Summer school motives changing

Nearly 150 days are spent within the daily routine of attending standard college classes for the majority of UNC students.

But three months of the year, from May through mid-July, are geared toward creating more options for students to complete courses in a more specialized manner.

“Summer school is available to students to better ensure their chances of graduating in four years by being able to complete extra courses in less time,” said Jan Yopp, dean of summer school.

Yopp said summer school is often a significant benefit specifically for students with a second major or minor trying to complete their course requirements, students who were unable to enroll in a course during the standard academic year and transfer students who are trying to make up for any course deficiencies that may exist.

A common misconception is that a majority of students enroll in summer school to improve their current GPA.

“Currently, only 10 percent of the students who enroll in summer school do so to improve their GPA. Over time, we have established that the students’ main goal is to complete courses and get closer to graduation,” Yopp said.

The UNC summer program is composed of three sessions beginning with Maymester, followed by two longer sessions throughout June and ending in mid-July.

Maymester began as a pilot project three years ago, but due to its overwhelming success, it has become a permanent part of the summer program.

An exclusive new aspect to the other two sessions within the 2010 summer school program is the creation of the language immersion series, in which students can earn credit for two courses.

“The idea of getting double credit is appealing, yet a majority of the summer courses including those online are quite intensive,” Yopp said.

Despite the unattractive idea of consistent work, Yopp noted that there was a significant increase in summer school enrollment for the 2010 program in comparison to previous years.

“This will be my first time enrolling in summer school at UNC, but I think it will be something I continue to do because it gives me more credits in less time,” freshman Rowan Perkins said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.