by Veselin Simonov

As summer veers ever closer, students – especially 1Ls – face the decision of whether to take classes during the summer. It’s a complicated issue and it’s ultimately up to how each individual student’s schedule shakes out. That said, here are some basic tips that might help you make up your mind.

• To be a full time student in the summer and qualify for financial aid, you need at least six credit hours. That’s two three-credit courses.
• If you’re doing a full time summer internship, it may prove tricky to reconcile that with your class schedule.
• Luckily, the College of Law offers a variety of day and evening courses. There’s also a selection of online courses. This should offer you some flexibility when you’re figuring out your schedule.
• If you’re participating in the externship program, those credits count towards the minimum you need to qualify for financial aid. That means that you can take an externship and only one class and still meet the six hour minimum.
• You still have required courses as a 2L. Two of those are Constitutional Law I and Professional Responsibility. Both are offered over the summer. If you knock one of them out in the summer, that can leave you with more options to take electives in the fall and spring of your second year.
• The College of Law has added some interesting new electives this summer. For example, there’s the mediation clinic and the brand new animal law course.
• Be prepared for a somewhat more intense class experience. Because of the short time frame, courses are more condensed which means longer classes and potentially a denser workload.

If you’re still not sure whether you should take summer classes, try contacting your adviser or the faculty members teaching the courses you’ve got your eye on. They should be able to help you craft a schedule that makes sense.