Are you winding up your uni year and trying to think of a way you can be productive but still enjoy those long days of summer sun?  Why not sign up for a Summer School course? Here are five reasons why you should study at University this summer break.

1.      Starting the New Year one step ahead

“I just want to chill out during the break,” said every student ever. Well actually, doing a summer course means you can lighten your study load during the semester for more relaxation and less stress during the year! #unihack. Taking a summer course is the perfect way to lighten the workload during semester or even to get ahead of your degree, who wouldn’t want to fast track their way to graduation?

Bachelor of Business student, Helen, said picking up a summer course gave her more time to focus on that course, and ultimately helped improve her marks.

“You’ve got only one subject to worry about, only one lot of content, you’re not going to get confused.”

2.    Build the skills employers want

Summer terms generally run for shorter times than normal semesters. Learning under these compressed terms with stricter timelines builds skills such as ‘time management’ and ‘ability to meet tight deadlines’ that your future employer will find very useful. By taking a summer course you’re actually doing your future self a favour by building these transferrable skills early.

Bachelor of Information Techonology/Business student Jamie, found that by opting to study a 10 unit short course in Germany over the summer break, it greatly improved her employability.

“Because my major is International Business and I did an internship in a different country, I believe I’ve gained more experience to prepare myself for the real world,” she said.

3.    Stick to that routine it took you all semester to get into

Taking a summer course doesn’t mean there’s no time to unwind and take it easy. It just means you’ll be giving a few hours during your busy day watching Netflix to the books. Let’s be honest, if you finish that series too quick you’ll be stumped about what to do with all that spare time. Summer courses are a great way to keep in the routine you perfected during the year and still have more than enough time to rest, recuperate and rejuvenate.

Helen said one of the best parts of Summer School was the people who took the course with her. They all willingly chose to give up a bit of their break, and it seemed to create a more positive study environment.

“I had one girlfriend do it with me, and I met another lady who was there as well and we stuck together and did it as a team. Even our assignments we sat through them and worked through them together, even though we had our own answers of course,” she said.

4.    Catch up on that stubborn class you can’t seem to pass

Struggling to pass Infrastructure Development, Chemistry, or Human Rights in Social Policy? These are just some of the courses the University offers during the break. Catching up in the summer ensures you will still be on track for graduation. With more than thirty courses to enrol in, Summer School is also a great way to complete that core course or get some of those electives done.

5.    Discover a new type of learning

Summer courses are compressed versions of normal courses. This means that rather than studying the course over a full semester you fit it into a shorter period. Although this may sound intense, you’re only focusing on one or two subjects rather than three or four. Shorter courses also mean more time to laze away by the sea or under a tree.                                                   

What’s stopping you? Check out the University website to enrol in Summer courses. If you’re wondering how to smash that summer course read ‘5 Ways to Nail a Compressed Course’.

 Good luck!