Post Classifieds
Weigh the pros and cons of summer classes
By Editorial
On April 21, 2012
The spring semester is wrapping up. While most students planning to return in the fall are looking
forward to a few months off, some will jump right into more schooling as early as May 14, when Buffalo
State's early summer session starts.
Summer session provides students with an extra opportunity to earn credits and is the best way to make
up lost credits or shorten their time spent in college before graduation. Classrooms are less crowded,
giving the students more one-on-one time with the professors.
The course load isn't as stressful because students aren't taking as many credit hours at once as they
would be during the fall or spring. Students find a part-time school schedule easier to balance with a
summer job than they might with a full workload during the semester. Classes are also more condensed,
so students may feel like they've accomplished more compared to the main semesters, when some
classes can feel drawn out.
For some cynics who haven't taken classes over the summer, the extra semester can look like a quick
cash grab for the campus.
It costs $220 per credit hour to take a class during the summer. Considering the average class is three
credit hours, most classes cost $660, plus fees. In all, each class taken ends up costing students over
$700.
The prices are slightly higher than the average cost per class during the normal session ($635), but are
you paying for the same education? Students who have taken summer courses often comment on how
easy they were compared to normal classes, and many summer professors require students to purchase
texts they've written instead of the more well-known texts they use during the school year.
But if average classes are designed to be taught over a 15-week semester, can students learn the same
amount of information in a session that is just over a month? The answer depends on how much time
and effort the student puts into the class, regardless of instruction.
The condensed semester may smooth the path to a degree for some, but some of us simply lack the
discipline necessary to gain from summer classes what we need in order to advance in our majors.
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