The Summer School Lifeline

I’m a big fan of summer school. Especially the summer before your Freshman and Sophomore years of college. Although the same materials are covered in summer session as during any semester or quarter, the atmosphere is more relaxed and friendly. Students seem open to conversation and focused to make the most of grabbing a few extra units. It’s as though everyone involved knows they’re the ones with the secret key to graduating on time and with less registration panic.

In summer session classes meet in a condensed semester or quarter, last a few hours a day, often three or four days a week. You’ll take one class at a time, two at a maximum, typically over a six-week period (sometimes shorter or longer depending on the class). Generally, each unit equates to 16-18 hours of class time. A 2-unit class, then, runs around 32-36 hours; a 3-unit class around 48-54 hours. In addition, you’ll have homework hours although in summer homework may be a little lighter since class sessions are closer together and don’t leave much study time.

The decision regarding what classes to take in summer depends on your strengths and classes that may cause you some trouble. The summer before your Freshman year it’s best to take a general education topic that’s not too much of a struggle because you don’t want to enter your Freshman year with a below par GPA. There are plenty of required courses such as Art, History, Communication, Sociology, Anthropology that serve as a great entry to college. If you’ve survived High School Math with no problems, summer is a good time to take a Math class. Lab sciences such as Biology and Anatomy typically fill before Freshmen have the chance to register. Non-lab science courses such as Oceanography, Geology, and Astronomy may be available. If, for some reason, a science course and lab is available, summer is a great time to enroll, these classes are in great demand since they form the foundation for many health care industry students and because a minimal number of sections are available due to the high costs of offering these courses for the school.

The summer before your Sophomore year is a great time to pick up a class or two that are difficult to get during the school year or that you don’t want to hassle with when you’re enrolled in multiple classes. If you’re worried about Philosophy, Statistics, Chemistry, or a difficult major course, summer is a great fit. First, make sure the faculty member teaching the course is who you’re expecting, sometimes the best faculty take the summer off although sometimes new, innovative faculty like the freedom summer offers. Another great catch for Sophomore summer is a course that is a part of a series. It’s important to not let a series course start too late in your college career. For example, if you have a series of three business courses to complete for your major, never wait to start that series until your Senior year because if one is canceled, fills early, or you need to drop, you’ll add an additional semester or more to your graduation date.

Summer school may feel like “doing time”, however, remember there will be plenty of summer enjoyment time after summer and before the fall semester/quarter start. Typically, summer school doesn’t extend into August. The Summer School Lifeline offers up 4-6 weeks of vacation and an extra 3-6 units of credit. On the first day of Fall, you’ll feel rested and ahead of the pack. Nice work.