Spring term may mark the end of the academic year for some, but for a growing number of students at the University, school isn’t out for summer.
Nearly 8,000 students are expected to enroll in University classes this term, said Ron Trebon, director of the University summer session program, which is nearly 10 percent more than last year’s enrollment.
More students are taking classes during the summer nationwide, Trebon said, adding that there is a growing number of 18-to 24 year-olds in the country as well.
Trebon also said many students are eager to graduate early and get out into the workforce while the economy is still strong.
An advantage of summer term is the flexibility of the course offerings, he said. Three sessions of classes are offered: One four-week session, one eight-week session and one 11-week session.
While the sessions are shorter than the regular academic term, longer classes and more frequent class meetings make up for the loss of time.
“The work is condensed into a shorter amount of time,” he said. “But the same material is covered.”
The average undergraduate takes nine credits during the summer session, he said, and many work or travel in addition to going to school.
Students attending summer classes have their own reasons for choosing to spend their summer at the University.
With fewer distractions around campus, senior Faris Matin said he finds it easier to concentrate on the classes he is taking.
“I feel more focused as a student during the summer because there’s nothing to do,” he said.
For Matin, the decision to attend summer classes was not so much a choice as a necessity — in order for his parents to pay his tuition bill, he said, he agreed to graduate within four years.
A timely graduation was also a motivating factor for summer session student David Fewell. Fewell, a senior, added that after attending school last year, it seemed natural to keep taking classes during the summer.
“A body that’s in motion tends to stay in motion,” he said. “I was just in the academic groove.”
The summer is a good time to earn credits quickly, junior Megan Rafferty said. Rafferty, who took two years off from school, said she enrolled in the summer session last year as well as this year in order to make up for the time she lost.
Summer classes “are good because you get a lot done in a short amount of time,” she said.
The campus itself has some advantages during the summer, senior Philip Fortunato said.
With less people around, he said, the school feels more laid back and more like a small college community rather than a large university.
He added that, based on personal observations, he has also noticed a shift in the gender ratio among students.
“There’s a lot more girls on campus,” he said.
And when the weather is nice, he said, he is actually more inclined to go to class.
But the sunshine outside can also make it hard to be inside studying, said senior Kevin Cram as he stood on the steps of the Knight Library yesterday afternoon.
“It sucks sitting in the library on a day like this,” he said “That’s for sure.”