Relax during Summer Session - Students find classes easier to handle in the summer months

Though summer is generally thought of as a time to relax at home or travel, many Hopkins students decide to stick around in balmy Baltimore. Why? For summer session, where they can take classes for enjoyment, to absolve less-than-stellar grades, or to get a head start on requirements. Along with Hopkins undergraduates, visiting undergraduates and pre-college students come to JHU to take classes and enjoy the summer in Baltimore.

Going to school over the summer sounds like a bit of a downer, many people enjoy it - think Intersession, but not freezing. Some students like being able to relax, have fun and still do well in their classes (a combination that's a tough juggling act during the school year) while others just want to take a class that sounds interesting without having to worry about all their other obligations. Angela Au, a junior who took Summer Session courses said, "I took Intermediate Chemistry, Asian-American History and Business Law I and II. Last summer I did research. This will be my third summer here. If you know people, it's fine, because there are parties and stuff, and people are around. It's a lot like the school year, though - you need to find stuff to do; it isn't going to come to you."

Dave Katz, a junior, had a similar experience. He says, "I worked in an STD lab in the medical institute. It was really nice being here. Just my friends were around, so we hung out a lot. Since I wasn't taking any classes, there was no work to do besides my job and that was really nice."

Many students, especially pre-meds, decide to take some of their more difficult requirements over the summer so that they can focus better on them without the pressure of other classes. Durga Purla, a senior, says, "I did research and I've taken classes - Organic Chemistry, Intermediate Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry lab. It makes your school year a lot easier if you get Orgo out of the way. The weather gets really hot, but it's still very relaxing."

Some students, however, choose to take classes that they might not otherwise take because of time constraints during the school year. This Summer Session, courses include Gender Identity in the United States, Just and Unjust Wars, Totally Beethoven: His Life and His Music, and Mummification, Pyramids and the Egyptian Afterlife.

Not all students who stay here take Summer Session classes, though.

Senior Katy Gall, a senior, had an internship with ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). She says, "I commuted to D.C. every day and it took two hours door-to-door to get to my job. I slept on the train a lot. It was really hot and I spent a lot of time outside, but it's really fun here during the summertime. They have movies in the park and lots of outdoor festivals. It's a little quieter and there's not so much work to do." Junior Mike Furman says, "I'm staying here because I pay rent on a house, and I like Baltimore. I'm going to get a regular job and take some classes, but not at Johns Hopkins."

So if you think you might want to stay in Baltimore this summer, check out the Summer Sessions course offerings. Term One lasts from May 28 to June 28 anD Term Two lasts from July 1 to August 2. The registration deadlines are May 22 for Term One and June 26 for Term Two. To see the full list of Summer Session course offerings, you can pick up a schedule at the registrar or check out the Summer Session web page at http://www.jhu.edu/summer/. Even if you don't end up registering for classes, staying in Baltimore for the summer could be a lot more fun than you would think.

When asked about what the advantages of taking summer classes are, graduate student Chris Raley, who's teaching Introduction to Algorithms said, "It's more intensive and longer sessions allow material to be grouped together that should be. [Longer sessions] allow the class to cover a problem more thoroughly and more in depth in a single session.

Should he be worried about students falling asleep during class? Raley said, "It's my job to keep that from happening.