Taking summer courses: is this a bad idea?

[studlyguy87]

Hello everyone,

As the title reads, is taking summer courses a bad idea? To be more specific, is taking summer courses to ease up your course load in fall/winter term a bad idea?

I am asking this question, because I was told by many people that applicants with part time year(s) are disadvantaged iin the selection process. I am a 3rd year student and i am planning on taking some summer courses this year so that I would be able to finish off my undergraduate studies a semester earler. Do you think this is a bad idea, since I would be considered as part time student in my 4th year?

any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

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[Regmata]

You generally don't want to take pre-reqs or your upper science courses over the summer...it isn't going to be that big of a deal though

 

[Frederico Albin]

Im taking summer classes because i want to get as many upper level science classes as possible. Some schools dont allow students to have chem and orgo in the same year, so they kinda have to.

 

[Hysteria24]

This will not hurt you at all!

Schools do care about getting good grades in the context of a full load of classes. This proves you can handle being a full time student in d-school. If you are about to enter your 4th year you have probably already completed your pre-reqs as a full time student and have nothgin more to prove. Take these summer classes, graduate early, and enjoy yourself.

What they advise against is taking a light load over a series of many quarters/semesters or even years. Its easier to get A’s when one only has to worry about a couple classes instead of a full load, so it doesn’t prove as much.

 

[USU24]

I say go for it, one caveat though, if you are planning on taking the DAT this summer I wouldn't take any classes until after that 'cause you don't want your classes to interfere with your studying. But if you're not planning on applying until after you graduate, then heck yeah, summer classes are the way to go.

 

[Mia305]

I took both Orgo 1 and 2 during the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year. This was never even brought up during any of my interviews.

 

[Hoprod3]

Go for it.

 

[ashaw]

Go for it.

agreed. I took my year of physics over the summer. I got better grades than I would have during the year, too.

 

[jigabodo]

I did it for 3 summers and it was fine. As long as you do well in them I don't think it would pose much problem.

 

[small]

Do it. I think it's a smart move. I took organic 1 & 2 over the summer and took the DAT in the middle of the 2nd session (Orgo. 2). My class work overlapped with my DAT studying, so I don't think taking classes and the DAT at the same time is a problem. The atmosphere around campus was more relaxed in the summer, too, which made a better study environment for me.