10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Taking Summer Courses - Geneva College
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10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Taking Summer Courses

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Higher Education

The lazy, crazy days of summer are just around the corner. For many college students, a summer break means sleeping in, relaxing in nature, and returning home to visit family and friends.

For others, summer brings a chance to hit the books in a way that’s different from fall, winter, and spring semesters. Electing to attend summer school may cut into your much-needed R&R, but it can pay big dividends in the long run. The following are 10 great reasons to consider attending college summer school courses. And why not start with May@Geneva? You can register now for May@Geneva and Summer 2020 courses, and get your books in time! All May@Geneva courses will be offered online.

Get your core courses out of the way

Every college curriculum includes a set of common courses that all undergrads have to take. These classes can be prerequisites directly related to your major or general education (GE) subjects, such as English, social sciences, history, humanities, math, and science. Knocking out these mandatory GE classes in a summer session lets you register for more advanced, more interesting classes in the fall directly related to your major.

Catch up on credits

Summer school can offer a great do-over opportunity if you need to retake a class. If you’ve fallen behind on credits during the year due to illness or a family emergency, it’s a smart way to make up the work and stay on track for earning your degree on time.

Get into in-demand classes more easily

Whether it’s because of the subject matter, the great professor, or both, some college classes are more popular than others. It’s often hard to enroll in these courses during the regular school year. With less competition for a seat during the summer session, you stand a better chance of landing a spot in your school's most highly coveted classes.

Move through classes you’re dreading more quickly

Summer semester classes are typically shorter in duration than spring, fall and winter courses. This might be the perfect way to power through that statistics class you’ve been worried about. Realize, however, that the condensed timeframe probably means the material is more concentrated, so you might have to work a lot harder at a faster pace.

Enjoy smaller class sizes

If you’re used to elbowing your way through jam-packed classrooms in the fall, the breathing room that summer brings can be a relief. Fewer students enroll in summer sessions, so your classes should allow for more intimate, laid-back relationships with your peers and profs. The campus is usually quieter, you can park closer to your classrooms, and you’ll enjoy easier access to the library and other essential student services.

Score more face time with your professors

Because you’re competing with fewer students for your instructors’ attention, summer courses give you a chance to stand out and make an impression. Take advantage of the chance to interact more closely with your professors by participating in class discussions and asking questions. Developing a closer relationship with your college’s faculty members can serve you well when it comes time to ask for letters of recommendation for internships, grad school, and jobs.

Have fewer distractions and better focus

Students who perform better when allowed to concentrate on one course at a time may thrive in summer sessions. Without homework and deadlines from multiple classes to juggle along with extracurriculars and maybe a part-time job, it’s easier to hone in on the subject at hand. You may even retain the material better, too.

Balancing fewer commitments gives those who don’t multitask especially well a break. And don’t discount all that valuable sleeping-in time. There is a correlation between higher quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep and better grades.

Keep your brain sharp

Some students can experience learning losses over the summer, a.k.a. summer brain drain. Taking summer courses is a good way to avoid these seasonal setbacks and stay mentally stimulated. This way, when you return to classes in the fall, you don’t feel like you’re starting all over from scratch to get back into the learning groove. Keep a rhythm going year-round to stay on top of your cognitive game.

Save on tuition

Colleges often have lower per credit tuition in the summer. Geneva College offers lower tuition rates for May@Geneva and Summer@Geneva courses - all offered online this year. You can get a discount on credits you need to graduate, and every little bit of savings helps reduce future tuition bills, loan amounts and the overall cost of your education. In addition, generally, students taking summer classes are unable to get much financial aid, but May classes are an exception. Geneva's Student Financial Services can help students with financial aid questions. Check out Summer@Geneva/May@Geneva for more information. 

Graduate early

Attending summer school can help you shave a quarter or semester off your degree program and find you graduating earlier than planned. This is helpful if you’ve got a job waiting for you, are eager to get into graduate school, or want to take a backpacking trip through South America before tackling your career goals. Using summer classes to graduate early might also impress prospective employers as a demonstration of your drive, self-discipline, and motivation to excel.

If you’d like to learn more about professions that enable you to serve wholeheartedly and faithfully in your life’s work or want to learn more about a biblically based, Christ-centered education at Geneva, we’d love to chat with you. For more information on how the affordable and convenient online summer session at Geneva College can help you pursue your education goals, please phone us at 855-979-5563 or email admissions@geneva.edu.

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

Apr 27, 2020

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