<p>Does anyone know if you take classes during winter session, do they count towards your Fall GPA or Spring GPA or neither?</p>
<p>Neither-it is a separate academic session-but they are included in your overall GPA.</p>
<p>Also-just FYI-there is no Deans List for the Winter (or Summer) session.</p>
<p>As the parent of a very hopeful Delaware applicant, I have wondered about this long winter session layoff, and what you thought of it. Do most freshman take classes? Do most students take classes? Do they take them on campus or abroad? It seems expensive…if you don’t study, what are kids doing for so long, and are they bored? Some various perspectives on winter session would be great to hear…
Thanks in advance</p>
<p>S is a sophomore and will be doing winter session this year. Last year he didn’t (I don’t think a lot of freshmen do) and was bored to death once all his HS friends went back. We told him that this year he either had to get a job (almost impossible around here) or do winter session. He’s taking two classes, including one that’s difficult to get into in the fall and is a prereq for one of his minors. </p>
<p>It is expensive, no question, but it’s a good way to get certain courses completed. One of his three roommates, as well as other friends of his, are also doing it, so he’ll have some company.</p>
<p>Hi Socaldad, I think this is a bit of a quandary, especially for freshman, but I’ll probably know more in a few weeks. My D, who as you know is a freshman, will be attending this year. I’d originally hoped she’d find a class/trip abroad she wanted to do, but she didn’t. Still, she’s looking forward to being able to take two required classes, really devote time to them, and hopefully to build up her GPA. It will also add credits for the future if she wants to go abroad or do an internship and take less credits. Another advantage was that she was easily able to get the classes and profs she wanted.</p>
<p>Her biggest concern is that there will be few of her friends or people in general around. She says that there are not a lot of freshman staying for Winter Session. She is also in one of the smaller dorms ~ which she loves ~ but over Winter Session it will be almost empty and that is a concern. She’s also concerned that with only two classes and few kids around she may become bored. </p>
<p>It was easy to schedule classes toward the mid week so if she is bored she’ll be able to go away (although where? is a question, maybe to visit HS friends at their schools). I’m also letting her take a car down, just in case (that may not be an option for you).</p>
<p>I’m sure I’ll be able to answer a lot more questions about this after the term gets under way and I will revisit the thread then.</p>
<p>Hi. My DD had friends who took a class at home at community college last year during winter break . The DD of someone I know (a freshman this year) is taking a UD course on-line during winter session. I will let you know how that goes.</p>
<p>My DD, now a soph, is studying abroad for a month (leaving on Monday) - taking 2 classes, 6 credits. The DD of someone else I know has an internship in NYC (no doubt through her father’s connections).</p>
<p>Last year, when a freshman, DD was able to work a bit at her old job (not enough), took a trip with me, and visited her friends at other colleges after they went back. She was chomping at the bit that last week to get back to school. Yes, socaldad, it does get boring for them!</p>
<p>I am hoping that DD gets some sort of real-life work experience (even if not an official internship) next winter break. Of course, she wants to keep traveling (LOL). I’ve already had one conversation with her since she’s been home about how she needs to start planning for a job because she won’t be happy living with us again after college!</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. Sounds like the winter session is not ideal. We will be happy to figure it out, though. I look forward to hearing how this year goes for MHC’s daughter as a frosh.</p>
<p>socaldad - Winter Session can be a very good thing, but it really depends on the student’s situation. DD was double-majoring in the sciences, so Winter Session was her only university-sponsored opportunity to study abroad. In successive years she went to Ecuador, Southern Europe, and Ghana. These trips are very well-organized. Senior year DD took two courses she needed to graduate. Winter Session is also a good opportunity to take courses unavailable to the student during Fall or Spring semesters. (There are a considerable number of courses restricted to “Majors Only” during Fall and Spring semesters.)</p>
<p>The other downside to Winter Session, besides the five weeks of enforced downtime, is that school lets out in June, rather than May.</p>
<p>NewHope33–</p>
<p>What do you mean school lets out in June?</p>
<p>^ Sorry, end of May (5/26 this year) … followed by the Holiday. DD generally wasn’t available for summer work until June. That put her at disadvantage to say UFlorida students who were done with Finals around May 4th.</p>
<p>So, D came home this weekend because many of her high school friends are still around and she wanted to see them one last time before they go back to school. Last night we got to talk for a while about Winter Session.</p>
<p>There are about 6 people in her dorm but several thank goodness are friends of hers and at the last minute her roommate also decided to stay. In some of the other larger dorms like Rodney it’s a lot worse. Almost empty. And all the places on Main Street are open. Apparently while most freshman are gone, there are a lot of upperclassmen around. She is actually getting to meet and spend time with a few of them.</p>
<p>She also said that, even though she is only taking two classes, the way her schedule is set up, she really doesn’t have time to get bored. At least during the week. She gets up, goes to class and by the time she’s done and heads back for the dorm, it’s either time for a nap (!) or she has plenty of reading or homework to do. </p>
<p>On the whole she really seems to be quite happy and pleased with it so far. She likes the classes and profs (neither of which she would have been able to get during regular session). It’s not that she’s raved about it, but I know her well enough that if she were unhappy or bored, or thought she was going to be, I’d definitely be hearing about it.</p>