Do Summer Classes Benefit University Students?
Summer school classes can be a huge benefit to university students. That’s why they are more than willing to give up precious summer break time to take classes, study, and take exams. If you want to graduate on time, or even a little early, then you may choose to use the summer session to retake a class you failed, overlooked, or a class required for graduation that is only offered occasionally. For first-year students or sophomores, summer school classes are great for taking prerequisites or even getting general education classes out of the way.

Not as many students enroll during summer sessions. Because of this, students can benefit from smaller classes sizes and additional attention from professors or graduate assistants. By taking a few classes during each summer session, students can free up some time during the fall or spring semesters so that they can take a required internship. Summer session classes may involve study abroad programs that may benefit students by giving them exposure to other languages, cultures, and practices.
There are also less academic reasons to take courses during the summer session. It may give students more opportunity to partake of recreational or social events during the school year such as concerts, swimming, art festivals, hiking, camping, or sports.
Incoming freshmen can take part in a summer academic and cultural engagement program. Its purpose is to help students transition from a high school environment into a university environment. Students also become better acquainted with the university community in which their campus is located. These students learn to live on their own in special housing, adjusting to living with people who aren’t their families. They also take part in retreats and orientations intended to help them adjust to their new environment. Along with retreats and seminars, students take a few credits toward their intended majors. They may spend part of their time studying abroad, as well as on campus.
Students who take summer classes may be able to reduce their fall and spring course loads. Rather than taking 15 credits or more each semester, they may be able to take 12. One university has realigned its summer course offerings to make sure that its highest-demand classes are offered in the summer months. Students benefit because summer session classes meet degree pathway initiatives, which means they may graduate sooner. Students can also benefit from these added classes if the in-demand courses are often full during regular semesters.
If a student isn’t enrolled at the university offering summer courses they are interested in, they may still be able to take those classes and transfer them to their degrees at their university. If they are taking online classes, they may also expect a discounted tuition, which makes taking more than one or two classes a possibility.
Finally, students may be able to take advantage of a broad menu of classes during summer sessions. Classes such as architecture, biology, math, psychology, journalism, English, education, writing, political science, criminal justice, public relations, Spanish, sociology, economics, accounting, marketing, business, chemistry, engineering, history, theatre production, and many others may be offered.
While summer session classes mean that students can’t relax for the entire summer, they may make use of this opportunity to either stay on-schedule or get ahead. Graduate students, in particular, may benefit from summer courses, as they will be able to complete mandatory practicums or clinical internships during the regular semester.
Florida law actually requires university students to take summer courses. Students can complete general education classes or begin working on core courses.