Are Summer Classes for You?

Everybody always talks about staying here over the summer – for some people it’s to work, some to play and for some to take classes. While staying here with your friends seems like a great idea and many people say summer classes are “easier,” they aren’t all fun and games. Here are things you should keep in mind before registering for the summer.

Summer classes are expensive

There’s really not much else to say about this, and it’s hard for students to afford them if your parents won’t (or can’t) pay for them. 10 credits costs about $8,000, and student aid doesn’t always cover summer courses, but only fall and spring semesters.

You actually have to do work

While a lot of the courses offered are designed to fill out the rest of your general education credits, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re easy. Remember, how easy the class is usually depends on the person teaching it.

All that aside, summer courses are great if:

You need to get ahead

Whether you’re a semester behind, want to graduate early or dropped one too many classes, summer courses are a great option to catch up or get ahead. Bonus: with fewer distractions (no clubs, no football games, etc.), you can probably boost your GPA.

You want to learn more

There are a ton of classes that fill up very quickly during the fall and spring semesters and by the time you have enough credits to take them, you don’t need the gen eds anymore. If you really wanted to take that Human Sexuality class and you can afford it, summer is the best time to do it.

Photo by Jonathan Hsieh