The first thing I’d like to say is that taking summer classes is something that I would recommend if, for whatever reason, you’d like to finish up college a little bit quicker than you otherwise would. Just make sure that you can afford to do so first. Summer courses can be a relatively quick and in some ways an easier solution to get some of those needed credits out of the way.





But for those of you already registered to take some courses this summer, here are a few tips on how to get the most out of them:





Don’t take more than two classes at a time.

One of the biggest benefits of taking summer classes for me has been the fact that it’s a lot easier to take only one or two courses at the same time, as opposed to a full schedule of four or five classes at once. By taking more than two summer courses in the same session, you’re putting a lot of unneeded pressure on yourself. So unless it’s absolutely necessary, I would recommend sticking with only two courses per summer session.





Be aware of the positives and negatives of the short sessions.

At first, it might seem like a bad thing because of the amount of work that you’ll have to get done in a shorter time period (for me, these summer sessions have always lasted about a month and a half). But in my experience, the workload is usually not as much as a typical fall or spring course. And it sort of feels good to get it all done and over with quicker and be able to enjoy the rest of your summer.





Maybe take those courses you’ve always wanted to take.

You know that course you’ve always wanted to take that didn’t fit into your major or minor? This could potentially be a good opportunity to take it. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn about philosophy. Maybe you’re curious about human psychology. Taking it during the summer might be the easiest way to fit it into your schedule.





Since you’ll already be on campus, check out some free events.

Yeah, colleges have plenty of free events during the summer sessions too. My college has a BBQ coming up at the end of the month to celebrate the start of the summer session. We have movie nights coming up in June. We even have kayaking events. See what you’re college has going on this summer. You might just be surprised.





Maybe take a night class or two.

I’ve actually taken most of my summer classes at night (this was generally the most convenient time to get on campus). But depending on your circumstances, night classes can be a good way to go about it. Maybe you have a job that you can go to during the day. Possibly you want to spend the day studying for your classes. This also allows you to spend your days having a little summer fun. Whatever you decide to do with the time, taking summer courses while still leaving your days free isn’t a bad idea.