By Celina Wu
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Despite the upcoming break, school will still be a primary aspect of junior Emily Tweedy’s summer this year.

“This summer I will be taking government because I struggle with some classes, so by doing it over the summer, it’s easier and I only have to focus on one class,” Tweedy said. “Also, since I will be done with a class over the summer, I will get free space during the year to take other classes I want to take.”

Many students, like Tweedy, choose to take a course during the two sessions of summer school this school offers. Although numerous students think such a commitment is a sacrifice they are not willing to make, Tweedy and others like her said they do not see it as something that deprives them of their stress-free time off from school. Instead, these students view summer school as an opportunity to gain free space in their schedule for the upcoming school year which would have otherwise been filled. In addition, these students use summer school to their advantage by finishing courses that they feel are more of an ordeal for them.

Counselor Stephanie Payne said, “Summer school is a good idea for those who want to free up their schedule, but it depends on what students are freeing it up for. If it’s for an easy senior year, then no; but if they are trying to get extra space to take a class they want to take or a class that deals with what they hope to major in, then certainly summer school is a good way to go.”

This is the case for Tweedy, who said one of the reasons she signed up to take summer school is in order to create more room for her take other courses she wanted to take before she graduated.

“My mom wants me to take some more business classes so that I will be more prepared for the real world,” she said. “If I didn’t take summer school, then I wouldn’t have had enough space to take classes like business foundations and personal finance.”

A second aspect behind Tweedy’s reasoning for enrolling in summer school, she said, was because she struggles with certain courses and the workload. She said, “I have taken summer school before, and since I have a difficult time with homework and tests and having enough time for them, I found that I was more prepared and did better, since I only had to concentrate on one class. That’s why I’m taking summer school again this year, and also it’s easier too.”

In regard to summer school being less challenging, Payne said she isn’t certain if that is so. “Summer school is just different than the regular school year, and it depends on the student. Some students like it because they get to focus on just one class, and they only have to prepare for tests and do homework for that one class,” she said. “However, with four hours each day for four weeks, it’s just not possible for the teachers to get through as much curriculum and material as they do during the 18 weeks of the school year. In summer school, teachers usually focus on the most important material and teach it, with no extras.”

Although Tweedy will be spending a good part of her summer in school, she said the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of the situation. “Taking summer school is definitely worth it. I struggle with tests, so taking it over the summer will take some pressure off since I only have to study for one class. I’m excited for this summer to get government out of my schedule so I’ll have the chance to take other classes my senior year.”