Well it is that time of year again, summer is upon us. The challenging decision to take summer classes or not is here. Would you like a carefree summer in which you get a break from school, or would you like to get ahead or make your class load for the fall lighter? There are many pros and cons to consider when you are trying to make this fatal decision. The decision in the end will be yours to make, but here are some points to think of before you make your decision final.
Pros:
First, the subject that you are taking will be done at a faster pace and more might be expected of you because it is such a tight time frame. The dedication and skill you would normally have in a long normal 15 hour schedule would not expected to be as high. The class might in a way seem easier because it is so much content at once of only one subject.. Your brain is focused on the same subject and it allows you to comprehend the subject better because there are no distractions. You are trapped in the classroom for hours at a time and you are able to soak up the material.
A regular class setting has only 50 or 90 minutes in a class sitting. However, you are immediately in danger of loosing all the information that you were taught because you leave the classroom and are distracted by the million other things going on in your life. The intense and long classes you have every day are actually a blessing in disguise.
Taking these summer classes could do two major things for your academics.
By taking summer classes you could possibly work toward graduating early, maybe in three years instead of four. Also, by taking summer classes you could make your fall load lighter. If you are supposed to take 18 hours in the fall, then you could knock that down to 12 hours by just taking some summer classes. If you plan ahead, your summer schedule could be a nice blend of courses rather than an overwhelming mess of work. One class in summer session one and another in summer session two. Not too bad and with so many benefits.
Cons:
If you take summer classes you will be making a true sacrifice to your summer. Long gone are the free days in which you could sleep in all morning and stay up all night. The reality is you will be taking classes either early in the morning or at night. You will not have the freedom of summers past.
You will have to plan out study time and make a true dedication to these classes just like the fall and spring semesters. You might have to put more time into the studying since there is so much you learn in a day. It may be vital to review what you learned that day when you get home and not just plop down and watch TV.
Your memory is very important during the summer classes. These classes are fast and furious, you have to be prepared.
Yes, it will be good to get courses done and out of the way, but at what cost?
Many college students return home during the summer and they get summer jobs to help save money to further their education. Unfortunately, if you are taking summer courses your workload may be cut in half, resulting in more time spent working during the regular fall or spring semesters.
More study time and less time to make money.
With less money and more school work jealousy comes into play. There is the possibility that you will be very envious of your friends who can go hang out and have fun while you spend all your time trying to study and pass the classes. You might not be able to do as much as you want socially with the responsibilities of these summer classes. There are a lot more at stake when thinking about taking summer classes than people realize.
Either way you decide, be sure to think of all the options and to give each an equal chance. It will be your decision, so make sure it is the best one for you and what you want to achieve.
Some other valuable information most first time Summer students must take into account is that SHSU does not offer payment plans for Summer sessions. Also if you use financial aid to pay for your school, Summer courses should not be a last minute decision, as if you have already used ALL of the grants, loans, scholarships that you were awarded for your previous Fall and Spring semesters. So if you've already used all of your award package, there's none left to use for Summer, so your stuck paying out of pocket. If you are not confident that you can pay out of pocket DON'T DO IT, if you haven't paid your Summer balance by the end of the Summer, any Fall courses you've registered for will be lost and you won't be allowed to re-register for any coursework until you've paid your balance in whole.