Accelerated Summer College Courses

[mRx 16]

I'm thinking about taking my 3-course sequence of 200-level chemistry in a 9-week summer program at a university, as opposed to the traditional 24 weeks to complete a college science sequence.

Since it's three 5-credit courses condensed into 9 weeks, I presume it's more difficult than taking the regular Fall, Winter, Spring sequence. But, by knocking the Chem sequence out in a summer, I found that I would ultimately save myself a year of pre-doctorate college.

Has anyone ever taken such summer college programs?

I've found little first-hand reviews online.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Yeah I did. I started work on my second major late so I did quite a few summers to rush the schedule. My experiences were mixed. Some instructors take the content seriously (which is good for you if you care about learning the material) and that makes the experience significantly more challenging. On the other hand, some instructors (in my experience, the ones who work at the University part-time and hold full-time jobs in industry) announce that because the schedule is condensed they're going to eliminate certain assignments or otherwise take short-cuts with the material. With these instructors it is an easier experience, you usually get a good grade (because they don't care) but you could come away having not learned much. More often than I care to remember, I found myself re-reading summer material during a regular semester just so I had the background information to do the work for another class.

[Darnell 8,478]

i did differential equations and a programming class and something else in a long 9 week summer session.

it was a total brain dump, for me.

did nothing else but school and homework those 9 weeks, with occasional bath thrown in.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Darnell

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Yeah, chemistry is a tough one to take over summer session. Even over a regular semester, all the lab work and write ups took a lot of time, and it was tough to get all the material covered.

[Darnell 8,478]

3 classes of chemistry? you gonna get hosed up by the pre-requisites?

[Niels Bohr 72]

Depends on whether the course is designed for Chem majors or design for those who take it to get rid of Gen Eds.

There's a difference. The ones for Chem majors involve more analysis and applications. Whereas, the one for Gen Eds people such as Chem 201 (second semester from Chem 101) is not as complex.

On a side note, Chem is one of the easiest subject for me. (Had AP Chem in high school) Before I had AP Chem, I had Honors Chemistry 1, and Honors Chemistry 2 in high school. Muwhahahahaha!

Actually, make that four years of chem in high school, and two years in college. Lets see after Honors Chem 1 and 2, there's Advance Chem, then AP Chem.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Niels Bohr

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Yeah I did. I started work on my second major late so I did quite a few summers to rush the schedule. My experiences were mixed. Some instructors take the content seriously (which is good for you if you care about learning the material) and that makes the experience significantly more challenging. On the other hand, some instructors (in my experience, the ones who work at the University part-time and hold full-time jobs in industry) announce that because the schedule is condensed they're going to eliminate certain assignments or otherwise take short-cuts with the material. With these instructors it is an easier experience, you usually get a good grade (because they don't care) but you could come away having not learned much. More often than I care to remember, I found myself re-reading summer material during a regular semester just so I had the background information to do the work for another class.

We can tell!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm thinking about taking my 3-course sequence of 200-level chemistry in a 9-week summer program at a university, as opposed to the traditional 24 weeks to complete a college science sequence.

Since it's three 5-credit courses condensed into 9 weeks, I presume it's more difficult than taking the regular Fall, Winter, Spring sequence. But, by knocking the Chem sequence out in a summer, I found that I would ultimately save myself a year of pre-doctorate college.

Has anyone ever taken such summer college programs?

I've found little first-hand reviews online.

5 credit class? Oh man...that would be intense. I took English 102 over the summer, but I don't think I'd take a heavy class like Chemistry over the summer unless I just wanted to get through it, because IMO, you're less likely to retain what you learn.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

5 credit class? Oh man...that would be intense. I took English 102 over the summer, but I don't think I'd take a heavy class like Chemistry over the summer unless I just wanted to get through it, because IMO, you're less likely to retain what you learn.

Well put. Summer is perfect for those retarded one-off electives they make you take in the liberal arts and what-not. But a course which should teach you material you will need to build on for other classes? I'd think about that hard.

[jundp 191]

Well put. Summer is perfect for those retarded one-off electives they make you take in the liberal arts and what-not. But a course which should teach you material you will need to build on for other classes? I'd think about that hard.

Hey! Back off of my majors!

I took a couple of intensive summer courses, one science and two or three history ones in college and the summer before grad school to make up a pre-requisite I was missing. By far the hardest one for me was the three week, 5 hours a day of Civil War history....

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Hey! Back off of my majors!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hey! Back off of my majors!

I took a couple of intensive summer courses, one science and two or three history ones in college and the summer before grad school to make up a pre-requisite I was missing. By far the hardest one for me was the three week, 5 hours a day of Civil War history....

Ok, tell us what you remember about the Civil War.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Save yo money! After all look whos respondin!

[jundp 191]

Ok, tell us what you remember about the Civil War.

Quite a lot surprisingly. More than I retained about the Kennedy assassination...and I took an ENTIRE SEMESTER CLASS on that subject. Oh and another one of Crime in American history....totally fascinating. Clearly I was a history major, eh?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Save yo money! After all look whos respondin!

Yeah, Matt. Wouldn't you much rather be a backwoods hick with a drinking problem and an unhealthy mistrust of anyone smarter than you?

Edited February 26, 2010 by w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r