As the end of the school year approaches, students are beginning to schedule their classes for next school year. For some, this may include taking a summer school class or classes. Summer school classes are not required, but they are popular among underclassmen.

Summer school lasts for the entire month of June, and students will come to campus at two different times. There are morning and afternoon classes, each lasting around three hours per day. Students are permitted to take a class during both sessions. Summer school classes are different because students take the same class for those three hours. Essentially, they complete an entire semester’s worth of work in only one month.

Although some students are opposed to summer school, as it does take up a considerable amount of summer vacation time, there are actually many benefits to taking these classes.

Summer school can provide students with an opportunity to take classes that they may not otherwise be able to take. It is an easy way for students to earn their credits towards graduation. And if they take summer school classes, then students may have opportunities for a resource period further down the road. 

Summer school class holds advantages for all students, but for incoming freshmen, there are added bonuses to taking these classes. Not only do freshmen earn credits towards graduation, but they also become familiar with the campus so that when the school year starts in August, the newcomers will know their way around. In addition, summer school provides incoming freshmen with the opportunity to meet fellow members of their class. Meeting new people in summer school can easily lead to new friendships going into these students’ first year on the Hill. 

So although summer school can be exhausting, long and time consuming, it definitely has many positives. There is a good reason that hundreds of students are going to be enrolled in summer school coming up in June.