If You are in Summer School

Others may be courting skin cancer on the beach, scooping ice cream for $7 an hour, or sleeping the summer days away - but not you! You are among the few, the proud, the summer school students. You've decided to use your head and get ahead (or catch up, as the case may be). Whether you're earning extra credits or making up for the extra partying you did last year, congratulations on choosing this eminently sensible way to pass the summer days.

HEAD Lines

Your summer classes can boost your GPA, satisfy requirements, and get you closer to the perfect major. As long as you follow a few simple guidelines, you'll be set!

Deadlines are different in the summer. You won't have as much time as you're used to for adjusting your schedule, especially if you want or need to drop a class. Check your college's Website for the drop deadline and save yourself from ugly fees and fines!

The first week of summer term is crucial. It's like the first two or three weeks of class during the regular school year, so make sure you're in your seat every day, taking tons of notes.

What's faster than a speeding bullet? No, not Superman - it's the pace of summer term. Most summer terms are six or eight weeks long; that's much shorter than the typical 15-week semester, so be prepared to adapt!

The great thing about these short terms is that they go by in a flash. Unfortunately, each individual class session will be much longer. Instead of a speedy 50 minutes, you may be in that classroom for a couple of hours at a time. Now's your chance to develop those wonderful qualities of patience, fortitude, and endurance - and the ability to stay awake during l-o-n-g lectures.

You already know the importance of the syllabus. Believe it or not, the syllabus is even more important in a summer course. Check ahead now and plan your beach parties and weekend trips around major papers and tests. With a little maneuvering, you can get the grades and still have fun!

 From Other HEADS

I REALLY LIKED MATH, but I wanted to be more marketable, so I majored in finance. Once I started taking some economic courses, I liked it so much that I majored in that, too. And I still graduated in four years since I also took summer classes. I found a job right after.

-- KENDRA GONZALEZ

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

THE HARDEST PART OF MY FRESHMAN YEAR was to let go of my former morals, friends, and hobbies in order to develop and grow. I was so afraid that in letting go of these things I was going to lose myself. The summer after freshman year, I went to Australia with about 50 other students. It was the first time I felt like I could be honest about my doubts, thoughts, and past mistakes. I finally had the opportunity to explore new ideas and activities. Since I've come back from Australia I've attempted to continue this growth process. Some people have been disappointed and/or surprised by some changes that have taken place in my life; others are impressed. Either way, at least I am growing as an individual. Aside from getting a degree, that's what college is all about.

-- ANNIE VERNA

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO

Web Resources

Sun Safety Action Steps: www.epa.gov/sunwise/actionsteps.html

And with all the hours you'll log in class, you'll want your notes to be extra-useful. Try using this note-taking method:

http://lifehacker.com/software/note-taking/geek-to-live-take-studyworthy-lecture-notes-202418.php

Next year, maybe you'll go to summer school in Rome... or Hong Kong... or Sydney, Australia... www.studyabroad.com/summer