8 Benefits of Taking Summer Classes in College

When you hear the word “summer,” the first thing that comes to mind is most likely not textbooks and assignments. However, summer classes aren’t as dreadful as they may sound. In fact, there’s quite a few benefits of taking some time away from the beach to dive into the books.

1. Get ahead or catch up

Some schools require that you take summer classes anyway, but in the long run, you can potentially put yourself ahead of your graduation schedule or simply catch up on a few missed credits by taking summer courses.

2. More lenient and flexible

Summer terms are much more flexible than the structured schedules of fall and spring semester. You have the choice to take classes online or even at a different university or community college, if your school allows it.

3. Shorter “semester”

As opposed to fall and spring semester, summer sessions only last a month or two, and are guaranteed to fly by!

4. Smaller course load

Summer classes pack a lot of material into a short amount of time, but this also means that some professors take out big assignments like projects and final papers to save time. This can make the course load more bearable than it is during the rest of the year. Even if you have a lot to do, at least you don’t have as many classes to worry about at once!

5. Smaller classes

If you decide to take in-person classes over the summer, the class size is bound to be much smaller than your usual fall or spring courses. Because of this, you have a better chance of getting to know your professor and classmates.

6. More time to focus

Without the hassle of a full schedule of classes, you can dedicate as much time as you need to specific courses. If you know you’ll have to take a tricky or time-consuming class, consider taking it over the summer.

7. Study abroad or intern

Traveling is still an option with summer courses if you opt to study abroad or take on an internship. You can knock out a few credits in a new country or get class credit for interning at one of your favorite companies.

8. Save some money

Although summer classes aren’t free, financial aid can usually be applied to summer classes. And since not as many people enroll in summer courses, it’s a great time to apply for scholarships – you might have a better shot at winning!