Credits To-Go
Drive Through Summer School
by Kristie Langone

If you’re in college and working toward a career, you might not be singing “School’s out for summer” or “Summertime and the Livin’s easy” when the hot months hit. The dream of swinging on the hammock with a cold one in your right hand could collapse under the weight of an MTV True Life reality. Why am I talking about summer when you are chucking ice balls at each other’s faces? I can hear my father’s voice now: “Plan ahead.”

I found out that he was right after years of loitering in Procrastination Station, feeling sorry for myself, wondering how I had wound up there begging for a sandwich and a ticket out while I watched hopefuls board the next train to Career City. If I heard the words summer and school together, my gag reflex kicked in. Truth be told, I was misinformed by my own preconceptions. The stigma attached to Summer School isn’t authentic—and it’s nothing to vomit over.

Universities make it easy on the internship-ridden, table-bussing summer-student. They offer flexible schedules, accelerated courses and a less congested environment to learn in. Going to Summer School now-a-days is like driving through a fast-food restaurant: You order a #9, scarf down the burger, almost spill the drink between your legs, and drive on with your life, full. Maybe not exactly but here’s our Do’s and Don’ts of Summer School anyway.

Do Get It Off Your Plate
Summer School is like a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card because it gives you the opportunity to make up for missed credits, or it puts you ahead in the game to collect when you pass Go. When your roommate is waking up at six a.m. because she’s juggling six classes during the Fall semester, you’ll be patting yourself on the back before you hit snooze. 

Don’t Overdo It
Don’t register for a Chemistry lab or an Advanced Calculus class. You may think it’s a good idea to get it out of the way now but you will change your mind the first day when you are dissecting a rat or throwing your calculator across the room. Don’t end up cursing the skies like George Costanza in a classic Seinfeld episode: “This was supposed to be the summer of George!” 

Do Mix It Up
If you’re sick of that long walk up the interminable Boston Common hill, summertime is a perfect opportunity to utilize transferable credits. Seek out a new campus and splash a new light on the trail of your education.

Don’t Cancel Vacation
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. You do need a break, and the greatest advantage to attending school during the summer months is that you have a say in which months you go. You can still sail away on that cruise to Bermuda in August because you signed up for Summer Session 1 (June-July). 

Do Electives.
Electives are Electric. Pique your interest. Take a Graphic Design course or something that has nothing to do with your major. It’s also a good time to sign up for the classes you wanted to take but couldn’t get into during the normal school year when there wasn’t room.

Don’t Fall Behind
Nothing comes on a platter—before you read the menu and order it. With accelerated class schedules comes a fast-paced workload. Keep that Syllabus in your back pocket and mental-filing cabinet.

Don’t Procrastinate
With the job market being as acute and competitive as it is today, employers can weed out the lazy from the organized quicker than you can find your resume in their trashcan. Start developing your project-planning skills early and prepare yourself for the flight ahead. You can still take a nap in the summer sun (with an open book over your face). Just get up in time for class.