By: Riley Bailey
With the spring semester coming to a close, I bet you are SO excited for a break. I mean, I know I am. However, have you ever thought about the benefits of taking classes over the summer sessions? It’s something I’ve been doing ever since I was a freshman and I seriously do not regret it!
If you’re interested but need a break, I have a solution for you. There are two sessions. On Spire they’re called “UWW Summer Session 1” and “UWW Summer Session 2.” Summer Session 1 this year starts on May 19, 2022 and goes until July 1, 2022. Therefore, if you’re interested but don’t want the summer classes to fill up your entire break, you can just do the first session and have the second half of summer all to yourself. Another option is to take the 2nd session which is from July 11, 2022 and goes until August 19, 2022. You would have the entire first half of the summer off if you were to decide to take that route. Or if you’re interested in doing both sessions, you can do that too!
Some benefits to taking summer classes are that you can get ahead on credits, catch up on credits, or even get some gen eds done so you can focus primarily on your major for the rest of your college career. You realistically can take any class you want over the summer sessions so whatever class you need, and if they’re offering it, you can get it done! I am graduating an entire year early thanks to taking advantage of the summer and winter courses offered during our breaks. Another advantage is that you basically take the class at your own pace. Yes, your professors will assign due dates but everything else is primarily up to you to get done on your own time. There are no zoom meetings or face-to-face interactions so you will most definitely be learning the course material on your own. However, professors are extremely helpful and are always available to chat if you don’t understand a concept.
Have I convinced you yet? If so, summer classes are extremely easy to sign up for. You can go right onto Spire and in the left-hand corner, press on “Main Menu.” From there you will scroll down to “Enrollment” and you will see an option that says “Summer/Wtr/Non-deg Enroll Appt.” If you just click on that, Spire will prompt you to sign up for an enrollment appointment. Right from there, you will automatically be able to enroll in the classes just as you would from the enrollment shopping cart in a normal semester.
Overall, I highly recommend taking advantage of the summer courses offered through University Without Walls here at UMass. It has helped me a ton throughout my college career and I’m extremely grateful to have been taking them. It keeps you thinking throughout the summer and has helped with the transition from summer break into the fall semester. I hope you will consider taking some classes over the summer and if you end up doing it, then good luck!
