Jeannie Kastell, a third-year student in Dietetics said this year is the first time she has been a part of Summer Session at the University of Idaho. Kastell said she has dropped $2,000 on the two classes she is currently taking which amount to seven credits. She said the small class size is really nice because it leaves time for more discussion.
Amrah Canul | Summer Arg
Mechanical Engineering students Casey Scott, left, and Jonathan Andring use a lathe to machine a part in the design suite at Gauss-Johnson Engineering Lab. ME students have the opportunty to take a Lean Manufacturing elective offered exclusively for the summer session. The class will hold its end-of-semester snapshot from noon – 1 p.m. today in the design suite.
“I’m off work and out of school by 10:30 in the morning, I work at a bakery,” Kastell said. “I sleep twice a day now. And I am definitely enjoying the sun.”
She said the homework is somewhat minimal compared to Spring or Fall sessions. Kastell said summer classes can be worth the time and money depending where a student is at in his or her education.
“If I didn’t need this class immediately I would rather not take such a heavy load over six weeks,” she said.
Douglas Cruthirds is both a professor and student in Summer Session of 2013. This is his first time taking summer classes at UI. Currently, he is teaching Communications 101. He is taking Psychology 516/Organizational Psychology and Political Science 539/Public Policy.
“I am currently completing my Masters in Public Administration,” Kastell said. “Summer school has allowed me to take an extra class that I would not be able to complete during regular sessions hopefully giving me a leg up as I pursue my Ph.D. Summer school also allowed me to make my fall semester lighter.”
For Cruthirds, the cost of summer classes is worth it because he was given six free credits during the summer for being a teacher’s aid in the Fall and Spring.
“You can’t beat free,” he said. “Other than that, I do not believe summer school is worth the money.”
Cruthirds said his summer schedule is much more laid back which allows him to work over the summer. He said overall, that is the biggest benefit because he is able to keep his hours low at one job, rather than having to work full-time over the summer. He also likes that summer session is more casual.
“For example, I would never wear shorts to teach during the fall or spring — but, when the weather is nice, I wear shorts in the summer,” he said.
Cruthirds said summer session is quick, everything gets done in a matter of weeks instead of months, which is great if you need to catch up on your degree or get ahead.
Molly Spencer can be reached at [email protected]