Studentstuff.com

The Ups and Downs of Summer and Winter Classes

Summer and winter sessions are such a nuisance, and yet they can also be a lifesaver. So much studying in such little time makes those short semesters go by even quicker because you are too busy to keep track of the time. Although I, as well as most students, look forward to a month or more of break during the winter and summer, if there is an odd number of classes required to graduate, those shorter semesters are a perfect time to catch up. Your break may not be much of a break anymore, but sometimes that extra work is worth it.

For myself, I would often look to get more than one class when I had to take a winter or summer session because I figured if I was going to waste my break, I may as well go a little crazy so I don’t notice it as much. My own reasoning may not make much sense to others, but from a practical perspective, a person is capable of handling two classes in one of those shorter semesters…provided that there are enough applicable classes available.

The problem with winter and summer sessions is that there aren’t enough classes offered. Few teachers want to actually teach during the break, so that in itself lowers the availability of classes. And with so few students wanting to enroll for those semesters, enrollment is so low that the schools would likely have to cancel more classes anyway. Unfortunately, there just a lot of students who are desperate or determined enough to gather together and take those summer and winter classes.

Shouldn’t there be another option available then? I would have gladly taken a couple of summer classes every year if the right classes were offered for my major. I could have graduated from school even sooner. And taking summer classes does not even feel like much of a loss since students still get at least a month and a half off from school after the summer session.

Those of us students who are interested in keeping our noses to the grindstone should have more options in taking summer and winter classes. Maybe the class minimum of students could be lowered for those sessions. In that case, even five students would be able to make up a class, instead of having to drop the whole class due to low enrollment.

Or maybe more summer and winter sessions could be offered online. They could even have once-a-week meetings with the teacher, which would only total about 4-6 class meetings during the whole of that semester. Maybe there could even be a list of available classes that students could request to take on a one-on-one basis with instructors (online or with occasional meetings) who are willing to do a little bit of work during the winter and/or summer.

Yes, this may sound a bit extreme to those of you who enjoy your summer and winter breaks to the fullest. But I am sure there has to be some students out there who would appreciate taking advantage of these ideas. Well, what is everyone else’s take on winter and summer sessions? Are they just a pain, or could they be made even more productive?