Congratulations are in store for the Class of 2018 as they wrap up their final semester at Salt Lake Community College.
The 2018 SLCC Commencement Ceremony will be held in the Maverik Center on Friday, May 4. For students who are not graduating next week, the summer semester offers another opportunity to keep working toward a degree.
Summer courses are usually shorter than courses offered during spring or fall semesters. Depending on the course, classes can last four, eight or 12 weeks.
The shorter timeframe is one of the perks SLCC student Greg Mooney considered when registering for summer classes.
“Honestly, I like that it’s an eight-week format instead of a 16-week format. I expect a condensed version of what we get throughout the normal year,” Mooney says.
For those still deciding on attending summer semester, just know there are more benefits than shorter classes. Matt Merkel, an assistant professor of communication at SLCC, says smaller class sizes in the summer really allow more opportunities for students to get engaged.
“The teachers and the students can really interact without a whole lot of other heavy scheduling going on,” Merkel says. “You’re not taking 12 to 18 credits in the summer; you usually take anywhere from six to eight [credits]. And you really get a chance to dig into the material and get to know your students [or teachers] better.”
Merkel says he has personally found over the years that many of his successful students are taking summer classes.
“[Summer semester] allows [students] to get ahead, or allows them to make up some things they need to make up. And because it’s summer, [their] motivation level seems to be a little bit higher,” Merkel says.
With the combination of shorter classes and the distractions of summer, you can get behind quick. Merkel says commitment is the key to a successful summer semester.
“It really is kind of a sink-or-swim environment,” Merkel says. “Commit to what you commit to, take time, really get to know your professor, really concentrate on the material and before you know it, this summer’s done. If you come in wanting to do it, you can reap a lot of benefit out of [summer semester].”
Registration is currently open for all students. Classes begin Monday, May 14, while the last day of classes is Saturday, August 4. The last day to add summer classes is Tuesday, May 22.
