Finals are over! Spring 2017 is done! You're free! Freeedooooom!

Ok. Get it out of your system because I am going to suggest something that is going to put a damper on your Summer plans (which, if you are a non-traditional student like me, you don't have because you work full time anyway and don't get Summer breaks...). What is that thing you don't want to hear?

Take a class this Summer.

Oh, what?

My college has classes available during the Summer and many students take advantage of them. These classes are usually basic, introductory, and general ed classes that are easily compressible into the short Summer break (our college calls them Fast Track classes) and help students get things out of the way so come Fall Semester they can take classes that really interest them.

Our summer catalog!

I will be doing this with Math 25, or College Algebra for this year. This way, I can apply to transfer this Fall! I met with a transfer counselor and we realized the only thing standing in my way is this class, and of course I'd rather get this class done now!

I did take a class during last Summer as well. I took Introduction to Philosophy, mainly because at the time my major was undeclared and I wanted to keep my mind busy. This unknowingly helped me prepare to take Intro to Religion that Fall, which I did need for my major.

Here's why you, as a non-traditional student, should take a class this Summer:

Keep the momentum going.
This is my main reason for taking a class during the Summer. I don't want to get complacent, and while relaxation is needed and should be done, I don't want to relax so much that when Fall comes along I struggle to get back into the groove. 

Get some basic classes out of the way.
If you have things like basic English that you need to get done but don't want to waste a full semester doing, this is a good chance to get it out of the way. These classes are usually compressed during the Summer so there's less chance you will get bored with the material and feel like you are wasting your time.

My summer will be a summer of math! This way, I can apply to transfer in the Fall, and I will keep the momentum going from my A in Math-425. When Statistics for Social Science starts in Fall, I won't be scrambling to review!

Explore something new.
I took Intro to Philosophy because it was interesting but also it was an online class. I'd never taken a strictly online class before, and I've had friends jabber on and on about philosophy before, and I'd always struggle to keep up in conversation. I decided to get some basic knowledge and earn a grade while I was at it. I learned that while philosophy was interesting, I didn't want it to be my major, and while online classes were novel, I missed the social aspect of being in a class and discussing ideas. If I had never taken that class, I would have never known.

Reduce work load for the future.
Next semester has me doing Biology with a lab and Statistics for Social Science. These are two classes that I've heard are heavy on workload, and I don't want to be stuck doing a class like Math 25 while I am working on Statistics and whatever it is Biology lab will be throwing at me. Getting this class out of the way frees up my schedule to focus on these two classes. 

However, there are special challenges that taking a summer class may bring, and how to get around them:   

Your kids have the summer off.
If you are a Stay At Home Mom/Dad, you may be in charge of the munchkins for the Summer while their school is out. Your demands of being a parent will be mixed with going to school during the Summer. The solution? Stick to easier, basic classes or take classes at times when your SO/secondary caregiver is present. Or, take online classes. This may mean taking classes on a Saturday, or in the evenings when someone can watch the kids. Or, sign your kids up for a Summer Camp that takes place during the day so you can take classes at that time.

Our catalog also has a section with online and hybrid classes for the summer.

There aren't many classes available when you can take them.
My solution to this is take one in something that interests you at the time you can take them. Look to online classes where you control your schedule. You will ultimately be responsible for the routine to get the work of these classes done, but the flexibility of managing your own schedule is unparalleled.

You need more time to understand the material in the class.
I faced this last Summer. I tried to take an Intro to Ceramics class because I really wanted to explore ceramics! But ceramics isn't something you can compress into a tiny amount of time. I found myself struggling and decided that while I was still interested in ceramics, I needed to be honest with myself. I wasn't going to rob myself of the experience of learning. I wanted to learn, and to enjoy the art, not rush to get things done. I dropped the class.

Your city may have a summer activities brochure like this one that features classes you and your kids can take during the summer.

If you are faced with a class where you know you need more time to learn, then don't take it. Take something else, or take a prerequisite/easier class to the one you want to take to prep yourself. If your school doesn't have a class available, check with your city. Chaffey is in Rancho Cucamonga but also Fontana and Chino, and all those cities offer summer classes (without credit) that may be a more gentle introduction to a class. They don't just have art classes too...they also feature classes in computer skills, music, writing, and more!

Not all teachers come back to teach during the summer.
Sometimes summer classes only feature not-so-popular teachers, new teachers, or worse, really bad teachers. Getting around this can be rather easy. Just visit ratemyprofessors.com and check out potential teachers ahead of time. My rule is generally if they have many Green Ratings and maybe one Red Rating or Yellow Rating, they should be okay. When I see tons of Red and Yellow, I stay away. But I also look at what the students are saying in the ratings. Are they talking about the teacher's organizational skills, ability to lecture in a way that will help me to learn, or making the learning experience fun? Or are students consistently saying that the teacher is unorganized, is hard to understand, and makes learning a chore? I also look at how the professor's teaching style meshes with my learning style. I love to write papers. So if a bunch of students complain about writing papers all semester, it may not be that bad for me. But if students complain that a teacher never collects homework or gives feedback, that's a no from me. 

Hopefully all this will be an incentive for you to keep the momentum going for Summer! I for one am actually really excited: coming off my A in Math (first ever!) and wanting to prepare for the future, giving myself the best chance I can for Statistics for Social Science? When you think about the work you have to do in that way, it seems less like work and more like a present!
 
What classes will you be taking this Summer? How will they prepare you for the Fall?