<p>Many freshman start in the summer when the pace is slower and the school is much less crowded. UF is a huge school. Summer is a great time to get acclimated to both college academic and social life. Many kids like the transition of starting as one of 2500 or so freshman before becoming one of 6700 freshman in the fall. Some kids do summer because they have to. The state of Florida has a mandatory 9 credits of summer school requirement that can only be waived by entering college with 9 credits (AP/dual enrollment). Not all UF freshman have enough credits to waive the summer requirement.</p>