algebra problems.
5. Your Job
Pros: You need one to pay for college, which teaches responsibility, leadership, etc.
Cons: You need one to pay for college, and you will see only 14.34 percent of that money.
Whatever you decide, do what is best for you. Think out the problem from several different angles and you are sure to come up with something! It is your education, you glorious adult: You decide.
