2008 Woodie Awards
Keeping your cool while taking summer classes
Melissa Johnson
Staff Writer
Issue date: 6/11/07 Section: Lifestyles
Summer classes sometimes have the ability to make us feel as though we are nothing but drones to the never-ending doldrums of higher education. Going to school year-round can be daunting, especially when classes meet on a daily basis.
It takes a great deal of commitment to give up those few precious months of beach time, barbeques and relaxation. However, it is possible, and more than reasonable, to stay focused on school without forfeiting all of the pleasures of summer.
Organization and persistence are the skills needed to succeed. With a little effort, though it may seem contradictory, one can adopt that barefoot, carefree attitude so commonly associated with summertime.
Class times are pretty much set in stone, so utilizing every morsel of free time outside of the classroom is key to maintaining good grades and ensuring an enjoyable summer. Making a schedule that includes a concrete study routine, and sticking to it, is a great way to maintain a balanced academic lifestyle. Also, knowing which specific parts of your day are committed to education gives you flexibility with the remainder of your time.
University of South Alabama freshman Amanda Ray says she intentionally scheduled all morning classes this summer so she could study for a few hours after class and spend her afternoons by the pool. However, if you do not have the luxury of morning classes that allot time for entire afternoons spent basking in the sun, improvise where you can. Take your homework to the great outdoors and study poolside, or picnic-style at a park or in your own backyard.
The balmy summer nights of Mobile should not be wasted either. Dauphin Island is a relatively quick drive down Dauphin Island Parkway, where nighttime fishing piers are available and the beach is an endless form of entertainment in itself.
Furthermore, if all school matters are taken care of during their appropriated time, weekends become a time for leisure. Weekends are meant for rest and relaxation, so use this time for, say, a day trip to Orange Beach or any number of other activities. Kari Dowdle, a soon-to-be-senior taking three classes in the first summer term while working at an orthodontics office, said, "I choose to get all of my studies done during the week, so I can still have some fun in the sun on the weekends."
So for those of you who are taking summer classes and have jobs, you know well that your bits of free time are few and far between, but summer fun is not unattainable. Prioritizing your time will earn you satisfaction in your studies as well as pleasurable leisure time.
Every one of us has a reason for enrolling in summer classes, be it some of us slacked off in the fall or spring and need to catch up, or we are overachievers who want to employ every opportunity to stock up on class hours; choosing to go to summer school does not mean we have to plunge headfirst into a sea of relentless study. It is by choice that we are spending most of our summer in school, so it is also by choice that we allow ourselves time for fun.
It takes a great deal of commitment to give up those few precious months of beach time, barbeques and relaxation. However, it is possible, and more than reasonable, to stay focused on school without forfeiting all of the pleasures of summer.
Organization and persistence are the skills needed to succeed. With a little effort, though it may seem contradictory, one can adopt that barefoot, carefree attitude so commonly associated with summertime.
Class times are pretty much set in stone, so utilizing every morsel of free time outside of the classroom is key to maintaining good grades and ensuring an enjoyable summer. Making a schedule that includes a concrete study routine, and sticking to it, is a great way to maintain a balanced academic lifestyle. Also, knowing which specific parts of your day are committed to education gives you flexibility with the remainder of your time.
University of South Alabama freshman Amanda Ray says she intentionally scheduled all morning classes this summer so she could study for a few hours after class and spend her afternoons by the pool. However, if you do not have the luxury of morning classes that allot time for entire afternoons spent basking in the sun, improvise where you can. Take your homework to the great outdoors and study poolside, or picnic-style at a park or in your own backyard.
The balmy summer nights of Mobile should not be wasted either. Dauphin Island is a relatively quick drive down Dauphin Island Parkway, where nighttime fishing piers are available and the beach is an endless form of entertainment in itself.
Furthermore, if all school matters are taken care of during their appropriated time, weekends become a time for leisure. Weekends are meant for rest and relaxation, so use this time for, say, a day trip to Orange Beach or any number of other activities. Kari Dowdle, a soon-to-be-senior taking three classes in the first summer term while working at an orthodontics office, said, "I choose to get all of my studies done during the week, so I can still have some fun in the sun on the weekends."
So for those of you who are taking summer classes and have jobs, you know well that your bits of free time are few and far between, but summer fun is not unattainable. Prioritizing your time will earn you satisfaction in your studies as well as pleasurable leisure time.
Every one of us has a reason for enrolling in summer classes, be it some of us slacked off in the fall or spring and need to catch up, or we are overachievers who want to employ every opportunity to stock up on class hours; choosing to go to summer school does not mean we have to plunge headfirst into a sea of relentless study. It is by choice that we are spending most of our summer in school, so it is also by choice that we allow ourselves time for fun.
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