Summer class....two words most students don't want to think about. Summer is a time to relax, have fun, and forget about homework, right?
When I was considering whether or not I should take some classes, it took a while for me to decide to do go ahead and do it. I just wanted some time off from all the business and craziness of the school year. No homework, tests, or quizzes for a few months. But there are several upsides to taking summer classes, and I think students should take this into consideration before deciding whether or not to enroll during the summer or not.
- Discounts!!!!! IU offers all undergraduate students, whether in-state or out-of-state, a discount on summer classes. It's a great way to save a little extra money on your college expenses, and as any student knows, that is really helpful in the long run, and every penny saved can really add up! There is financial aid available during the summer semester as well, which is also a plus! This is available on all IU campuses, not just the Bloomington campus. If you don't believe me how helpful the summer tuition discount is, check out what some other students have had to say about their experiences!
- Summer classes can actually be, in some ways, easier than fall and spring semester classes! The classes are usually smaller than ones during the school year, which can be really great if you are needing help from your instructor. There are less students for him/her to help, so they can spend more time working one-on-one with each student. Trust me, that is a huge reason I earned a B+ in my programming class this summer! Not only are there less students, but instructors aren't teaching as many classes during the summer either, and thus their schedules aren't as busy.
- Summer classes can be fun! Yes, I said it, FUN! This is due in part to the smaller class sizes, so you can get to know your classmates more easily. The instructors also, in general, are going to want to enjoy summer, so they try to make things more fun or relaxed. Having classes outside, for example, can easily happen during a summer course.
- They're shorter. If you're a student who gets bored taking a course over a long 16 weeks - who doesn't :) - then taking a summer class may be your solution! Most summer classes are either 4, 6, or 8 weeks long, which may still seem like a long time, but they really go by fast once you get started!
- You can graduate on time, or maybe even early! This can help you save money, just like the summer tuition discount, and saving money is always a good thing!
- There's still about a month between the end of the second summer semester and the beginning of fall sesmester to go have fun, take a trip, and enjoy some time off!
- Last but not least, less TRAFFIC!! This may not seem like a big deal if you haven't been on campus during the busy times of the year, but during breaks, traffic is realllly light compared to the rest of the year, which is awesome! No more sitting through the same stop light for three cycles!
So, to recap the positives, you save money, professors might give you a break here and there and let you have some fun, an easy way to get closer to classmates and get more help from your professor, shorter classes, graduating on schedule or early, and lighter traffic on campus. Sounds like a pretty good deal right? You might miss out on going on a several-month vacation, and the class times can be a bit longer to cover the content of the class, but over all, I think summer courses are a great idea, and students should at least try it out at least once. You never know, you might just enjoy it! :)
