Students Challenge: Summer University

Studying during Holidays

The application rate for summer programs is high, classes are full. Is it the matter of being extremely curious, other words a nerd? No, indeed! It's a matter of efficiency. Everything goes quickly. You have one month to complete the course, so you attend classes every day. Add to this that you are in the strange city, for example her Majesty Vienna, with lots of temptations around you, and people who have at least one thing in common with you, they have been courageous enough to come


By NATALIYA TESLYUK
from Klaipeda, LITHUANIA


What are you doing today? - Studying for my exam tomorrow...
Why would you do it on such a perfect day in July? - I am attending a Summer University.

Oh my God! Why would a poor student exhausted after studying routine commit some kind of suicidal action: go to study more in July and August during holidays? The application rate for summer programs is high, classes are full. Is it the matter of being extremely curious, other words a nerd? No, indeed! It's a matter of efficiency. Everything goes quickly. You have one month to complete the course, so you attend classes every day. Add to this that you are in the strange city, for example her Majesty Vienna, with lots of temptations around you, and people who have at least one thing in common with you, they have been courageous enough to come. And of course, this people pay attention to the abundant options available around too.

People start noticing each other on the first day everywhere. I mean, they have to do it: one month is not too much time, though enough to get an exhilarating experience, academic knowledge and international friends.

A student is a special matter in every society. Young organism is industrial and highly resisting to any logic. That's one of the reasons summer universities are popular. Come on, it's boring just to hang out around, it's much more exciting to keep up with deadlines (or to invent strategies to avoid them) and go out.

But let's not make a complete party out of the summer university. Teaching in summer and keeping students' attention is a talent, and every professor who manages to push material into sleepy and foggy minds in the mornings and awakes interest to the subject is genuinely pride of the universities. High level teaching is one of strong sides of successful summer schools, enjoyable by students. Why? When you pay for a summer school, you pay not only for fun, but also for information, which is either contributing into knowledge of your field or broadens your knowledge.

And then sitting in the airport with your credits safely lying in your bad, you are smiling remembering challenges you've faced getting them. Looking at people adding you in facebook or hi5, or other connections' network, posting pictures, you realize that you've had a wonderful time.

Universities were inventive enough to create summer universities in wide range of specializations, starting with Business and ending up with Space Engineering, the application process includes essays, and motivation letter, resume, scholarships are available. In common parlance, it's relatively easy to get into the program. But sorry, once you've done it, it's not easy to get out, because it's so much fun!