Posted by Martino Britt

Okay, summer is barely here, and I have taken on two new endeavors at SLU. I enrolled in my first two Summer Courses – EVER! I also took my First Intersession Class. Let me just say that it was quite the experience. It is summer, and there are a lot more things going on, so the challenge of focusing can be greatly exacerbated. If you have children, there are all sorts of things going on. Even if you do not have children or a family, there are so many things to take in during the warmer months. There are free concerts in several parks throughout the area, the zoo is free—and is definitely world class. You have Cardinals baseball, work functions, and lots of other possibilities.

Needless to say my point is that it took a great deal of extra focus and self-discipline to get through the four-week Intersession Course. I took Biology, and for some reason I registered for the class not realizing that it was a four-week course. We covered five to six chapters each week, and there were quizzes, assignments, and discussions each week as well. This sounds pretty scary, but I think the class was led by a wonderful instructor who communicated effectively and understood the demands of her students. I was sick the first week of class, and when I finally felt better it was the last day the assignment and quiz for that week were due. So I ended up in a coffee shop until a quarter after midnight that week. I vowed to step my game up since I was feeling better.

The next week came, and I was up until about 1130pm. So it happened again, though I’m not sure how. By the third week I was ready to go and finish this class off strong, and I feel like I did pretty well. It took a lot of adjusting and hard work, but I actually learned a lot in the accelerated format, and I would consider taking an intersession course again if needed. It was a really good class, and I was really happy I took it.

I am still completing the eight-week course I registered for – Ethics. This class is introducing me to some very interesting information, and I am really happy that I am taking it. More importantly, I only have one class for the next four-five weeks so my schedule should be a lot less busy. I am very pleased with my summer courses and the intersession course, but it really took a lot for me to stay focused. I think the topics and the format of the courses are really the reasons why things have gone pretty well so far. I am just looking forward to finishing off this Ethics class strong because of the extra time I have and moving 6 credits closer to obtaining my degree from Saint Louis University.

Photo Credit:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wimox/5208799623/