Jump Ahead: Enroll in Summer School

No more homework and no more books is a common thought for students after the last day of classes spring quarter. For some students though, it is the beginning of classes all over again.

Most students view summer school as a bad thing. For E-Media students, summer school is not only a good thing, but really beneficial.

Students entering the Electronic Media Division are encouraged to take summer courses at UC. Not only does it take care of electives outside the major that you would have to take during the regular year, but it also can give students a leg up on required E-Media course.

“For a student entering the program it is a good way to get a head start,” said Professor Marjorie Fox. “They can get into class like Sight Sound and Motion, for example. They can get it out of the way. It’s easier to get into classes in the summer.”

The E-Media Division offers several required courses during the summer that can help unlock courses that would be restricted during the regular academic year. Students entering the program can take Sight, Sound, and Motion, Digital Sight Sound and Motion, E-Media Research and Resources, and Digital Audio Production.  As these classes usually fill up during the academic year and are required courses for advancement in the program, it is a wise option to take them during the summer while enrollment is down.

This advantage also extends to more advanced students. Juniors and seniors can take E-Media Ethics, Postproduction, Survey of Journalism, Survey of Advertising, and Global E-Media Communication. These classes fill up quickly during the regular academic year, and offer an advantage to students who take them in the summer.

The down side is the classes are only three weeks long pushing students to step up to the learning curve quickly, but this can sometimes be compensated.

“I think you can say I am a little easier grader in the summer,” said Professor Fox.

For some students taking summer classes not only helped them get ahead, but it helped them make sure that they graduate on time.

Graduating senior Jon Saffian is one of these students. As a transfer into the program, Jon was behind his peers by a year.

“I took a summer course and it let me play catch up to a required course in the division. I took Sight Sound and Motion and it opened classes for me that I ordinarily would have had to wait to take,” said Jon.

Summer school should not be viewed as a bad thing, but as a viable option for students looking to jump ahead in the program.

The first semester opened June 22, the second semester starts July 16, and the third begins  August 10.  

Link: Learning Opportunities

By Dave Keaton, June 2009