With 724 students in summer school, according to Shaw University’s officials, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of class. Teachers and students alike get up each day to prepare for a long day of classes. Since it is required that students take a minimum of (6) credit hours, which is usually (2) classes depending on your major, “the stress of having to do so much work in a month’s time is overwhelming and the time length of the classes make it even harder for me to get motivated,” says rising Sophomore, Athletic Training major Chelsea Holiday, “because the classes are so long and drawn out that when I get out all I want to do is go back to my room and lay down.”
When going on the Shaw University website and searching for classes that are available in the summer session, one would see that there aren’t alot of courses available. Students have the choice of taking either classes during the day, which go from 9:50 am – 11:30 am and 11:40 am – 1:20 pm, or classes at night which go from 5:45 pm – 7:45 pm or 7:45 pm -9:25 pm. There are only a few online courses given during the summer session. The question arises, “how does the time length of classes affect the summer school students of Shaw University?”
When posed with the question, rising Senior, Recreation major Sharetta Riggings said, “I think the classes are too long. Why shouldn’t they be regualr time length like the fall classes? I think it gives students a more relaxed atmosphere and would make them want to go to class for fifty minutes as opposed to students sitting in class for almost (2) hours. I get restless just thinking about it.”
Students who have online classes like Milos Petrovic, rising Junior majoring in Business and a member of Shaw’s men’s basketball team, said “its convenient because I don’t have to go and sit in class for hours, I can just go ahead and do the work and be done with it.” The convenience of not having to travel to campus makes it easy to “enjoy a day of classes” because the online class is at the students dissposal.
Senior and Athletic Training major JC Cannon said that he learns more by being taught. He said that he would rather sit in class because he would never do the work if it was online. He also said that he wouldn’t be as motivated to get up for an online class as opposed to getting up and going to class on campus because you actually have a certain number of absences you are allowed before you fail the class, whereas, online classes don’t have attendence. “Being able to go to summer school is a privilege in itself,” says freshman, computer information major Bri’anna Barber, “and people should make the best use of their “time” while they have the chance.”