Courtesy of Connecticut College
When the warmth of the new season began to envelop the Connecticut College campus as the Spring semester ended, I was eager to make the most of my first summer as a Conn student. Conn’s summer courses were the perfect choice for me, maintaining an ideal balance between academic opportunities and personal enjoyment. With few summer plans, I took two courses: Writing the Self and Introduction to Journalism.
Summer courses at Conn are structured as a five-week intensive, with two or three synchronous sessions per week, dependent on the course. Writing the Self, a four-credit course that is required for the fiction writing concentration in the English major, was three days a week for two and a half hours a day. Intro to Journalism, a liberal arts credit, pass/fail course, was only one hour and fifty minutes for two days of the week. This maximum of three days of class per week allows plenty of time for enjoyment outside of classwork, even in a class with constant essays like Writing the Self.
These courses are no secret. From fliers around campus, constant email reminders from faculty, and advising sessions specifically for summer courses, Conn makes registration for summer classes very simple. However, registration is still extremely low. So, for those who do wish to register for a specific class, there is no stress during the registration process like there would be during a typical semester. Most classes do not come close to filling up, so you can decide to enroll in most classes at any time while registration is open without a problem.
The low enrollment in summer classes comes with a major perk: individual connection with professors. Intro to Journalism had seven students, and Writing the Self had only four. The small class size was particularly helpful in Writing the Self, allowing us to peer review each first draft we wrote. The revisions and commentary provided by my classmates and professor were extremely helpful in creating final drafts. I knew my classmates very well by the end of the class and was also able to develop a meaningful relationship with my professor.
There was a wide range of subject areas and course levels offered in this year’s summer session, meaning that the reasons for enrollment varied immensely between each student. As a spring semester admit, I did not get into any classes that fulfilled major requirements during the regular academic year. Taking summer classes provided me, an intended English major, the opportunity to begin fulfilling those requirements. Other reasons that students opted to take summer classes ranged from personal interest in the subject to needing more credits to graduate after walking at commencement. For double majors, these classes can be a great way to avoid overpointing during the fall and spring semesters. Those hoping to graduate early, like me, can use summer courses as a way to accumulate credits that wouldn’t quite fit into a typical semester schedule.
Despite all the potential benefits, most people’s primary concern regarding summer courses is their cost. A four-credit course in the summer session is $4,025 and a two-credit course is $2,415, which may seem costly. There is financial aid available, but Conn states that it is “extremely limited.” I was fortunate to receive a very generous amount of aid and felt that the personalized experience the classes offered was well worth even the entire price.
The short duration of the courses creates a majorly accelerated pace that may not be for everybody. In Writing the Self, we completed all but one assignment that would be done in a normal semester, meaning that there was almost always a piece to complete for homework. If you have a lot of other commitments, the pace may seem overwhelming, but it can still be manageable. In Intro to Journalism, students could skip assignments for which they did not have time due to the pass/fail nature of the class. If you are a procrastinator with a loaded schedule, I would consider a two-credit course.
Taking summer courses was the best choice I could have made for my summer. Each class session covered a new topic to stay on track, which forced me to become more punctual with my work. They also followed a very similar, structured format, so I always knew what to expect. Taking a summer course in my intended major was a fantastic way to form a connection with a professor in the major. I also built myself a solid foundation in English that will support me in my future semesters at Conn. I will certainly be taking more summer courses in the future, and I would recommend those who feel intrigued to consider registering next summer.
