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With the Spring 2020 semester turning more turbulent than usual, Connecticut College launched a new set of online summer courses for the first time this year. In the words of the College, these classes were designed to “dive deeper into your major, explore a new department, or try a course that you’ve always wanted to take but couldn’t fit into your schedule.” Additionally, the summer course program was also quite similar to how the new 7.5 week modular classes designed for Fall 2020 are expected to run. With my own previous summer plans having been cancelled, I took Intro to Psychology online.
Each class ran for 5 weeks, with 3 sessions of 2 and a half hour classes per week. Depending on the professor, this class time could be spent either in Zoom calls, doing asynchronous classwork such as watching recorded lectures, or a combination of both. In addition to this official class time, Intro to Psych was unique in that it was the only class with a lab component, which is understandably difficult to modify for an online format. Rather than performing experiments ourselves, we gained experience on doing research, reading scientific papers, and completing several written assignments. This worked quite well in providing exposure to the types of research currently being conducted in the field, while also being simple enough to complete within the accelerated time frame.
The majority of offerings consisted of introductory level classes intended to either fulfill mode or major requirements, or explore a new subject. Among these options were two ConnCourses, one language course, the newly required career preparation course, several cross-listed or multidisciplinary courses which could be applied to various fields of study, and popular 100-level courses that often fill up quickly during registration. In contrast, the summer term registration went smoothly, was relatively less stressful, and most classes were considerably easier to secure a spot.
While not for everyone, a summer course might be a great option to keep busy in social isolation. For example, people with double majors, especially if very few classes overlap between the two subjects, can avoid overpointing for one semester by taking an extra class over the summer. Those looking to graduate early would also benefit from the summer session. Many people also find themselves eager to take a class that never fits their schedule, or might need to fulfill an outstanding requirement, like a language, ConnCourse, or mode of inquiry. With so many summer internships and opportunities being cancelled due to the pandemic, a summer course is a great way to stay connected to academics and spend the extra time from quarantine in a meaningful way.
With that being said, the summer session does have some notable cons. It is quite expensive, with just one class costing $2,500; financial aid was available, but at a more limited capacity. For those who find it relatively simple to meet all their requirements within the typical academic year, especially those with little interest in fields outside of their major, it might be difficult to justify that cost. Furthermore, an extra 1.5 to 2.5 hours on Zoom calls multiple days a week might feel like an unbearable sacrifice in place of summer vacation, particularly with so many Fall 2020 courses remaining remote despite the campus reopening.
Personally, a summer class suited my needs and I had an overwhelming positive experience taking Intro to Psychology. I enjoyed the accelerated pace and the ability to focus on just one subject for a short period of time. In any introductory level course, the focus is generally on covering a wide breadth of information and exploring the entire field rather than going into depth on a particular area, which I found worked very well in the accelerated format. It was also a good way to maintain a bit of a routine and prepare myself for the remote, modular classes coming up in the Fall semester. However, given the fast pace of the class, some more detailed topics did need to be cut, and the lab component had to be significantly modified for an online format. Despite these adjustments, I think adding the online summer session was a great idea, and I would highly recommend it if a similar option is available in the future.
