Summer is a time for fun. It’s a time for relaxation. And it’s a time for a release from all the rigorous studying accompanied with school. But for others, summer merely marks the transition from full-day, in-person learning to more personalized classes and tutoring sessions.
Freshman Cade Daigle has been taking summer lessons in coding for several years now, and he believes that classes are a good way to fully use one’s summer.
“I think (classes) are worth the cost,” said Daigle. “I take my courses at UTD, which are either free or 2 dollars an hour. I really enjoy (coding).”
However, many instructors see summer courses as an interruption of time that students could be using to socialize with their peers. Math department chair Shane May would rather see his students quite literally using the break as a break.
“We want the boys to work hard during the school year,” said May. “During the summer, we would prefer the boys to just be boys. We actually want guys to take time off.”
There are exceptions to May’s philosophy – reviewing past material is almost always beneficial, unlike pre-learning topics in upcoming years.
“To me, reviewing and refreshing is a better idea (than pre-learning),” said May. “It’s very natural to get rusty. We don’t encourage students to stay sharp during the summer, but if you choose to go back and do (review) it’s not a bad strategy.”
But regardless of what students choose to do with their summers, relishing in the spare time should be a priority.
“Don’t take (summer courses) just because they look good on your resume,” said Daigle. “Take them because you enjoy whatever the courses teach.”
