Students Weigh the Benefits, Consequences of Taking Summer School

summer schoolAs the 2012-2013 school year wraps up and seniors graduate, students that are freshmen, sophomores, or juniors are always presented with a question: Should I take summer school? Summer school is the opportunity for students to complete up to two classes over the summer. The class periods are two hours long and are every day compared to the standard hour and a half, every other day during the standard school year. Summer school gets students a full half credit in 8 weeks rather than the standard 4 month long semester.

Summer school allows some students who have failed classes to catch up as well as students that want to get ahead in credits. It is also a good way for students to take classes such as elective that they might not be able to take during the regular school year because of full schedules.

“[Summer school] is a great opportunity to get the credits that you need and will pay off later in high school. It’s a ‘win-win’ scenario,” said sophomore Brian Coulter.

Guidance counselors also advise students to take summer school if need be, saying it is a good opportunity for those who like or need to be in school.

“Some students need summer school to recover credits. If a student wants to be in a learning environment [over the summer] then that’s good for them,” said counselor Paul Arthur.

Not only can students get ahead in credits, but summer school is also an easy way to bring up students’ GPA and meet requirements for graduation. The summer school classes tend to be considered easier and have their own section on students’ transcripts.

“I took [summer school all four years] to get ahead on my credits and it is an easier way to get a credit for a class. And it’s a lot more fun,” said Senior Taylor Weiss. “I would definitely recommend it because it has helped me get my credits to graduate as well as brought my GPA up a lot.”

Written by Katryn Dobkin – Staff Writer / Photographer