Richland Students On Summer Courses

           While many college students chose to spend their summer soaking up the sun on beaches far away from their professors and textbooks, others have done the exact opposite by spending most of their weeks in classrooms, listening to lectures and diligently taking notes.

            On average, nearly 12,000 students register to take summer courses at Richland College. This year's headcount, according to the Office of Planning and Research for Institutional Effectiveness, is 13,086.

            "I think there is an advantage to taking summer courses because you get a lot of momentum going compared to regular semesters [since] students keep the thread of whatever [they are] learning better," said Michael Iachetta, dean of Ethnic Studies, Social Science and Physical Education.

            Many summer students attending Richland are short-term transfers from other universities. Students like University of Texas at Dallas sophomore Misbah Shabbir, who is a Biology student taking Physics 1401, take advantage of the short summer terms to save money and time.

            "Summer courses are easier and the finals usually cover everything," Shabbir said. "The material stays fresh in your mind because courses are only one month long, [unlike] the Fall and Spring semesters."

            Because summer semesters are shorter, courses are usually more fast-paced. Some people, like education student Asma Akhtar, who is taking English 1302 and speech, have a difficult time keeping up with their work.

            "I like the summer term better because it's faster, but at the same time, it's more stressful," Akhtar said. "We have something due every single day and I don't get enough sleep because of all the work that's assigned to me."

            The material Iachetta teaches in his summer government class is identical to what he covers during the Fall and Spring semesters, but at a much faster pace. While most students do well in his class, a small number have a difficult time keeping up.

            According to Iachetta, some of his students are taking two or three summer courses in five weeks in addition to working. He says that a good way to reduce stress is for students to not "try too much" and to not take more courses than they can handle.

            Students on vacation may cringe at the idea of summer school, but many of those taking on courses actually find it enjoyable and see it as a good use of their time.

            "Personally, I really like my German class and summer classes in general," Southern Methodist University electrical engineering major Milud Idelhha said. "They are a month long and you meet every single day. The gap of not doing anything is rare. You have assignments everyday, so that pushes you to learn a lot and keep track of your work."