It’s that time of year: summer. When you were little, it meant staying up later and having no homework. Summer courses or “Monday mornings” never crossed your mind while you played all day! Those were the days, huh?
Now, you’re in college. Summer is a mythical time that you fantasize about during exam weeks. Your mind enjoys the freedom: “I’ll go on roadtrips with my friends and relax everyday!” Then, summer actually rolls around and it hits you:
You are broke. Looking ahead, you see that you three empty months of fending for yourself. Thinking about all of this, you realize that you are bored.
Thinking through everything, you may opt for a summer job or an internship. Perhaps you’ll camp out in your parents’ house and mooch off of them for a while (no judgment; we all do it)! Maybe, just maybe, you’ll get the crazy idea to take summer courses.
Why I Recommend Summer Courses
You wonder why you would ever take summer classes. College has just traumatized you with two full semesters, with only a month reprieve between them. Peeling yourself out of bed, you realize that you’re exhausted and strung out on a massive caffeine addiction. Why would you throw yourself back into the fray so soon?
Summer courses are shorter and more condensed than full semester courses so they allow you to get credit faster with less busy work. They allow you to focus on just a few courses at once. Summer courses may allow you to take some academic stress off of a future semester, or graduate early altogether.
Surviving Summer Courses: My Top Tips
Whatever your reasoning, I have some tips on how to survive summer courses. I have taken 5 summer courses over two terms, and am about to start 2 more in June, so I speak from experience here!
1. Map out your graduation plan.
You want to know which courses you need to take and which semesters may end up being more stressful than others.
2. See which courses that you need are offered during the summer.
There’s no use in planning for courses that you can’t even take during that term! Check out your university’s course catalog to see which terms each course is offered in!
3. Check out your local community college.
You can save a lot of money by taking courses at a community college, but make sure that they transfer to your university as what you need! I attended a community college while I was in high school and then went on to university.
4. Look at your school’s deadlines.
My university has deadlines for paying for classes, and they increase the per-credit price after the deadlines pass! Plus, you don’t want the courses to fill up before you get a chance to register.
5. Carefully review your syllabus!
Summer courses are fast paced, so make sure that you know when everything is due!
6. Actually go to class, or review the posted materials if you take an online class.
If you fall behind in a summer course, you have much less time to recover than you would in a traditional semester course.
7. Do your best and study hard!
Summer classes still count towards your GPA! My university does not count the grades for community college courses towards your GPA so you only need to make a C- or better, but check on your specific university’s policy!
8. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
These courses don’t take very long so you will have time to still enjoy your summer break. Don’t spend the whole summer worrying about school! Having a break can allow you to relax and recharge!
Those are my top tips for surviving summer courses! If you have any tips that you’ve found really help you, let me know! I’d love to have some more information to share with you all and to use for myself!