Five Ways to Make the Most of College During Summer Classes

Discover how you can take advantage of your time as you do summer classes.

At Centennial College, taking classes over the summer semester can be very productive. Some students take a few classes during the summer to lighten their workload in September, spacing things out so they can tackle their subjects in smaller clusters. Other students choose to take a full semester of courses, eager to finish school and get into the workforce faster. Either way, summer classes can feel a bit different from the rest of the year, with more free time and fewer people on campus. This means you’ll have both the time and space you can use to your advantage.

1. Explore the area

Tempted as you are to head home when your classes are done, you should use the extra time to go for a walk and explore the area around your campus, especially now that the weather’s good and everyone can safely be outdoors. If you’re an international student, it’s the perfect time to get to know Toronto. For example, the Story Arts Centre is very close to the Danforth, a street famous for its shops, restaurants, and culture, which is nicknamed Greektown. I took summer courses there and would spend my time between classes walking on the Danforth, along with my classmates.

2. Get to know everyone

There are fewer people on campus in the summer, so you can expect to have the run of the place, making it the perfect opportunity to get to know your classmates. There are reasons for this beyond just making friends, though. An important element of career success is networking, and the students in your program can form the beginnings of that network since you’re all looking to become professionals. So, being social can pay off in the long run. Also, take the time to get to know your teachers, since they’re usually industry professionals with similar experience, perfect for that growing network.

3. Look into your school’s employment resources

The extra time you’ll have in the summer is perfect for using Centennial College's Career Services to advance your career. Between the workshops and information offered at Career Services, and the slew of career fairs and informational sessions that will take place, there will be numerous opportunities to get ready for entering the workforce, and you’ll have far more time to seek them out.

4. You have time for independent research

At the same time, the extra free time can also be used to independently advance your career. You can research companies you’d like to work at, and the specifics of the job you’d like to be working. You can even look for an internship or field placement during school, or maybe after, since there’s a few free weeks between the end of the summer semester and the start of the fall one.

5. Look into employment

That extra time also means you can pick a job up on the weekends, or maybe some evenings during school. This is, firstly, good for your finances, but it’s also good for your career, especially if that part-time job is somehow relevant to your career. At the very least, you can add it to your resumé. And even if it isn’t related to your ideal career, more workplace experience with even a bit of responsibility is still worth it.

Ultimately, that’s the theme of a summer semester: You have access to the same people, tools, and opportunities that you do during other semesters, but with more time and space to make use of them. You’re given a chance to develop your career, room to make it happen, and the warm weather to make it a more relaxing experience.