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Preparing Freshman Year College 201 Academic Success
Class In Session, Fran Northcutt

As an academic adviser and instructor, Fran Northcutt has been helping students succeed in college for eight years, including at UC Berkeley, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and now, Hunter College. At USP, she taught courses called Developing Academic Success and Developing Professional Behaviors, as well as numerous workshops on college skills.
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To Go to Summer School or Not to Go?...



...This is the question! Whether it's a better idea to suffer the syllabi and pop quizzes of outrageous faculty, or to take arms in a 12-week Playstation marathon?

 
Okay, Hamlet, so what do you really need to consider?
ASK YOURSELF:

• Do I need the credits to catch up (maybe because first-semester physics wasn't such a hot idea after all)?

• Will taking a pre-req this summer help me get into a really interesting course in the fall?

• Is there a tough requirement I want to take when I can totally focus on it?

• Is there a course I want to take just 'cuz it sounds cool, but it'll never fit into my four-year plan?

• Am I thinking about changing my major, and want to take another course in the new major to make sure?

• Will summer session help me keep momentum in my study habits?

• Do I need a GPA boost?

• Last but not least, can I afford summer tuition and fees? (But check with your college - extra financial aid may be available!)

• On the other hand, do I really need a break for some much deserved R&R?

• Figure out where you're going to live. Can you stay in the dorm? Pro: No need to scrape the fun-tack off the walls in time for housing inspection. Con: You have to cough up the summer housing fee. But don't count on commuting if home is an hour or more away from college: Do you really want to spend your summer on a bus full of overheated people in flip-flops and shorts?

 

• Remember that summer session courses are condensed - they go two to three times as fast as fall or spring courses. That means many more hours of class time and study time every week. So don't think "Hey, I only have two classes - I can definitely take that 30-hour-a-week job at Ye Old Ice Cream Shoppe!"

 
 
 
 
 
 
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