The Bright Side of Summer School

For many students, summer classes might not seem like the most appealing option. For Sarah Serrano, a student at Elgin Community College (ECC), taking a biology course over the summer turned out to be one of the best decisions she made for her academic journey. 

Serrano is pursuing a career in radiography, with the goal of working in a medical office or clinic. Her academic advisor suggested she take her anatomy courses back-to-back in the fall and spring, which meant taking a required biology course as an eight-week summer course.

“At first I didn’t really want to spend my summer in classes, I wanted to be outside having fun,” she said. “But I started thinking long term and realized taking a summer class would make every semester after that a little easier.”

“I was so glad they had tutoring services,” Serrano recalled. The tutors provided structured guidance, making memorization and comprehension much easier. “Especially since the class was fast paced. It made me feel more confident that I could do it.”

Taking a summer class also allowed Serrano to experience ECC’s campus in a unique way. “It was a good way to explore campus without as many people around,” she said. “By the fall, I knew my way around and I was a lot less anxious.”

She also found it to be a peaceful and productive environment for studying. “Campus was amazing, it’s so nice in the summer,” she said. “There were so many places to study with so much sunlight, benches everywhere, it made it really nice.”

Another unexpected benefit of the summer class was the relationships Serrano built, which made her transition into the fall semester even smoother. “I became really close with people in the Office of Student Life during the summer,” she said. “Now, when I need help with anything, they already know me.”

Serrano acknowledged that there is a negative connotation surrounding summer school in high school and that it is often viewed as a place for students who struggled with a class during the school year. “I took summer classes because I want to do well, not because I didn’t do well before. It helped me succeed,” she said.

As for that summer fun she was worried she would miss out on? “I still had fun, because class was twice a week and over by noon, so I had the rest of the day to do what I wanted,” Serrano said. “In high school, you get used to thinking that those few months during the summer are mine to do what I want. My choice was to take a summer class, and it helped so much in the long run. I don’t regret it.”

To learn more about summer classes at ECC and apply for free, visit elgin.edu/success.