Summer sessions to begin next week

Students enrolled in summer courses will get a brief break and then head straight back to the classroom from May to July.

The first summer session begins only five days after the last date of final exams for the Spring 2008 semester.

Students enrolled in both sessions will have 16 class-free days from May through September, excluding weekends.
Summer classes come with a condensed course length and a smaller student-to-teacher ratio that may or may not be appealing to professors and students.

Intellectual heritage professor Susan Bertolino has been teaching summer classes at Temple for four years.
The atmosphere in the classroom differs from those during a fall or spring semester, Bertolino said.

“I get to do things with them that I can’t do with four classes during the year. Last semester, I brought bagels and cream cheese to the final,” Bertolino said. “Since we have a smaller class size, it is far easier to bond with the students and have some great discussions.”

While some students will try to take multiple classes in each session, Bertolino cautioned against it.

“I understand the desire to finish, but three summer school classes alone is such a burden. It’s hard to maintain a good GPA,” she said.

Students making the commitment to surrender part or nearly all of their summer to continue their education are doing so for various reasons.

Sophomore accounting major Eric Wojiechowski is taking three classes over the summer to earn credits and catch up with his graduating class.

“All my credits didn’t transfer when I first came here so I need to take these classes,” he said.

Sophomore accounting major George Vivacqua is taking one economics class during the first summer session.

“Well, I failed it the first time,” he said. “After July 1, I’m getting out of here, going to the beach, whatever. I need to make the most out of the rest of my summer,” Vivacqua said.

The campus itself will be undergoing changes throughout the summer months.

The Louis J. Esposito Dining Court will be closed to students so it can be renovated, leaving the Student Center as the only on-campus dining hall option, as reported by The Temple News [“J&H cafeteria to get summer renovations,” Chris Stover,May 13, 2008].

“Construction will begin on May 15 and last until at least the end of August,” manager Jim Palmer said.

“The Student Center will also be hosting all conferences usually held at the Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria,” retail director Rebecca Koerbel said.

While some students are already celebrating the end of this school year, others are preparing to head back to the classroom next week.

“A few students get a bit tempted by the shore on the weekend, so that can hurt their output of homework and reading,” Bertolino said. “I don’t care if they read Freud at Cape May, as long as they do it.”

Greg Adomaitis can be reached at greg.adomaitis@temple.edu.