Freshman Summer Start

<p>I'm really considering it. I think the cost is around $3000-ish and from what I read previously, they offer financial aid. Then again, it's six weeks long and it ends a week before move-in weekend. If anyone reading this attended, I'd love to hear your input.</p>

<p>im thinking about it. it would be a big advatage to start classes early. im also really anxious to get started with college. it might just be because i want high school to be over already.</p>

<p>at spring insight they said that freshman summer start doesn't really make a difference in getting classes out of the way, since you only take one class. it's mainly a social, not an academic, experience.</p>

<p>its 7-13 units so i doubt that is only one class.</p>

<p>It will help you a lot to be ahead as for the following quarter you will be able to register early than other freshmen who have lower number of units. So u have a better chance of getting the classes you want.</p>

<p>actually they reserve spaces in classes for diffrent orientation dates. but there are classes in the summer start that would normally be hard to get into.</p>

<p>yea i wasn't able to go to the fssp lecture at spring insight, so i kinda missed out on all the information. from what i've been hearing about it though, it doesn't make much of a difference. anyone have any idea about how they do orientation for freshmen? they said that we stay there for 2 days or something.</p>

<p>You will pick classes during freshman orientation. At orientation, you'll get a tour of the campus and then you'll go through several academic advising session. At the first one, they'll tell you about the requirements for graduations. Then, at the second one, you'll get to go through the course catalog and plan out your schedule. The next day, at the last advising session, you'll get to pick your classes. Spaces in popular classes are reserved for each advising session.</p>

<p>I wouldn't say that FSSP is mainly a social experience. The summer session courses are much, much faster than the normal quarter. Think about it, they have to cram 10 weeks of class into 6 weeks. You'll have classes Monday through Friday and each lecture will be longer than the usual ones. The class sizes are also much smaller so you will be able to get your professors a little bit better.</p>

<p>It is a great way to get started on your general education requirements, though I am not sure I would recommend taking the classes to fulfill major requirements. You'll be able to get into classes that are otherwise much more difficult to get into during the regular quarter. And when your through with it, you'll know the university campus like the back of your hand (and you get to laugh at all of those incoming freshman that can't find anything). Not to mention, you won't have to go through the hectic move-in day at the beginning of the next academic year, since you'll get to move all of your stuff over.</p>

<p>For FSSP, freshman orientation is an integrated part of the program. Once orientation ends, FSSP starts. In fact, you'll move into your dorm before the orientation actually begins.</p>

<p>im sending in my check tomorrow.</p>

<p>thanks everyone for your replies. i'm still on the border about going, though. does anyone know how much financial aid they usually give for the students who want to attend program?</p>

<p>I would love to go, but I do not like how it is around 4,000! I know we can apply for financial aid, but I hear all sb usually gives for this are loans!</p>

<p>FSSP IS BY FAR THE BEST DECISION I MADE IN COLLEGE! I make friends that are going to be my room mates in IV next year. I got to know the campus inside and out before the rest of the freshman class came in! Every Freshman should sign up......its sooo wirth it! Summer in Santa Barbara beats any summer at home!</p>

<p>My son did FSSP last year and it was the best experience imaginable. Most students take 2 classes plus a one unit seminar. What's great about it is it gives you an opportunity to settle into college with just 300 - 350 other freshmen and a relatively small group of returning students. There are lots of social activities and opportunities to make new friends, and to find out about all the things the campus has to offer (and UCSB is a fantastic college) before the start of the fall semester and the thousands of students arrive. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle when there's 18000 students milling around if you're a newbie. I honestly think it was the best thing that could have happened for him at the start of his college career.</p>

<p>After all - the alternative is, what? -- spending six more weeks in the town you grew up in, waiting for the rest of your life to start? Aren't you already bored? Do it! (Financially the cost per class is comparable or less than the regular semester.)</p>