The Great Summer School Debate

My spring semester will be officially be wrapped up in two more days. You know what that means? I'll say "good-bye" to homework, writing papers and research and say "hello" to lazy summer afternoons by the pool, sleeping late with my kids and relaxing in a lawn chair.

Well....maybe.

I've actually decided to consider summer school. At the beginning of the spring semester, I planned to take several classes this summer so that I could graduate in December. But I talked myself out of it, saying that I didn't want to miss all the summer activities that I'm usually involved in (youth camps, mission trips) and I wanted to be able to hang out with my kids instead of my computer. Plus, it wasn't like I had a job waiting on me when I graduated. As the semester wore on, I found myself looking forward to a break.

However, I started recalculating the hours I had left plus the monetary savings that I could gain by skipping the spring 2009 semester. I discovered that I might be able to complete a full 11 hours this summer through a combination of testing out of a class (it only costs $10!), taking two internet classes and one "hybrid" class (a hybrid class is a combo of independent study & classroom teaching). Taking these classes would not interfere with the summer activities I already have planned (as long as I have internet access when I travel). I also discovered that I could save $1000 or more by skipping the spring semester in favor of the summer/fall combo The savings would come from tuition that will increase for fall/spring (but not summer), gas savings and food savings (I usually eat out when I'm at school). That makes summer school a pretty good investment overall.

I still have to visit with my advisor and make sure this is going to work the way I think it should. I'll be honest: this is not going to be easy. It requires me to work throughout the summer, take a short break (I'm headed to the beach in August, thankfully), then hit the books again...this time, with 18 hours in my schedule. So, if I do go forward with this plan, I'm going to have to keep my eye on the prize. I think I should put sticky-notes on my bathroom mirror, computer monitor, fridge and any other frequently-used flat surface that says "Just Do It"...you know, Michael Jordan style. :)