Max Madsen
Lindsey Maier
Katrina Wychesit
Learning in All Seasons: Summer and Winter Terms
A question often on students’ minds is whether or not taking a summer or winter class is really beneficial. Sure, you can get ahead credit-wise, but is it really worth giving up part of your break? Gaining credits and progressing further toward your diploma is a good thing, but giving up valuable vacation hours (which some may use for leisure, others to earn much-needed money) and spending some extra cash on school may be a bit intimidating.What’s in it for me?
The biggest, most obvious benefit to taking a summer or winter class is the length of the class itself. Most classes last three weeks, rather than about 16. The majority of these classes will meet every weekday, for numerous hours. When compared to fall or spring classes, which often meet a few times a week over a few months time span, summer and winter classes will seem to finish in a heartbeat.Catching up
Another beneficial factor to taking a summer or winter class is to simply catch up. Maybe you didn’t take as full of a class load in the past as you would have liked, and are now regretting it. An easy catch-up would be to take some classes over summer or winter. If you didn’t do so well in a class you already took and now need to retake, but don’t want to devote another entire semester to the class, sign up for it over summer or winter. Senior Shawn Updike believes that “They’re very useful if you need to retake a class.” This way, you can get back on track, without all the time.The classes available for summer and winter terms are strategically selected; many of them are classes that fill up quickly during the school year, allowing students to catch up if they were unable to take it during the semester. There is a wide variety available, with classes from all colleges offered. (For a full list of classes offered and other info, visit here and look for Schedule of Classes on the left.)
