By Marquita Govan
They could be lounging at the pool or folding clothes at The Gap but a large number of UNO students are spending their summer days on campus instead.
According to UNO’s Office of Institutional Research, 6,703 students of UNO’s approximately 14,000 attended summer classes during the 2001-2002 school year.
These students work all summer to catch up, get ahead and work toward graduation.
Sophomore general education major Gus Groslie says his reason for taking summer school is simple: he just wants to make his life easier. He says taking a summer class means a less stressful school year and a reduced class load.
Junior education major Gloria Sarellano agrees. She says she is taking classes in more than one session to “stay on top.”
“Taking summer classes will help me graduate sooner and I will have two classes out of the way,” she says.
Freshman psychology major Asenath Foster is taking summer classes not only to get some extra credits, but to also boost her GPA.
There are several other benefits to taking classes during the summer. Not only is the weather great, UNO’s campus also offers some things that you won’t see during the fall and spring semesters.
Foster says the computer labs are always available. She says she likes the fact that she never has to wait in line to use the computers.
Groslie says he believes taking summer classes means almost everything is more readily available.
“Everything is more accessible,” Groslie says. “You can go in the library and it’s quieter, and the computer labs are emptier.”
But not everyone seems to enjoy the atmosphere of classes during the summer.
Freshman management information systems major Francisco Franco says that despite the computer labs and library being less crowded, a lot of campus departments have inconvenient summer schedules.
“You can go and stay late at night during the fall and spring semesters, but not in the summer,” Foster says. “Even tutoring is closed or limited, and that’s why I wouldn’t take a math class in the summer.”
But the majority of UNO students say the positives of summer school far outweigh the negatives.
Foster says she thinks professors have a tendency to be a bit more lenient when it comes to summer homework.
“You can get more help, more one-on-one time, because there are less people,” she says.
Whether they come to catch up, get ahead or lighten their loads for the fall, summer school students are an active part of UNO’s campus.
