Are Summer Classes Harder Only If You Want Them To Be
Are summer classes harder or easier than regular school year classes? Its an age-old question that many panicky, pent-up students start asking themselves when they realize that their next few months arent going to be solely spent reading trashy romance novels by the pool.
But who says you cant mix school with pleasure?
Im going to lay out how you can plan your summer schedule to be as hard or as easy as you want it to be. Its up to you to knock out a harder course during summer school or simply punch the clock to get course credit for an easier class.
Consideration #: Which Subjects Does Your High School Recommend
Your school may already have a list of community college classes that previous students have taken and enjoyed, and they may also have a list of community college classes that they give credit for or accept as a substitute for a particular high school class.
If your high school has recommendations, this can make choosing which courses to take easier, because you will already have some idea of what classes other students have found useful. This information is also helpful if you are looking to get high school credit for your community college class.
Taking Community College Classes In High School: A Guide
Are you a high school student who is interested in taking classes at a community college? Community college classes can be a great way for high school students to take more challenging courses and prepare for college.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about community college classes for high school students: the benefits of taking community college classes in high school, when to take them, and how you can start getting enrolled.
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Visiting Us From Another College/university
We consider you a visiting student if you are just taking a few classes over the summer and plan to return to your home college/university in the fall.
You may need course prerequisite overrides to register for certain STLCC classes. To request a prerequisite override for the class you want, contact an STLCC academic advisor via email with the following information:
An STLCC academic advisor will confirm with you once an override has been entered.
Use the appropriate email address below to contact advising at the STLCC location you plan to attend:
Florissant Valley |
Drawback #: They Can Be Expensive

Most students do not have to pay for the classes they take in high school, and it can be difficult to afford the tuition required for college classes. Even though community college classes are typically less expensive than regular 4-year colleges, tuition is still usually at least $100 per credit hour, which means taking one community college class can cost several hundred dollars or more.
Sometimes high schools will pay for their students to take community college classes, especially if they don’t offer a particular class themselves. Ask your academic adviser what your school’s policy is for covering the costs of community college classes. If they do help with costs, this can save you thousands of dollars!
However, if your high school doesn’t cover community college costs, be sure to choose your community college classes carefully so you know you are getting the best value for your money. Also, if your high school offers a similar course, such as an AP class, you may want to consider taking that instead.
Taking community college classes may mean you have to pay tuition fees and other expenses.
Read the sections below to learn more about how to make smart decisions when taking community college classes and minimize negative impacts.
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How To Sign Up For Summer Classes At A Community College With Esignatures
If you are looking to join summer classes at a local community college, its a good idea to start applying at least six months in advance. This head start is important, especially in the evolving COVID-19 condition, as the application paperwork alone can be overwhelming leaving little energy for you to manage your current course load. But the process doesnt have to be so stressful. So, how tosign up for summer classes at a community college, in an efficient manner, you ask?
Read on, as this article was written to answer exactly that!
Hot tip: Try out Signeasys affordable eSignature solution to see how much it can save you time and effort in the application process: for a 14-day free trial.
Consideration #: What Prerequisites Are Required
When you see a class you find interesting, check the course description to see if there are any prerequisites or prior knowledge you need to have in order to take the class. College classes are already more challenging than high school classes, and taking a class you aren’t prepared for on top of that can make it very difficult to get a good grade in the class.
In addition to checking prerequisites, you may also want to start by taking introductory classes to ease yourself into college-level courses. These classes usually have the word “Introduction” or “Introductory” in their title or have a course number that begins with the number one .
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Why Use Signeasy To Apply For Summer Classes
Ultimately, here is how Signeasy can help students with the application process:
Want to see all these benefits live in action? Check out Signeasys 14-day free trial. You can send a few admission forms to see how incredibly intuitive and seamless its singing experience is.
Students From Another College/university
Each summer, we welcome students from colleges and universities around the country.
If you are unsure about your choice of courses, schedule a time to meet with an academic advisor in the Office of Continuing Education. You also can check out our course description search to find the class that’s right for you.
If you know the course you would like to take, find out how to register for courses.
Once you’ve taken your summer course, you can request a transcript.
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The Best Classes To Save For Summer Semester
What’s the best online class to take in the summer? The short answer is, it depends who you ask. Take advice from students who have been there before. Weve narrowed down a variety of student perspectives and experiences that might help you choose which methodology for taking online summer classes is right for you.
After The Semester Has Begun :
If you cannot get back into your class, you can try to enroll in another class. You can also look at courses offered during the 14 week or 7 ½ week sessions through Degree Works www.sunywcc.edu/degreeworks. You may want to speak with an academic counselor if you have less than 30 credits Meet virtually with an Academic Counselor or with your faculty advisor if you have more than 31 credits Get information about your faculty advisor through MyWCC.
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Online Summer Classes And Transfer Credits
If you are leaning toward summer enrollment, it’s important to understand that you’re not limited only to courses offered at your home school. In many cases, distance learners can save money and expand their academic options by enrolling in summer sessions elsewhere, from a local community college to Harvard. You may have to search for equivalent courses and apply for admission, but credits can be transferred to your home school. Take a look at why you might want to consider taking online summer courses at another school below, but remember, it’s always best to speak with an academic advisor before making any final decisions.
Take Community College Courses while Attending a 4-Year School
Summer is a busy time for many community colleges because they welcome outside students from four-year colleges and universities to participate in online courses. Some online learners turn to community colleges for supplemental summer courses that aren’t available at their home schools. Others take their preferred courses at a community college to save money. It’s important to note that even when credits transfer successfully, grades earned at a community college generally don’t affect a student’s GPA at the home school.
Expanded Options through Statewide Community College Networks
Take a ‘Practice Run’ on a Tough Course
Use a Summer Course as a GPA Saver
Hours And Hours Of Reading

Are you a slower reader, like me? Or does reading put you to sleep in less time than it takes you to turn the page? If so, you may want to avoid taking that Shakespeare course this summer or any other class with a ton of reading on its syllabus. You dont want to fall behind on your homework because of simply having too much reading and too little time. If reading too slowly is often a problem for you, you may want to learn the art of speed-reading.
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New Material Is Difficult
As youve probably already discovered by now, learning new subjects can be tough! If you sign up for that exciting summer astronomy course, for example, you may be shocked to find out that its not all about gazing at the stars and memorizing the constellations .
There is some legit new stuff youll have to learn to master astronomy, so dont get too excited about jumping on a mission to Mars just yet. First youre going to need to figure out the difference between absolute and apparent magnitude and learn how to calculate escape velocity!
Classes youve never taken before can be very challenging since all the material is brand newunlike the universe, which is 13.77 billion years old .
Classes Begin June 6 June 13 And July 11 2022
Whether your summer plans include working a job, spending time with friends, or exploring the great outdoors, ECCs summer classes can fit into your schedule. Classes last three to eight weeks in online and hybrid formats. Move ahead in your ECC degree or certificate program, or affordably earn credit that will transfer back to your four-year institution.
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What You Need To Know About Winter And Summer Courses
If you are registering to take a credit course and are not currently enrolled in classes at MCC, complete an application for admission. Students currently enrolled at another CT Community College must complete an application to activate their Student ID on our campus. Current MCC students do not need to complete an application to register for intersession courses.
Special Note: If you are attending another college or university and intend to transfer your MCC course to your home institution, please check first that these credits are transferable to your school. There are no refunds past the allowable drop period, whether a course is transferable or not.
High School Students: If you are a high school student looking to take a summer class, you must provide the items below. Please contact to proceed with registration.
- Letter of approval from a high school guidance counselor
- High school transcripts
- Course placement, such as SAT/ACT scores or assessment testing.
How Will Courses Be Taught In Summer 2021
Most courses will be taught virtually with fewer courses to be taught in-person, on-campus.
In an effort to both protect the health and safety of community members working and learning on-campus, please review the colleges covid testing policy.
Regardless of the instructional modality of a course, all courses are taught following the specific learning outcomes and high academic standards that are customary for a WCC education. Please review the definitions below so you understand the instructional method being used for each of your course selections.
NATIVE PEOPLE OF NORTH AMERICA |
ANTHR |
Descriptions of Instructional Modalities – click to expand
ONLINE Asynchronous
ONLINE Synchronous
Online Combined
HYBRID Online Asynchronous & In-Person
View the full Academic Calendar for Summer 2021 and upcoming semesters: www.sunywcc.edu/academic-calendar
Apply
Bursar
Transcripts
WCC offers multiple course schedule options with different start dates to maximize convenience for you. Meet with an academic counselor and financial aid advisor to be sure this works for you!
Session |
Interested in learning more about Westchester Community College. Fill out this form:
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Graduate Students And Postdocs Are More Lenient Teachers
Fact: some summer school teachers are easier than the regular school year profs. This is because they are often postdoc or graduate students trying to get some teaching experience in.
There is a really great tool on the web for you to use to help you determine whether your potential summer school teacher is tough or not, but Ill give you more on that later in this post. So hang on!
No Time For Procrastination
Lets face it, youre human right? I figured as much! Well, chances are youre slightly prone to procrastination.
Heres the bad news: that simply wont fly in summer school. Just the tiniest bit of procrastination, or a single missed class, can lead to a potential domino effect of failure since you wont have much time to catch up on missed work during the short semester. In an environment when tests can come once a week, theres really no room for error or playing hooky when you should be studying.
So if you tend to put things off and take your time, chances are youll find summer school a bit more challenging than normal school classes.
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Enrolled In A Community College
If youre in the first category, and plan to attend a community college for a year or two before moving to a 4-year university, admissions committees may be a tad more understanding about your having taken core pre-med classes at a community college. That said, you should know that adcoms will automatically assume your CC classes were less rigorous than those taken at the university level. This is an inconvenient fact of lifeeven if you took the pre-med courses at a CC for excellent reasons .
You Already Know This Stuff

Are you taking this summer class to re-take a class that you didnt do too well in last fall? Well it may be disappointing for you to have to re-take the class, but the good newsno the great newsis that it should be easier the second go around, as youll already be somewhat familiar with the material. Ummmassuming you didnt sleep through all the lectures the first time, of course.
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The Pros And Cons Of Taking Summer Classes
By Allison Ouradain College on May 28, 2015
Now that youve finished your spring semester, Im sure the last thing that you want to hear about is summer school. After all, why would you want to sacrifice any of your freedom to take more classes? However, summer classes can be a great opportunity to earn credits in a relatively short period of time. Here are some pros and cons to taking summer classes.
Pros
Cons
Summer classes are not for everyone, but you may be surprised to discover how helpful they can be. Do you have any tips or information about summer classes? Leave them in the comments below!
Professors Expectations Are The Same
Many professors will have the same expectations of you over the summer as they would have during the normal school year. You are going to have to show up on time and regularly, finish your homework, and limit your extracurricular activities so you can get above average grades on your exams.
Your professor is busy working over the summer teaching you, and, chances are, shell want you to work hard too! I know you can do it, just make the commitment and stick to it. Oh! And if you have a hard time getting up early for class, check out these awesome tips for never missing your 9 oclock lecture.
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The Best Classes To Save For Summer If You Want To
Get the easy stuff out of the way
Pre-requisite classes or electives can be a nuisance during semesters full of tougher coursework. Some students use online summer courses to knock out these classes to keep their fall and spring semester schedule less cluttered. When you enter the fall semester, you’ll be able to concentrate on the heavy lifting.
- 1 or 101 Level classes
- Anthropology
- Physical education
I took speech, interpersonal communications, Spanish 1, macroeconomics and Pharmacology for Technicians over the different summers I was enrolled in . I like to take the harder classes during the fall/spring when you’re not on abbreviated sessions.Pharmacist, Student Doctor Network
Take classes that are too popular to get into during the regular semester
One of the great things about summer sessions is that there is far less competition for the courses that tend to fill up quickly during the regular semester. Many students use the summer to finally take an online class that always seems to be closed in the fall or spring.
- Astronomy
- Literature
- Niche topic courses
Scan 50W is way easier to get in the summer.University of California Los Angeles Student, UCLA Reddit
Use the time to explore something new or fun
Medical Student, Student Doctor Network
Take lab-mandatory classes that have heavy workloads or are tricky to schedule
- Biology
- Genetics
- Organic chemistry
Focus on classes that feel overwhelming during the regular semester
- Calculus
- Foreign language
- Advanced Programming