When admissions decisions came out in February 2019, I was stunned at the results I received. I applied for the fall and got in for the summer. Don’t get me wrong, I was relieved I had been accepted, but I was overcome with disappointment that I didn’t have the choice between going in for the summer or fall term. In order to attend my dream school, I had to swallow my pride and start earlier than I wanted. And I am so glad I did.
Below, I have listed just some of the many amazing reasons why the summer semester at FSU is truly the best way to adjust to campus life.
1. Smaller class sizes:
One of the most beneficial parts of the summer was the absence of densely packed classrooms. This allowed me to collaborate with peers and work with them on assignments. And it allowed me to get to know not only my classmates, but also get to know my professors and work one on one to better understand the curriculum.
2. Empty campus:
One of the best perks of coming during the summer is the fact that you practically have the whole campus to yourself. If you decide to bring your car during the summer, you will find that the abundance of parking spots is a luxury you won’t be able to take advantage of during the fall.
3. Meeting new people:
The summer was the perfect time to be introduced to a small subset of students who I would be joining in the fall later that year. Most of the people I know now at FSU are the ones I met over the summer. It just goes to show you how one opportunity could change the way you experience college in the future.
4. No lines or wait times:
If you didn’t attend the summer, you don’t know about the times when the Health and Wellness Center was not a 3 hour wait and when the Leach was close to empty all the time. Even the UPS store was a quick trip in and out.
5. Set up good study habits earlier:
Procrastination is a GPA killer. The good thing about the summer is that you can figure out which study habits work best for you, so during the fall you aren’t stressing because you have a hard time preparing for exams.
6. Avoid stress and anxiety during the fall:
The responsibilities of being fully accountable for yourself can become overwhelming if you aren’t used to them. Doing laundry, printing at the library and picking classes will be so much easier during the fall if you figure it out at a time when no one is rushing you.
7. Find out about clubs and activities earlier:
Although the involvement fair during the summer is much smaller than the one that takes place during the fall, there is still a lot of great information available that could give you an advantage over other kids coming in during the fall who don’t know anything about them.
8. Break the home sick barrier earlier:
I know a lot of people still struggling with being away from home. Going to college is a huge transition and the summer is the perfect six-week transition time where you can truly get a taste of what its like to be away from home for the first time.
Just in case you don’t believe me, I interviewed current FSU students to see how they felt about their own experiences during their summer semester…
“It was a great way to break out of my hometown bubble and allowed me to be more comfortable interacting with other people.” – Daisy Badillo, Current FSU Undergraduate Student
“The summer semester has a reputation as being the semester the ‘dumb’ freshmen are there for, but that’s honestly not true. I personally chose to attend FSU in the summer over the fall because I wanted to get a feel for the campus and meet people ahead of time.” – Andrea Wheeler, Current FSU Undergraduate Student
“I most liked how the summer semester was quiet and peaceful. It also allowed me to get my bearings and find out where everything was and what to do before it got too chaotic in the fall.” – Shira Hadar, Current FSU Undergraduate Student
The summer has so much to offer, and it could all be yours if you are open-minded about going outside your comfort zone and experiencing something new.
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