By the end of this evening, most of our students will have registered for their Spring 2013 semester courses. Some of our students will be taking fewer than the typical 15 credit hour semester, and for a variety of reasons: it could be they have a difficult course that is a prerequisite for their major and they want to be sure to have a lighter load to focus on it, or perhaps the student is going to go through the Greek recruitment process and wants to make sure to balance academics and social life appropriately, or they are still adjusting to the level of work in college (or in their major) and need to slow the pace of their scholarship. Other students might have a class they need to take but they have been reluctant to do so during a normal semester, because they really need to concentrate fully on it.
Putting on my academic adviser hat for a moment, I want to recommend to those students (and their families) the Wake Forest Summer Session. We teach a variety of classes every summer in two abbreviated sessions. And these can be wonderful options for students who either need to pick up additional credit hours or need to take a challenging-for-them class in a vacuum, away from the normal distractions of social life on campus.
I have known some students who knew they would struggle in a particular divisional requirement who opted to take that class in the summer, and it was a wise decision. I have also known students who wanted to enter the undergraduate business program and know that they have to fare well in three of its required prerequisite classes, so they have taken one or more of those classes over the summer to dedicate themselves fully to it. Again, a wise choice for those who went that route. During summer school, there are opportunities for some special programs, such as the Summer Management Program (often referred to as ‘business boot camp for non-business majors’) or accelerated language courses that will help satisfy the language requirement.
The Summer School website shows the various courses listed and the schedules, as well as some of the benefits of attending. Student testimonials tell the story better than anything else. This is a tremendous option for many students, and might be something to discuss with your student over Thanksgiving or Winter Break.
