School’s Not Out for the Summer

Is your summer going to have more homework than pool time? The school year may normally fall between August and May but there are advantages to taking classes during your summer months. Here are four reasons you made a good decision by spending your summer studying:

Your Plans are Made Possible

Do you need to get in a nearly impossible combination of classes to finish your collection of degrees, majors, and minors? Summer sessions and intersessions enable you to achieve your educational goals. Summer classes also relieve pressure from your fall and spring semesters—you have more room than eight semesters to fit in your needed classes.

New Experiences

Sometimes summer terms offer you opportunities you don’t have during the fall or spring. Two years ago, I spent June at the SMU-in-Taos campus. Both courses I took—Aquatic Biology and a management course—were taught by professors who don't normally teach undergraduate classes at SMU. My management professor only teaches MBA students during the school year and my biology professor teaches at a university in South Carolina. Both classes took advantage of our campus's location. My management class took a field trip to Taos Pueblo, and we waded in streams to collect and study fly larvae in Aquatic Biology.   

I was also a marketing intern for the Town of Taos during the term. In my internship, I promoted tourism to the town through a Facebook contest for a customized Taos vacation. I also forged friendships with other students I would have likely never met on SMU's main campus during the school year. Looking back, my month in Taos was my favorite undergraduate experience.

Complete a Semester in a Month

Have you ever been burnt out by a semester shortly after midterms? Month-long summer terms are a quarter of the length of normal semesters and intersessions in May and August are even shorter. Though your classes meet longer, their pace ensures the semester doesn't drag on. Furthermore, summer classes can save you money since they are often less expensive than the same credit hours taken during the spring or fall.


Graduate Sooner Rather than Later

This point feeds off of "It Makes Your Plans Possible"—taking classes over the summer can make it possible to graduate a semester or whole year early, allowing you to save money and start your career or postgraduate plans sooner. Similarly, if you won't be able to finish your credits to graduate in May, summer courses allow you to graduate in August instead of December or the following May. 

by: Paige Witthar

Graduation Inspiration

Graduation season is upon us. During May and early June, families flock to stadiums and auditoriums to witness the turning of tassels and the disbursement of hard-earned, expensive pieces of paper. One of the most anticipated traditions of a college graduation is the speech given by the commencement speaker. As a spectator of several speeches at my own graduation festivities earlier this month, I know graduation speeches can foster curiosity and provide a moment of introspection.

Just like a good Chicken Soup for the Soul story or an intriguing TED talk, a graduation speech can provide needed inspiration. NPR has collected and classified over 300 commencement speeches, many of which include videos. So take a few minutes and listen to the advice of your favorite comedian, politician, author, or business leader.





Here's one of my favorites, Conan O’Brien’s speech at Dartmouth's 2011 Commencement:


by: Paige Witthar

The New College Try

I can’t pinpoint the source or place & time I first heard the adage “give it the old college try” but what matters is that it stuck. I’ve long associated “the old college try” with Norman Rockwell’s illustration of leaving for college in his 1954 painting “Breaking Home Ties”. The painting depicts a first-generation college student waiting with his working-class father for a train to arrive and deliver him to “State U”. Thus the “old college try” not only represented approaching challenges with zeal but leaving home behind for the promising unknown.

But the image of college has changed as decades have passed. Today, illuminated apples on MacBooks watch a professor’s lecture instead of eyes. My grandfather’s Rockwellian college experience is very different than the campus and classrooms I’ve known the last four years. If our Norman Rockwell image is antiquated, than what constructs the “new college try”?

Carpe Diem

In “Dead Poets Society”, Robin Williams urges his students, “Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - Carpe - hear it? – Carpe, Carpe Diem, seize the day…” The same advice resonated in the 1950s but I would argue it’s more crucial today. A smaller portion of the population had graduated from college then which made holding a college degree a trump card. Today, it’s all about distinguishing yourself from the pack—and everyone’s trying to do it. Modern college experiences often involve double or triple majors; minors and concentrations; Greek life; and infinite programs, clubs and associations, and study abroad opportunities. Acceptance into grad school or the extension of an entry level job offer rely on seizing the opportunities you have as an undergraduate.

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

Technology is your friend, except when it isn’t. I’m so thankful I’m in college now when resources are digitized, collaboration is made easier by Google Docs and Dropbox, and studying is aided by professors’ PowerPoints and eBooks. However, anyone who has spent at least five minutes in a college lecture the last few years knows the distraction potential a laptop, tablet, and smart phone possess. Genuine engagement in a discussion or lesson is much more valuable than most people realize. You may not immediately reap the rewards of your focus, but it’s easier to seek help in office hours or get a letter of recommendation from a professor when you’re one of the few making eye contact and asking questions during lectures.

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

One of the beauties of college is that every semester is different. One of the misfortunes of college is that every semester is different. You can have a perfect schedule one semester—waking up at 10:30 am, loving all of your classes, and have a thriving social life—and then you’re in 8:00 am’s, overextended, and always stressing about assignments the next one. Adaptation is often the biggest source of personal growth while you’re an undergrad. College can be an exciting, adult-making factory—you’re hit with juggling marginally more responsibility semester after semester, and by the time you’re out, you resemble a self-responsible taxpayer. Don’t fight adaptation, embrace it.

by: Paige Witthar

Student Debt: Look for alternate options & not just a huge loan (Ali Mirza)

Ali Mirza  Owner of i Social You

Ali Mirza is the owner of "i Social You", a social media service company based in Dallas. He is passionate about helping businesses create engaging social communities. In his spare time, he blogs about simplicity and life at www.letsgraph.com. . SF: What was your biggest challenge in college? AM: Having money to pay for tuition was always a challenge. I was an international student and did not qualify for any grants or loans. Because of my good GPA, I had a scholarship but out of state tuition fee was still very high. SF: Were you impacted by student loans & debt? AM: Yes – I used credit cards to pay for tuition. Being an international student I did not qualify for FAFSA type of loans. So my only option was credit card debt. I paid off $30,000 worth of debt and most of it was after graduation. Almost 75% of my income was going towards credit card debt for a few years after the graduation. SF: What would you do if you didn't have any student debt? AM: I would have been much more open to starting my business & pursuing my dreams. SF: Who is your hero and why? AM: My grandfather. He never went to school but made sure his kids and grandkids did. I learned two very important things from him: 1) Always respect your elders 2) Education is the most important thing in our life SF: If you could change one thing about our education system, what would it be and how would you go about it? AM: I would change it to a “pull system.” Right now education is being pushed on students in schools. I want to flip the system and give more control to students. Imagine you go to your student advisor and say “I want to take these subjects because this is what I LOVE; now you tell me what degree you can give me.” Unfortunately I am not sure how to make it happen yet. SF: What would you suggest to students who are facing student debt? AM: Stop being lazy and do what you can to pay it down as quickly as possible. Also look for alternate options. Crowdfunding & technology platforms like SuccessFunding allow us to think out of the box.