Summer is calling. The beaches, sunshine and relaxation are all reaching out.
But for some students, summer is a time to catch up, re-take a class that didn’t go well, or knock out a few more degree requirements.
Walk through the campus during the summer semester and it is clear – there isn’t much going on. With little faculty or staff around, it’s apparent there are fewer classes offered.
For students hoping to get a few more green checks on their DegreeWorks page, here are a few tips to get the classes you need.
Check often, check early. This isn’t a foreign concept, but often the most important tip is the most obvious one. The university emails each student the date they can register for classes in the following semester. Students with higher GPAs are allowed to register earlier.
Know when your date is, and keep on it. Register immediately and if some of the classes you need are full, routinely check for opening seats – students drop classes, more so as the summer semester approaches.
Talk to your advisor and check DegreeWorks. The university mandates that students meet with their academic advisers, according to Geoffrey Podeswa, office manager of academic advising. Advisers can help students plan for upcoming semesters.
According to the USFSP website, “Advising assists students in evaluating their progress, making decisions based on accurate information, understanding university policies and procedures, and understanding all support services available through the university.”
Students can check on their progress with the DegreeWorks page when they login to their USF online account, under OASIS. This tool updates the courses students have taken, which ones they are currently registered for, and how many remaining credits needed for graduation.
Check to see if your department has a faculty adviser, because not all do.
Faculty advisers are professors within particular departments who provide information and advice about courses offered in the major. Being instructors themselves, they often have insight into how the course’s content may apply to individual students.
Consider online classes carefully. Online classes are potentially convenient, but are notorious for being overwhelming and difficult to manage. Students have reported finding few options for online courses in their major.
Hailee Leonor, an English major, encountered problems when trying to find specific classes she needed for her major.
“Online classes were a must, due to a busy summer, said Leonor. “Ideally, I would have liked to have at least two courses pertaining to my major instead of one.”
She said the sparsity of online courses in the summer terms made it difficult to organize an efficient schedule.
“To me, if a department is short a professor, or multiple professors are on sabbatical, it makes more sense to offer online courses, since that’s a way students can acquire credits they need without having to bend their schedule too much, or prolong graduation.”
Consider taking courses outside the major. The core classes required in a major of study are usually the most important to take in a physical classroom. Since the summer terms are condensed into just a few weeks, students often miss out on important information. It’s typically better to take required courses in the fall or spring.
Exit requirements and outside elective courses are good alternatives to help students advance toward their degrees without compromising the quality of education received in the classroom.
Know the dates
Session A
May 13: last day to register
May 16: classes begin
June 24: classes end
Session B
June 27: classes begin
July 1: final day to add or drop classes
August 5: classes end
Session C
May 13: last day to register without late fee
May 16: classes begin
July 22: classes end
