For many college students out there, summer is a time to find a job and reconnect with old friends from back home. I used my summer vacations during college to work at a factory so that I could have money for books and other expenses for the upcoming year (as well as to pay off some credit card debt I amassed). But for some students, taking classes over the summer may be the ideal solution to your situation. I know, taking more classes doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun, but there are some advantages to it.
Advantage #1: Get Caught Up
For those that might have changed majors at some point in college, dual majors, or student athletes who took a few less classes during the season, summer courses offer a great way for you to get caught back up. By not taking summer courses, you might extend your college career another one to two years. While this doesn’t sound too bad considering how much you enjoy college, you may regret that decision when you have to pay for two more years of tuition. If you are in either of the situations listed, you may want to consider summer courses.
Advantage #2: Get Ahead
Maybe you are in the opposite end of the spectrum from those trying to get caught up. Maybe you want to get ahead and graduate a semester or a year early. Taking courses over the summer will definitely help. It doesn’t matter what your motivation is, whether it be lower overall cost or just want to move on with your life, summer courses could be your solution.
Advantage #3: Lower Costs
Obviously graduating in three years as opposed to four or even five years is going to save you money. But in addition to that, many colleges offer summer courses at a fraction of the cost of fall or spring classes. In addition, schools will reduce the cost for living on campus over the summer or even give it away for free. When you add these two expenses up, you could save thousands of dollars.
Advantage #4: Availability
When I was in college and registration opened for the upcoming semester, seniors were able to register first, followed by juniors, then sophomores and lastly freshman. Many times as a freshman and a sophomore, the classes I wanted to take were closed by the time I could register. Summer courses were a way to take those courses without having to wait for them to be free. Since so few students take summer courses, you are almost guarantees to get into the classes you want.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of the advantages that taking summer courses can offer you. The main reason many students do take summer courses is to get caught up because of changing majors, dual majors or being a student athlete. There are those too that want to save money and/or graduate early. In my next post, I will look at the other side of summer courses and list some of the disadvantages you should take into consideration before making your final decision.
I was able to take 12 credits at a community college on summer. Saved so much money!
I would have to say I never really took advantage of the classes over the summer until my senior year. That was when I realized that several of my friends were going over to community colleges and taking some of the same courses only they seem to be easier and a lot cheaper. Classes over the summer cant cut the years down and the cost. Wish I could get that time back.
I never took summer classes in college, but I did in high school. I took them to get some of the required classes out of the way and get ahead. Summer classes are shorter and some would say more intense, but it was a great way to get credit fast.
I took classes every summer I was in college. I finished a lot faster than a standard 4 year plan. Also, I still worked full-time so I got the best of both worlds!
Good post! Taking summer classes had shorten the length of time I had to spend in college, not to mention that it was a lot cheaper than taking them during the semester.
I loved taking classes in the summer. I did have one big advantage. I was a tour guide at my university so the admissions office would pay for our housing and pay us to give tours during the summer in between our classes. It was the best job ever!
Summer university courses were actually more expensive than regular term courses. However, I did take 12 hours at a community college, the summer after my freshman year! It was awesome and super cheap. I got ahead.