Going to class is the last thing on the minds of many students when May rolls around. Students who don't mind sitting inside on a beautiful summer day or who may need the summer months to supplement their coursework, however, can take advantage of UB's summer session offerings.
"If you take [summer courses], you get out earlier," said UB School of Management graduate student Val Dmitriev. "Also, the professors are more lenient, so you get better grades during the summer." Dmitriev said he took four classes in the management school during the summer of 1997 and received an A in each, allowing him to finish school one semester early.
According to Joanne Plunkett, associate vice provost and director of the Student Response Center, there are many reasons why students take summer courses, as well as many types of people who attend them.
"There are 'regular' UB students that enroll, as well as folks from the Western New York community who attend college elsewhere who are trying to get ahead or catch up or enhance their knowledge. Another example of summer students are area teachers who take courses for professional and personal reasons," said Plunkett.
Students who change their majors often regard summer classes as their saving grace from having to extend their college years to fulfill the their altered requirements.
"I just transferred out of computer science, so I have to start everything fresh - so therefore I have to take all the courses I need for my new major," said junior Chris Ng, now a management major. "I just want to get out of here; if I don't take the summer courses I'll have to take one extra year."
Dmitriev believes summer courses are a little more relaxing than their full-semester counterparts. "So much stuff is crammed into the course, but people are more relaxed, so in practice, it's easier."
Farah Gilkar, a senior business administration major, agreed.
"I took mostly gen-eds during the summer because they were easier and I wanted to get them out of the way," said Gilkar. "I took some more difficult classes, like Finance for Applied Economics, and it was easier during the summer. I noticed that they're a lot more easygoing."
There are three sessions of summer courses available: session I is from Monday, May 20 through Friday, June 28; session II is from Monday, June 24 through Friday, August 2; and session III is from Monday, July 1 through Friday, August 9. There are no classes on May 27 and July 4.
Students may enroll in any combination of sessions. Any of the six-week sessions will give a maximum of eight credit hours. Sessions I and II, which overlap for a total of 10 weeks, give a maximum of 11 credit hours. For more ambitious students, a maximum of 14 credit hours can be obtained.
Registration for summer courses began on Monday, March 18.
For the undergraduate division, classes cost $137 per credit hour for in-state residents and $346 for nonresidents. For classes in the graduate school, the tuition costs $213 per credit hour for New York residents and $351 for nonresidents. Professional school tuitions range from $413 to $1,039 per credit hour, depending on residency and profession. There is $23.75 comprehensive fee applied to all tuition charges.
Matriculated students may apply for TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) or a Federal Direct Student Loan. See the summer and fall 2002 class schedule catalogues for details.
On-campus housing on South Campus is available to students who are registering for summer session classes. Room assignments are made on a first-come first-serve basis, and space is limited. Students should apply no later than Friday, April 26.
