How to Take Summer Courses Without Ruining Your Vacation
Five Tips to Ensure You Still Have a Great Summer Break
Summer is just around the corner and I know that many college students are planning to take a course or two to earn more credits toward graduation. If you’re one of these students, read on for a few tips on how to get closer to your degree while still getting a much-needed break!
1) Consider Online Classes
If you’re planning to take classes over the summer, online courses are the way to go. You can choose when and where to take the class — whether it be from the comfort of your home or a hotel while you’re traveling.
And not only do online courses offer flexibility, they also have the added bonus of being cheaper than in-person ones, so you’ll save money too!
2) Take a Short Class
Most colleges offer condensed summer courses that last just a few weeks, allowing you time for a separate summer break.
At CUNY SPS, we offer three summer sessions in these chunks — 3 weeks, 7 weeks and 10 weeks — to give students the flexibility to choose how long they need to be in school over the summer. Take advantage of these shortened sessions today to provide the balance you need between school and vacation.
3) Break Out of Your Comfort Zone
Summer session is a time to explore electives that may not be related to your primary field of study but that you’ve always thought you might be interested in. Trying something new will help shake up your routine and make summertime special!
I recommend trying something outside of your major. Just make sure that the credits apply toward your degree.
4) …Or Dig Into One Hard Class (And Get it Over With)
Alternately, summer session can be a great time to take a core class to get your requirements out of the way. With a shortened schedule of just one or two classes, it’s often much easier to concentrate. In such a short time, it can be refreshing to take the most difficult classes you might otherwise be dreading. It might be painful at the start, but this condensed format might actually help you enjoy the course more and — bonus — also make your next semester’s schedule lighter!
Skeptical? Don’t take my word for it. As Khadijah Frederick, a student in the CUNY SPS BA in Liberal Studies program who took philosophy and history courses during the 2021 summer session, explained:
“At first, I thought I would not be able to keep up with the workload because of the shorter weeks in both courses. [B]ut that summer not only helped me graduate faster and complete my core requirements, it was so packed and succinct that I think I learned more in those courses than any other semester so far. I also was able to take a course I could not take in the spring so it made it even easier to be closer to the finish line.”
If you focus your attention intently for a few weeks, you’ll find the rest of the summer will be even more sweet.
5) Make Summer Courses Work for You
Take advantage of the long summer days and great outdoor temperatures will help banish any blues you might have about being in school, particularly if you choose online classes that can be taken asynchronously (on your own time).
Is it a beautiful mild day? Work less or rearrange your schedule so you can enjoy the nicest part of the day by going for a swim or relaxing outside.
Unpleasantly hot? Plan to do a big chunk of work from an air-conditioned workspace. And take lots of breaks — that’s the best way to retain knowledge and learn. You will not feel as deprived if you’re out and relaxing on the nicest summer days, and inside working on those sweltering ones.
Convinced that summer courses will be useful for you? It’s not too late to register at most colleges, so check your school’s calendar and registration deadlines.
For more information about CUNY SPS’s offerings, read more about our Summer Session options here. You can also learn about (and still register) for our 3-week summer course, which begins in late July.
