Hello my Socratica Friends!
We’re here to help you be a great student.
What?
What’s that you said?
...Why should you care about being a great student in the Summer?!
Yeah, I can hear you.
{silly voice} Whoooo!
I’m on vacation!
But are you, really?
Just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean you have to turn your brain off.
I’m talking about: SUMMER SCHOOL.
Now some of you may not have a choice.
One of your classes didn’t go so well, and now - you have to repeat that class in the
summer if you still want to graduate.
That’s okay.
You’ve got this!
The good news is: you’re not going into this class blind.
You actually have a huge advantage now, because you know what the class is all about.
You can avoid those rookie mistakes you made the first time!
It’s amazing how much easier a class can be the SECOND time you take it.
You look at the reading, and the assignments, and you think - “Why was this so hard - what
was my problem?”
That just goes to show, you did learn something the first time.
And now, you’re going to MASTER it.
Sometimes it really helps that you’re not taking a hard class at the same time as 4
other very challenging courses.
Summer school lets you focus on that one big trouble spot.
We’re used to switching gears in school - one subject, then another, then another
- all that changing focus can really take a toll on your mental energy.
Take advantage of this opportunity to focus in like a laser on this one subject.
Make sure you refer to your old assignments and tests, if you still have them.
They’re going to be a big help.
Now, what about the rest of you - you passed your classes for the year just fine, and you
see the endless days of summer stretching out in front of you in a pleasant haze.
Why should you commit to a summer school class, when you don’t have to?
I have some good reasons.
At least 5.
Reason 1: It will make your school year easier.
What if you could get Organic Chemistry out of the way, so you don’t have to study it
at the same time as Biochemistry AND Physics AND Multivariable Calculus?
That would be pretty nice, right?
What I said for people struggling with a subject goes for you, too.
If you ever have the chance to focus on one subject on its own, grab it.
Reason 2: You can get more personal attention.
Summer school classes are usually much smaller than those giant lecture classes.
If you’re the kind of student who enjoys discussions with your instructor, this could
work well for you.
In your academic career, you need to connect with professors as mentors.
Fewer students means a good chance for you to distinguish yourself.
At some point, you’re going to need your instructors to write letters of recommendation
for you.
Don’t pass up this chance to get to know them better - and to let them see you
at your best.
Reason 3: You can save some money!
Some special summer courses cost a fortune, but they’re STILL cheaper than college.
If you’re taking a summer course at a community college, it will cost a lot less than if you
take it as part of a 4 year degree.
Online courses are even cheaper.
Reason 4: You get to study what YOU want to study.
Explore new areas that your school doesn’t offer.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to study abnormal psychology, but your school doesn’t have
that class.
Or, you want to learn Mandarin, but you know you just don’t have time during the school
year to tackle the complicated writing system.
Go for it!
Follow your curiosity!
Reason 5: You want to get ahead.
For instance, sometimes you need to satisfy prerequisites before you can take the classes
you want to take.
Are you in high school and you want to get into Advanced Placement Courses?
Sometimes you’ll have to take one or two classes before you even
QUALIFY to take an AP Class.
Colleges have prerequisites, too.
If you can get the standard prereqs out of the way in summer, you can finish your degree
faster - or you’ll have more room in your schedule for more of the
interesting, optional classes.
Even if you can’t get school credit, this can be a great way to get your bearings in
a difficult subject.
For instance, if math has never been your strong point, now’s a chance to get back
on track.
By putting in the hours in summer school, it will pay off when you ARE in a course where
your grade counts.
Now, we’re agreed that summer school is a good idea.
Where are you going to take this summer course?
Your own school might offer summer school, especially if you’re making up a class you
didn’t pass.
But for lots of options and affordable prices, check out your city’s
community college offerings.
You can also consider ONLINE summer courses.
Even if you’re working at a summer job, online courses are so flexible that you can
do classwork whenever it’s convenient.
This is a great way to take that class you can’t seem to fit into your regular schedule.
Many high schools and colleges let you fulfill some basic requirements this way.
But make sure you check and double-check whether the credits will actually
be accepted by your school.
Just a word of caution - it seems that online courses have a very low completion rate.
This is for a variety of reasons.
Some people miss the camaraderie of having classmates, and the personal connection with
a live teacher.
For a LOT of people, they just aren’t disciplined enough to finish a course all by themselves.
It really can help to leave the house and go sit in a classroom in person, with a group
of people who are all working on the same thing.
We are social creatures, after all.
Personally, I LOVE learning subjects online, on my own schedule - but you have to be VERY
honest with yourself about whether you can really stick with it on your own.
One more word of caution - and this is about summer school in general: It IS work.
Sometimes very HARD work.
Many classes will last several hours - much longer than you’re used to - and they usually
also have hours of homework.
And there will be tests.
Just don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll get a free pass just because it’s summer.
Make sure you stay organized and stay on top of your assignments.
Don’t skip class, especially when you think about how short summer school courses are.
Every single day is important.
All of this advice about summer school doesn’t just apply to people who are still IN school.
I make it a point to tackle a new topic every year.
It’s good exercise for your brain!
Who says your learning has to stop when you’re 18 or 22 or whatever?
You have your whole lifetime.
Just think of how much you can learn.
If you want to, for your whole life - you can make the choice to be a GREAT STUDENT.
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Thank you for watching! :)