I have just completed the last class of my summer courses, and I can say, it was a lot of fun, but a lot of work. It definitely takes a specific type of person to be able to take college classes in the summer. If you want to take on this challenge, it can be difficult, but the results will most likely be worth it in the end. Here are some reasons why summer classes can be the worst or best ways to spend your summer.
1. You have to maintain a sleep schedule.
If you are used to being able to sleep in until 2 p.m. every single day in the summer, you may not be interested at all in participating in summer classes. You may have evening class options as well, but that definitely limits your choices of classes. Most classes will start at a time of the day that does not end in 'p.m.,' so if that does not sound like your cup of tea, you won't want to deal with this idea. If you are a morning person, summer classes should not be a problem, but there are other thing you will have to consider at the same time.
2. Scholarships won't always help.
Here at NWOSU, I have what is called the Baccalaureate Scholarship. This basically means that during a semester, I get free tuition for up to 16 hours, and some other money for other expenses. Unfortunately, this scholarship does not pay at all for any summer classes. What a bummer! This may be true for you as well. So while it seems like an advantage to get 12 credit hours out of the way in three months, I also had to foot the bill of around $1,100. This really changed my thoughts about taking summer classes, and I will still have to rethink this decision in the future to determine if it is worth it.
3. Summer classes will make you graduate sooner.
Okay, so this one is mainly a good thing, but there could be a bad side to it as well. Depending on the school, a person can get quite a few hours finished during the summer semester. I am taking 9 hours this summer, which is what some students take during a normal fall/spring semester. If someone were to do this every summer for, say, three years, they could possibly finish three semesters early! This is a great idea for someone who would like to graduate early. However, if you make some great friends, you may want to stick around to graduate at the same time as them. This is the only downside I could think of.
4. The courses are usually shorter.
In a normal college semester, you take the class on a normal basis, and it lasts the entire semester. In summer classes, it depends on the professor, but classes can vary from one week long, to being the entire summer semester, or about two months. This is still shorter than a typical semester, so classes can usually last longer, like being three hours every day rather than just one. However, if you take a class that is only a week long, you should expect to be in class just about all day long until the week is over. If the class extends over a month or two, you may end up giving up some vacation time in order to make every class.
5. And lastly, you have to figure out where to live.
If you want to stay in the dorms,this will most likely be an option, but you will have to pay the cost just like you would during the school year. Some students receive scholarships for their rooms, and once again, these may not always be available for the summer months. If you choose not to stay in the dorms, you will have to figure out another place to stay, like an apartment or a rent house. Also, if you are the type of person who likes living around all of your friends, you may end up feeling rather lonely in the warm months, because only a fraction of students will stay on campus during the summer.
Overall, it is up to you whether or not you choose to take summer classes, but it can be a great advantage if you are up to the task. I have enjoyed the classes I took this summer, and I believe it was a good decision for myself.
