To take summer classes or not to take summer classes--the pros and cons of both choices.
Ah, summertime. Warm, sunny days. Longer days ready for grand adventures. Barbecues and swimming and fireworks. A chance to unwind and let (at least some) responsibility melt away--or is it?
Most colleges offer summer classes that can help knock out required credits, allow you to take more specialized courses in the fall and spring, or lighten your load in the fall and spring semesters. What's more, most students also have access to a bevy of offerings at their local community colleges, and some programs will even offer credit for things like summer internships. And yet, there's that ingrained desire to let your foot off the gas a bit during summer. What's the right approach?
The Pros of Summer Classes
I took summer classes almost every summer of my time in both undergrad and graduate studies. As someone completing a double major and an unofficial minor with few overlapping requirements, I had a lot of credits on my plate, and summer was a great time for me to get a couple extra credits outside the stress of a full semester.
1. Summer classes take a fraction of the time.
My situation highlights a few of of the undeniable advantages of summer classes. First and foremost, summer classes provide an opportunity to complete full-credit courses in less than half the time of a traditional semester. Additionally, summer classes are a great way to get core requirements out of the way so the fall and spring semesters can focus on more specialized courses, especially ones that are not offered every semester or even every year.
2. Take a more relaxed approach.
Though this isn't true across the board, summer classes tend to be a bit more relaxed than their fall and spring counterparts, even when the same class is offered at multiple points throughout the year. If there's a class you have to take but aren't really excited about, completing it as a summer course may be a great way to meet your requirements with as little resistance as possible.
3. Fewer classes = deeper dives.
Finally, summer classes provide a unique opportunity to take a deep dive into just one or two courses without having to request an underload (for most institutions, a request to take fewer than 12 credits and still be considered a full-time student) or other special arrangements. The trade-off for the more compressed schedule of summer sessions is that each class meets more frequently and for longer sessions, meaning you're getting to focus in on only one or two subjects instead of juggling the four to six classes that are standard in the fall and spring. I appreciated that my summer classes allowed for meatier discussions and student-led investigations than would have been possible in the usual 50- and 80-minute class meetings of the traditional semesters.
The Cons of Summer Classes
Of course, summer classes are not without their drawbacks. While I enjoyed and ultimately benefited from my summer class experiences, I also found it a bit daunting to keep up my focus when most of my friends were heading back home or blowing off steam in summer activities. Knowing some of the negatives ahead of time means you can make the best decision for your situation.
1. Financial considerations.
Most institutions do not include summer sessions in the cost of tuition, so attending summer classes incurs an additional charge. This is usually charged per credit hour, but it can be a lot on top of existing tuition expectations, especially for students who rely on loans and/or scholarships to fund the majority of their college experience.
2. Sometimes, fast-paced becomes break-neck.
One of summer classes' greatest advantages can also be a horrible setback in certain circumstances. Because summer sessions tend to be significantly shorter than traditional fall and spring semesters but still aim to cover the same amount of content, you're moving through material at what is sometimes an alarmingly fast clip. For subjects like foreign languages and math that take a while to process or that build on themselves through repetition and practice, that fast pace can simply be too much.
3. Summer classes might negate other opportunities.
There's only so much time to give during the summer, and there often isn't enough to go around to both take summer courses and participate in other experiences like internships, camps, jobs, and so on. While it's not outside the bound of possibility that scheduling alone may make multiple opportunities possible, the sheer energy required--especially after completing a standard academic year--may tip the scales toward unmanageable.
Unique Considerations for Summer Credits
Attending classes on campus or online are definite paths to earning additional credits over the summer, but did you know many other options are available?
Many institutions will offer credit for internships when approved in advance. This is a great option for students who aim to enter fields in which hands-on experience is important for job candidacy. Because many of these internship-for-credit type programs require approval before the internship begins (and sometimes as early as halfway through the spring semester), planning ahead to make sure you don't miss any deadlines or due dates is a must. If you think you might want to use this option, I'd recommend researching your institution's requirements and timeline well in advance. Even if you look as a freshman when you're not planning to seek an internship until junior year, you'll go in with a clear idea of what to expect and how to navigate the process as smoothly as possible.
A fair number of schools also offer some sort of study abroad opportunity during the summer, whether it's a summer-long immersion program or a one- to two-week group trip. These offerings are a great way to broaden your horizons, immerse yourself in a different language and culture, and still earn credit. Some study abroad programs require students to take a preparation course before they travel--often a semester-long course that is worth one or two credits. At my institution, this class was a requirement but was only offered in one class slot, meaning students had to plan their schedules around this requirement. If you're in a major whose class schedules don't offer much flexibility, you may again want to be very intentional about planning this in advance so both your major requirements and study abroad preparations can be met without conflicting.
Finally, many institutions, especially state schools, will have some arrangement to accept certain community college classes for credit. Often, schools with these policies will maintain a list of transferable credits that explain how those credits can be used. Once again, the key here is to plan ahead of time to make sure that your planned community college courses will both be transferable in general and applicable to the credit requirements you hope to satisfy by taking the course. Check your school's policies to see whether community college credits can apply to major, minor, and general education requirements.
Bridging the Gap
There are so many things available to students during the summer, ranging from classes that free up credit hours during the fall and spring semesters to credits earned through internships to just resting and catching up from the hubbub of the semester.
The important thing to keep in mind is that there is no one set recipe for success. Students who take their summers off still get jobs, and students who spend every waking moment (including during the warmer months) working toward credits or real-world experience can still experience difficulty in the job hunt.
What I'm trying to say is that your choice of how to spend your summers won't make or break your future.
Nevertheless, it's important to know your options ahead of time so you can make an informed decision that will best support your goals, needs, and financial situation. So take some time to study your school's offerings and policies, ponder any opportunities that sound either interesting to you or advantageous to your professional goals, and be open to new and unexpected possibilities that may not have been part of your original plan!